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FEMA Extends Deadline to Request Hurricane Sandy Claims Review

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has extended the deadline for flood insurance policyholders to submit their Hurricane Sandy Claims for review. The last day to submit claims is now Oct. 15, 2015.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that any additional flood insurance proceeds up to $20,000 will not be treated as duplicative. Federal agencies cannot provide disaster assistance for losses covered by insurance. HUD’s announcement stated that “this will eliminate the need for HUD grantees to reclaim assistance from these households or to repay those funds through non-federal sources. To date, three out of four National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claimants have received less than $20,000 in additional compensation from FEMA and will not face any possible repayment.”

Roy Wright, FEMA’s Deputy Associate Administrator for Insurance and Mitigation, encouraged policyholders to call FEMA and request a review if they believe their claims were underpaid for any reason. As of Sept.14, nearly 14,000 policyholders have requested reviews of their Sandy flood insurance claims.

“FEMA remains committed to making sure that every policyholder gets every dollar they are owed under their flood insurance policy. Already, thousands of policyholders have contacted us to have their claims reviewed and we have begun providing funds to those who were due additional payments on their claim,” Wright said.

“We are hopeful that HUD’s action to provide relief to the vast majority of those who are concerned about potential duplicative benefits will encourage even more policyholders who may have been initially reluctant to enter the process to do so,” Wright said. “In light of HUD’s decision to simplify this review and provide relief, we are extending the claims review deadline until October 15th. We hope by extending the deadline we are addressing any remaining concerns some may have about entering the claims review process. The review process we have established is designed to be simple, fair, and accessible without paid legal assistance. FEMA is dead set on restoring trust in this important program and no one should be discouraged from having their claim reviewed.”

Policyholders can call the NFIP’s Hurricane Sandy claims center at 866-337-4262 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), Monday through Friday to request a review. It is important to have your policy number and insurance company name when you call.

Policyholders also can go online to www.fema.gov/hurricane-sandy-nfip-claims to download a form requesting a review. The downloaded form can be filled out and emailed to FEMA-sandyclaimsreview@fema.dhs.gov or faxed to 202-646-7970 to begin the review process. For individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and use 711 or VRS, please call 866-337-4262. For individuals using a TTY, please call 800-462-7585 to begin the review process.

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

September is National Preparedness Month: Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.

DENTON, Texas – “Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.” That’s the message emergency managers are sharing with people all over Texas and beyond during the month of September.

September is National Preparedness Month and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Region 6 Office is urging everyone to take steps to make a plan and know what to do during an emergency.

Whether you deal with the possible threats of flooding, wildfires, hurricanes or power outages, the preparedness steps to take are the same. They include:

•   Knowing your risk for where you live;
•   Having an individual and family preparedness plan in place;
•   Practicing that plan;
•   Putting together an emergency kit with water and non-perishable supplies to last for at least three days for you, your family and your pets;
•   Ensuring that your contact list is up-to-date for people you may need to reach out to during a disaster; and
•   Establishing alternative methods of communication in case traditional means are not available.

Additionally, September 30 is National PrepareAthon! Day. You are encouraged to participate by doing a simple, specific action or activity to improve your preparedness and your family’s preparedness; or it can be something more elaborate that involves your neighborhood, your place of worship, your entire workplace or your community.

Visit www.ready.gov or www.ready.gov/prepare for more information on America’s PrepareAthon! You can find tools to stage your own emergency preparedness drills, as well as register any preparedness activities for you or your community.

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/femaregion6, and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

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September is National Preparedness Month: Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.

FEMA provides federal funds to help fight the Horsethief Butte Fire

SEATTLE – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Horsethief Butte Fire in Klickitat County, Washington.

FEMA Region X Regional Administrator Kenneth D. Murphy determined that the fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. Murphy approved the state of Washington’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) on Sept. 13, 2015 at 10:42 p.m. PDT. There have been 12 FMAGs approved in Washington since June 2015.

Two New Mexico firefighters walk up a hill to continue battling smoldering forest fires. Fire Management Assistance Grants can provide federal funds to support costs like firefighting tools and equipment, overtime compensation, mobilization and travel costs, meals, health and safety items.

Through Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs), federal funds are available to support firefighters battling wildfires if needed. Original photo by Andrea Booher/FEMA News Photo.

