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The Franchise Tax Board (FTB) today announced special tax relief for California taxpayers affected by the recent California wildfires. “The Franchise Tax Board can help the victims of these wildfires,” said State Controller and FTB Chair John Chiang.

The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that $5.8M in disaster relief has yet to be released to the disaster victims.

The World Health Organization has been closely monitoring the situation and estimates the amount needed to be $12.8M now.

Total cost for disaster vicitm relief and reconstruction of the devastated area is estimated to cost more than $1 billion.

The disaster has left at least 138,000 missing or dead.

The U.S. Small Business Administration announces today the opening of three additional Disaster Loan Outreach Centers and one Business Recovery Center on Monday, July 21 at 9 a.m. The locations of the Centers will make it convenient for disaster victims affected by the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding of June 5 and continuing to apply for disaster loan assistance. The SBA encourages victims to visit the Centers to apply for assistance.

The value of disaster loans approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration from flooding and tornadoes this spring in Iowa has passed the $100 million mark.

The agency as of Thursday had approved more than $101.1 million in disaster loans, according to Joe Folsom, the agency’s district director for Iowa.

Nebraska taxpayers affected by the storms, tornadoes and flooding from May 22 through June 24 are entitled to certain forms of tax relief, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Individuals who live, work or have a business in the counties declared disaster areas may apply.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said the counties included in the federal disaster declaration are Buffalo, Butler, Colfax, Custer, Dawson, Douglas, Gage, Hamilton, Jefferson, Kearney, Lancaster, Platte, Richardson, Sarpy and Saunders.

More bodies are set to arrive in Cebu today, raising the body count of the MV Princess of the Stars victims to 259.

The bodies will be processed at the Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes along Junquera St., Cebu City and not at the Cebu International Port (CIP), where the new forensic site would be set up.

Tyson Foods, Inc. donated $50,000 to the Red Cross Society of China today to help the disaster victims of the earthquake that took place in China back in May. The money was donated through the Northwest Arkansas Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Tyson Foods Group VP and International President, Rick Greubel and Director of International Sales Jianlin Si, made the check presentation. The corporate contribution is in addition to the money donated individually by Tyson Team Members.

With only a month left for flood victims to file for federal aid, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) continue to encourage those affected to apply for assistance.

Registering with FEMA is the necessary first step to be considered for aid in the form of grant money that does not need to be repaid.

The next step, however, is filling out the SBA loan application.

On Monday, the National Bureau of Investigations stated that it will begin identifying the disaster victims of the cruise liner, MV Princess of the Stars, which capsized from Typhoon Frank off Sibuyan Island on June 21st.

The NBI also stated that it will require the assistance of family members to provide documentation to help facilitate the idenification process through dental records. So far, only 26 of the 862 disaster victims on board, have been identified.

The cost to perform this test will cost about $60,000 per victim and will take approximately 2 weeks, according to one NBI expert.