Federal funds authorized to help fight Watermelon Hill Fire

Seattle, WA – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Watermelon Hill Fire, burning in Lincoln and Spokane County, Washington.

FEMA Region X Regional Administrator, Kenneth D. Murphy determined that the Watermelon Hill Fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster.  Murphy approved the state’s request for federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) on July 19, 2014 at 11:14 p.m. PDT.

On July 19, 2014, the State of Washington submitted a request for a fire management assistance declaration for the Watermelon Hill Fire, burning in the Counties of Lincoln and Spokane.  At the time of the request, 200 primary homes were threatened and approximately 300 people had evacuated the area.  At the time of the request the fire threatened;  a major BNSF/UP rail line, overhead power lines, Eastern Washington University, the Cheney Medical Center Community Hospital and the Turnville Wild life Preserve.  The fire started on July 19, 2014, and has burned approximately 5,000-7,000 acres of Federal, State, Bureau of Land Management, and private land.  Firefighting resources supporting this incident are from local, out of state and Federal who are providing fire suppression support with air resources, engines, and dozers on the fire line.  State firefighting resources have been exhausted, and out of state and international firefighting support is being requested. The Federal Principal Advisor confirmed the threat to homes, overhead power lines, and rail line.  The fire is at zero percent contained.  

A state of emergency was declared by the Governor late Tuesday, July 14 in 20 Eastern Washington counties in response to multiple wildfires threatening homes, businesses, public infrastructure, and natural resources in many parts of the state as fire crews face continued severe fire weather conditions.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of Washington State’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.

Fire Management Assistance Grants 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.

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.

 

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Federal funds authorized to help fight Watermelon Hill Fire

Federal funds authorized to help fight Saddle Mountain Fire

Seattle, WA – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Saddle Mountain Fire, burning in Kittitas County, Washington.

FEMA Region X Regional Administrator, Kenneth D. Murphy determined that the Saddle Mountain Fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster.  Murphy approved the state’s request for federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) on July 19, 2014 at 10:43 a.m. PDT.

On July 19, 2014, the State of Washington submitted a request for a fire management assistance declaration for the Saddle Mountain Fire, burning in Kittitas County.  At the time of the request, 5 homes had been burned, 80 homes were threatened and about 90 people had evacuated the area.  One shelter in the Kittitas School District was operating around the clock at the time of the request.  The fire has reached the Wanapum Dam and Crease Rapids Dam, both hydropower facilities, and three (3) main power transmission lines, which provides power to the City of Yakama, population of nearly 93,000, and to southeast Washington State.  The fire is also threatening the Kittitas Valley Community Hospital.  The fire has damaged or threatened the Ginko Petrified Forest, multiple cultural resources sites, historical sites, and recreational sites.  The fire started on July 18, 2014, and has burned approximately 38,000 acres.  The Federal Principal Advisor confirmed the threat to homes, dams, overhead power lines, and rail line.  The fire is at zero percent contained.  

A state of emergency was declared by the Governor late Tuesday, July 14 in 20 Eastern Washington counties in response to multiple wildfires threatening homes, businesses, public infrastructure, and natural resources in many parts of the state as fire crews face continued severe fire weather conditions.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of Washington State’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.

Fire Management Assistance Grants 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.

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.

 

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Continued:  

Federal funds authorized to help fight Saddle Mountain Fire

Federal Disaster Aid for Alabama Tops $40 Million

Federal Disaster Aid for Alabama Tops $40 Million

Main Content

Release date:

July 18, 2014

Release Number:

NR 071

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Federal aid provided to Alabama residents affected by the April 28 through May 5 severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding has reached more than $40 million.

The following numbers, compiled July 17, provide a snapshot of the Alabama/FEMA disaster recovery to date:

Funds approved:

  • $16.5 million for Housing Assistance grants to help with recovery rental expenses and home repair costs.
  • $4.1 million for Other Needs Assistance to cover essential disaster-related needs, such as medical expenses and lost personal possessions.
  • $15.4 million approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration for low-interest loans to eligible homeowners, renters and businesses.
  • $4.4 million for Public Assistance programs. Of that amount, $1.4 million has been allocated for debris removal. Another $500,000 will go toward storm response and $2.2 million has been obligated for infrastructure repair and replacement.

Survivor Recovery

  • 15,951 damaged homes and property have been inspected (99 percent of requests).
  • 9 counties designated for Individual Assistance.
  • 21 counties designated for Public Assistance.

FEMA’s mitigation outreach program at nine Home Depot and Lowe’s home improvement stores provided some 1,600 shoppers with information on rebuilding/repairing homes in a safer and more resilient manner. Thank you letters are being presented to participating stores.

County-by-County approved breakdown of Individual Assistance:

 

County

Approved Registrations

Housing Assistance

Other Needs Assistance

Baldwin

2,041

$7,514,623.34

$1,422,607.29

Blount

27

     $156,231.00

$13,491.06

DeKalb

25

$71,001.00

$20,674.77

Etowah

58

$427,844.51

$60,107.05

Jefferson

435

$1,128,338.93

$205,440.98

Lee

54

$269,887.79

$54,516.18

Limestone

298

$986,713.33

$513,725.46

Mobile

4,195

$5,685,300.76

$1,763,994.47

Tuscaloosa

60

$288,393.02

$69,360.60

Total:

7,133

$16,528,333.68

$4,123,520.71

 

Recovery officials urge all Alabama residents who have registered for assistance to stay in close contact with FEMA throughout the recovery process. This is especially true during the first weeks after registering when FEMA housing inspectors must contact applicants to view damages. Those with mobile phones should provide that number to FEMA during the registration.

