RALEIGH – Gov. Mike Easley today announced that nearly 800 applications for Operation Brighter Day hurricane recovery programs have been filed since Recovery Application Centers (RACs) opened last week in N.C. Cooperative Extension Service centers in the 50 disaster-declared counties. He commended local agents for helping to eliminate red tape and get people the resources they need for recovery.

“This is a great start, but I encourage everyone who still has uninsured losses to apply,” Easley said. “We want to be certain that everyone has a chance to participate in this recovery process.”

Operation Brighter Day is Gov. Easley’s program to provide a one-stop application service by either visiting a local RAC or calling the Governor’s Hurricane Recovery Bilingual Hotline at 1-888-835-9966 (TTY, 1-877-452-2514). The goal is to ensure that victims of these storms have an easy and convenient way to apply for all available North Carolina Individual Assistance programs at one time.

Between April 22 and close of day Thursday, 796 applications had been received from people living in the 50 disaster-declared counties. This includes 336 requests for housing damage, 289 for damage to private driveways and bridges, and 360 for agricultural loss.

To date, the highest number of applications has been filed in Buncombe and Haywood counties. For a county-by-county breakdown of the number of applications filed, visit www.OperationBrighterDay.org. Applications will be accepted through May 27.

Contact information for local RACs can be found online at www.ces.ncsu.edu/counties. Applications also may be filed by calling the Governor’s Hurricane Recovery Bilingual Hotline between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. .

Note to Media: The new Operation Brighter Day logo is available on the program’s website: www.OperationBrighterDay.org.