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The fire started on September 13, 2015, and had burned in excess of 2,000 acres of federal, state, and private lands. At the time of the request, the fire was threatening over 125 primary homes in and around the communities of Dallesport and Wishram. Evacuation orders were issued for approximately 300 people. The fire was also threatening public utility transmission and distribution lines along state Route 14, community buildings, irrigation infrastructure, recreational resources at two state parks, and valued environmental resources of the Columbia River.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state of Washington’s eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires. These grants provide reimbursement for firefighting and life-saving efforts. They do not provide assistance to individuals, homeowners or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.

FMAGs are provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible items can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; mobilization and demobilization activities; and tools, materials and supplies.

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FEMA provides federal funds to help fight the Horsethief Butte Fire

FEMA provides federal funds to help fight the Dry Gulch Fire

SEATTLE – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Dry Gulch Fire in Baker County, Oregon.

FEMA Region X Regional Administrator Kenneth D. Murphy determined that the fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. Murphy approved the state of Oregon’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) on Sept. 13, 2015 at 11:23 p.m. PDT. There have been six FMAGs approved in Oregon since July 2015.

Through Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs), federal funds are available to support firefighters battling wildfires if needed. Original photo by Andrea Booher/FEMA News Photo. Los Alamos, N.M., May 4, 2000 – “Hot Shot” members from Zuni, NM, continue their fight with smoldering forest fires.

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The fire started on September 13, 2015 and had burned in excess of 18,000 acres of federal, state and private lands. At the time of the request, was threatening 403 primary homes in and around the communities of Halfway and New Bridge. Evacuation orders were issued and approximately 300 people have evacuated the area. The fire was also threatening a major distribution line, cell towers and wildlife habitat in the area.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state of Oregon’s eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires. These grants provide reimbursement for firefighting and life-saving efforts. They do not provide assistance to individuals, homeowners or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.

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FEMA provides federal funds to help fight the Dry Gulch Fire

FEMA, State Broadcasters and Emergency Managers to Test the Emergency Alert System in Six New England States

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with state, local, and tribal emergency managers and state broadcasters’ associations, will conduct a test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on Wednesday, September 16, 2015, in six New England states. The test will begin at 2:20 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), and will last approximately one minute.

The voluntary EAS test will be seen and heard over many radio, television and cable stations in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The EAS test might also be seen and heard in upper New York State if the public normally receives any broadcasts from nearby New England stations. The word “national” will be added to the test message: “This is a national test of the Emergency Alert System. This is only a test.”

“The EAS test message will be sent to radio and television stations using a National Periodic Test code that sounds and appears like the regular monthly EAS tests conducted by state officials and broadcasters,” said Roger Stone, Acting Assistant Administrator of FEMA’s National Continuity Programs. “FEMA is working to specify a method for conducting periodic nationwide EAS tests using the National Periodic Test code in the near future.”

The test is designed to have limited impact on the public, with only minor disruptions of radio and television programs that normally occur when broadcasters regularly test EAS in their area. There is no Federal Commissions Commission regulatory liability for stations that choose not to participate.

The test will assess the operational readiness of FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) infrastructure that will distribute the national-level EAS test message to radio, television and cable operations from origination to reception by public. It will verify the functionality of EAS stations to receive and broadcast a national test message. The test requires that radio and television stations make a minor configuration change to their station EAS equipment to receive and process the National Periodic Test code message from the IPAWS system.

In 2007, FEMA began modernizing the nation’s public alert and warning system by integrating new technologies into existing alert systems. The new system is known to broadcasters and local alerting officials as the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System or IPAWS. IPAWS connects public safety officials, such as emergency managers, police and fire departments to multiple communications channels to send alerts to the public when a disaster or other imminent danger occurs.

More information on the Public Alert and Warning System and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) is available at www.fema.gov/ipaws or www.ready.gov/alerts. For more information on IPAWS, visit www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/31814.

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Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

FEMA, State Broadcasters and Emergency Managers to Test the Emergency Alert System in Six New England States

Next Meeting of the FEMA National Advisory Council

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be holding the next FEMA National Advisory Council (NAC) public meeting in Washington, D.C., from September 16-18, 2015.

WHAT: NAC Meeting

WHERE: Gallaudet University
Kellogg Conference Center
800 Florida Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002

WHEN: September 16, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (EDT)
September 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (EDT)
September 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (EDT)

During the meeting, the NAC will meet with FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, Deputy Administrator Joe Nimmich, and senior agency leadership to receive program briefings, and discuss the progress and potential recommendations of its three subcommittees: Preparedness and Protection, Response and Recovery, and Federal Insurance and Mitigation. The full agenda can be found on the FEMA NAC website at www.fema.gov/national-advisory-council.

