CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) - Federal Emergency Management Agency officials have confirmed that a housing inspector's briefcase containing personal information of flood victims has been stolen.

FEMA said in a statement to KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids that it was alerted to the situation on July 7. It said the inspector's car was broken into in Iowa, and the worker's briefcase was missing.

The agency said the information in the briefcase included the name, birth date, FEMA registration number and address of about 90 applicants. It said no Social Security numbers were released.

The agency notified the applicants by telephone and said it will follow with formal letters. It added that it has purchased the applicants a one-year subscription to an identity theft protection service.

"FEMA regrets that some disaster applicants may have had certain personal information placed at risk as a result of this theft," the statement said. "The agency is making every effort to protect those affected and to prevent such an incident from occurring again in the future."

FEMA characterized the incident in the statement as an "unauthorized release of private information."

Vince Blank told KCRG-TV that when his original application for flood assistance was denied, he thought it was the last he'd hear from FEMA. Then, he says he got a call Thursday night saying his personal information was at risk.

"I don't know what they've got, I don't know what that FEMA woman has that's got her so scared about to call me," Blank said. "She stressed the fact that they did not have my Social Security Number, they mentioned that two or three times."

Cedar Rapids police officials said the inspector's car was broken into at about 2:45 a.m. on July 7 at the Aspen Inn where the man was staying. They said the inspector's computer was also stolen.

A request by The Associated Press for a copy of the statement and additional comment from FEMA wasn't immediately fulfilled.