There will also be remarks from Dr. Carol Erting, Provost of Gallaudet University, and Chris Geldart, Director of the District of Columbia’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (DC HSEMA).

Members of the public are invited to provide public comments after the subcommittee report- outs between 3:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. EDT on Thursday, September 17, 2015. Directions on how to submit public comments can be found on the NAC webpage.

The NAC was established to ensure effective and ongoing coordination of federal preparedness, protection, response, recovery, mitigation for natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters. The NAC advises the FEMA Administrator on all aspects of emergency management, and incorporates federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, and non-profit and private sector partners’ input into the development and revision of FEMA plans and strategies.

For those planning to attend in person and for additional information on facilities or services for individuals with disabilities, or to request special assistance at the meeting, please contact the Office of the NAC by email at FEMA-NAC@fema.dhs.gov.

More information on the NAC is available at www.fema.gov/national-advisory-council.

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Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Next Meeting of the FEMA National Advisory Council

Preliminary Flood Maps in Willacy County and Cameron County in Texas Ready for Public View

DENTON, Texas – Homeowners, renters and business owners in Willacy County and Cameron County in Texas are encouraged to look over newly-released preliminary flood maps in order to determine their flood risks and make informed decisions.

Local officials and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are presenting the revised preliminary maps to communities in order to help leaders and residents identify known flood risks in their area. Residents and business owners can use this information to make decisions about buying flood insurance and other building decisions. Community leaders can use this information to identify how the community should move forward with any development.

“We have worked with our state and local partners to bring this critical information to the county and hope that everyone reviews the maps to understand what flood risks are involved,” said FEMA Region 6 Administrator Tony Robinson. “It is very important to have the community as an active partner in the flood mapping process.”

To view the revised flood maps, please contact your local floodplain administrator who may be located at City Hall or the local county government building. You can also visit http://msc.fema.gov/portal or http://maps.riskmap6.com. To contact a FEMA Map Specialist, call 1-877-FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627) or send an email to FEMAMapSpecialist@riskmapcds.com.

Once a flood risk is identified, the next step is to consider the purchase of a flood policy from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Visit www.floodsmart.gov or call 1-888-379-9531 to locate an agent in your area.

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Preliminary Flood Maps in Willacy County and Cameron County in Texas Ready for Public View

FEMA Seeks Local Help to Assist in Disaster Recovery Through Job Fair

Saipan, CNMI – FEMA has joined forces with the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands’ Department of Labor (DOL) to recruit individuals to work in temporary, full-time positions available locally with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The DOL, in conjunction with the FEMA local hire program, will host a job fair at the Northern Marianas College on Sept. 14-17 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in room A8. The purpose of this fair is to give local residents who have no Internet connectivity the opportunity to apply for the temporary jobs with FEMA.

The CNMI Transit Authority will provide free transportation to and from the Northern Marianas College during the event. Staff from the DOL will be on hand to assist with resume writing, along with a FEMA representative to help make sure resumes are routed to the correct location. Transportation pick-up locations will be:

• In the As Matuis/San Roque area, Welcome Market

• In the Tanapag area, IMart

• In the Garapan area, Paseo de Marianas

• In the Capitol Hill area, Sarah Market

• In all three Kagman areas, Kagman Market

• In the San Antonio area, Basketball Court

• In the Koblerville area, Basketball Court

• In the Dandan area, Dandan Middle School

FEMA routinely offers employment to residents in disaster areas to support the local economy and provide jobs to those who may have lost employment due to the disaster.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, 18 years of age or older. Individuals will be required to pass a background investigation that includes finger printing and a credit check.

Job descriptions are available at http://www.wia.gov.mp/ and at http://www.marianaslabor.net/. CNMI residents may apply by e-mail: fema-dr-4235-mp-hire-me@fema.dhs.gov.

FEMA is committed to employing a highly qualified workforce that reflects the diversity of our nation. All applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, political affiliation, non-disqualifying physical handicap, sexual orientation, and any other non-merit factor. The federal government is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

For the latest information on CNMI’s recovery from Typhoon Soudelor, visit FEMA.gov/Disaster/4235.

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FEMA Seeks Local Help to Assist in Disaster Recovery Through Job Fair

One Month After the Typhoon

SAIPAN – The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) was deployed to Saipan days prior to Typhoon Soudelor making landfall.

After Typhoon Soudelor impacted Saipan, President Obama issued a major disaster declaration on August 5, 2015 for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, making federal assistance available to aid individuals and communities in the recovery efforts for damages that occurred August 1-3, 2015 and appointed a Federal Coordinating Officer to lead the Federal team.

FEMA immediately started to mobilize its federal partners in support of recovery efforts.

Mobile Emergency Response Support (MERS) personnel and equipment supported the Commonwealth with secure and non-secure voice, video and information services to support emergency response communications needs.

Representatives from the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Preparedness, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) assessed public health needs and were prepared to support if necessary.

The US Coast Guard was on the ground in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to perform port condition assessments. The Ports in CNMI are open to commercial vessel traffic and cargo operations.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was tasked with the assessment of water systems (potable, non-potable and wastewater) for protection of public health, preparation of a debris monitoring plan, and addressing non-industrial hazardous waste issues. At the request of FEMA and CNMI, EPA has collected over 350 damaged transformers for eventual recycling. EPA has set up a household hazardous waste drop off station and will be hosting weekend residential drop offs for household hazardous waste and white goods in upcoming weeks.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) was mission assigned to deploy the following ESF#3 cells: the Temporary Power Planning and Response Team (PRT) and Advanced Contracting Initiative (ACI), the 249^th Prime Power Alpha Company, the 249^th Delta Company and USACE debris subject matter experts (SMEs) to conduct rapid assessments of critical infrastructure for temporary power requirements and assist FEMA with debris management technical support.

In just one month 7,934 homeowners and renters have been registered for assistance and over $12 million approved in individual aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) since Typhoon Soudelor impacted the small island of Saipan.

The Disaster Recovery Center located at the Pedro P Tenorio Multi-purpose Center in Susupe has received over 3,500 visitors seeking assistance with their FEMA and Small Business
Administration (SBA) applications.

FEMA continues to provide resources through air and sea transportation including, commodities and power restoration needs such as generators and power poles. To date: 99,359 liters of water, 71,136 meals, 396 cots, and 1,734 tarps of FEMA commodities have been distributed to the
CNMI government and survivors.

Commonwealth Utility Corporation (CUC) power restoration crews, USACE 249^th Prime Power Battalion Delta Company Team, CNMI and Guam Power Authority are working diligently to restore power everywhere throughout the island.

The Saipan International Airport and the seaport have both resumed 24/7 operations.

65 wells are currently operable with 5.3 million gallons of potable water being pumped into the system daily brining the distribution system to 51% capacity. Intermittent water distribution is now available to 80% of the population.

Over 12,273 cubic yards of debris has been cleared from public right-of-ways.

Nine of the 14 Private Sector drinking water/bottling companies are producing over 75,000 gallons of drinking water per day, and that number continues to increase as additional Private
Sector companies get back on line.

USACE has installed 68 generators and is continuing additional assessments, installations, and de-installations as power is restored. USACE has power experts from the 249^th Prime Power
Battalion and Delta Team supporting critical infrastructure power requirements.

FEMA and CNMI are working closely together forming a unified effort in support of the citizens of Saipan.

SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters. To date the SBA has approved 24 loans totaling over $1.6 million dollars.

“Without the full cooperation of all our federal, commonwealth, private sector partners and the volunteer agencies, we could never accomplished as much as we have in this short period of time.” Federal Coordinating Officer Stephen M. DeBlasio Sr. stated, “We will continue to work together as a team helping the residents of Saipan recover from the effects of Typhoon Soudelor.”

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One Month After the Typhoon

Disaster Recovery Center Hours Will Change

SAIPAN, CNMI – The Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Susupe will be closed on Sundays, beginning this Sunday, September 6, 2015.

The DRC will remain open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, closed Sundays. The toll-free Helpline, 1-800-621-3362, will remain available 24 hours, seven days a week. Reminder, the Disaster Recovery Center will be open on Labor Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The DRC provides face-to-face assistance to survivors whose homes or businesses were affected by Typhoon Soudelor, during the period of August 1^st through August 3^rd.

Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are at the DRC to explain disaster assistance programs and help survivors apply for aid. FEMA Hazard Mitigation specialists are also on hand at the DRC to provide information and answer questions about cost-effective rebuilding and repair techniques to reduce property damage in future disasters as well as provide survivors information on the National Flood Insurance Program.

The DRC is located at the Pedro P Tenorio Multi-purpose Center in Susupe.

Individuals and families who suffered losses as a result of Typhoon Soudelor have until October 5, 2015 to register for disaster assistance and can do so online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621- 3362 (FEMA). Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. Multilingual operators are available.

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Disaster Recovery Center Hours Will Change

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