 

 

 

Last Updated:

July 18, 2014 – 17:18

State/Tribal Government or Region:

Region IV

Related Disaster:

Alabama Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding

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Federal Disaster Aid for Alabama Tops $40 Million

FEMA local hires and spending boost Alabama’s economy as tornado recovery continues

MONTGOMERY, Ala.  – Some Alabamians saw their homes and cars destroyed by this spring’s tornadoes and floods while others saw their jobs or businesses demolished.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is helping put the state’s economy back on track, not only by providing financial assistance to families and state and local governments, but also by hiring Alabama residents to help with the recovery efforts and spending money in the local economy.

The agency has hired 18 Alabamians in various positions around the state, according to Federal Coordinating Officer Albie Lewis, the head of FEMA’s recovery mission in Alabama.

“The positions are short-term temporary jobs working in numerous areas of the recovery operation but they are critical to our efforts and to helping the state get back on its feet,” Lewis said. “We take our responsibility to hire local people very seriously and we’re delighted with the quality of employees we’ve found.”

Alabamians have been hired to perform tasks that include performing administrative duties, serving as information technology specialists and couriers, and even assisting with media relations.

In addition, FEMA has roughly 230 personnel working around the state, most of them at the agency’s Joint Field Office in Montgomery where they share offices with U.S. Small Business Administration and state workers.

“This is the equivalent of a medium-sized business locating here in our downtown,” said Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange.  “The impact on local businesses can’t be understated. It’s a huge boost to our economy.”

“We really want to put local people to work, not only to help Alabama’s economy but to take advantage of their knowledge of the communities in which we are operating,” said Alabama State Coordinating Officer Jeff Byard.

The Montgomery Joint Field Office has already signed contracts with local businesses for more than $500,000 worth of goods and services, as well as purchasing roughly another $48,000 more with cash or charge cards.

“We not only purchase supplies and services from local businesses but our staff rents cars, stays in hotels, shops in stores and eats in local restaurants. They have their families come to visit them,” said Albee. “That adds up to a tremendous economic impact.”

FEMA personnel have been in Alabama since late April and are expected to remain in the state until late summer, though the number of people will be declining as work is completed.

 

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FEMA local hires and spending boost Alabama’s economy as tornado recovery continues

Volunteers: The Often Overlooked Backbone of Disaster Recovery

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The backbreaking work accomplished by volunteers in Alabama  following the April 28 through May 5 severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding seems to have occurred out of the clear blue sky.

  • More than 25 Amish men traveled 70 miles to help a Madison County farmer clean up debris and help fix her home. They asked for nothing in return except a hot meal.
  • Nearly 100 volunteers showed up over a recent weekend to cut and remove 25,000 cubic yards of debris in Bessemer. But that’s just a drop in the bucket – one month after the disaster, volunteers had removed nearly 80,000 cubic yards of debris. All these volunteer’s wanted was a “thank you.”
  • In Coxey, Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian service and relief organization, brought in 471 volunteers who put in 5,900 hours in just three weeks. Also there, a local church was transformed into a storm relief center and overflowed with donations of clothes, food, personal hygiene items, cleaning supplies, and pet and baby items for survivors. The look on survivors’ faces was ample payment for these workers.

Every year and in every disaster, volunteers fill an often overlooked role and seemingly arrive and leave the scene at just the right time. A further look will reveal a network of agencies choreographing volunteer groups with seamless precision to fill the gaps that the federal government cannot. They are called Long Term Recovery Committees or LTRC.

Charles “Larry” Buckner serves as a Federal Emergency Management Agency volunteer agency liaison in Alabama to help coordinate these efforts and provide advice. He also reviews benefit requests to make sure there is no duplication.

“As far as we know, there is $4.2 million in unmet needs in home repair in all nine designated counties in this disaster,” Buckner said. “Of these counties, seven have set up Long Term Recovery Committees, some of which had just barely shut down because of the tornadoes from 2011.”

The two remaining counties have not had LTRCs in the past but are now forming them.

While FEMA and the state can and have helped survivors, neither the federal nor state governments are empowered by law to make disaster survivors whole, that is, to fully replace all that is lost.

LTRCs pick up where FEMA leaves off. Their goal is to identify and meet as many reasonable needs as possible.

These committees are the boots on the ground determining what unmet needs exist. They, in turn, work with state Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters and other groups to attain what is needed, whether it is cash, workers or donated materials.  

The committees are everywhere across the country, Buckner said. The concept has been in existence for more than 18 years.

These committees are made up from a variety of organizations – church denominations, local charities, community foundations and some independent groups, such as nondenominational “mega churches.” The one feature they all share is a calling to help serve those in need.

“United Way is providing case workers in some counties and may act as the fiduciary, the American Red Cross may provide case workers as does the Salvation Army,” he added.

In Alabama, Buckner said the LTRC committees are working with Serve Alabama, part of the governor’s office, and has applied for a grant to be used to hire case workers.

“With the grant, they can hire 12 case workers for 18 months,” he said. “It asks for just shy of $1 million.” If approved, the grant will come from FEMA, he added.

The case workers meet with survivors and assess their unmet needs. They take into account what FEMA provided, but FEMA grants are capped at $32,400 per household. Anything beyond that amount is where the LTRC committees can assist.

The case worker will make a recommendation to a group of three to five committee members “in such a way that the board sees the facts but may never know who that individual is,” he explained.

“That is done to prevent favoritism or being passed over based on who the survivor is,” he said. “Then, the group gives a thumb’s up or down to entirely or partially meet the unmet need. You won’t see them replacing a swimming pool, but they may replace house siding and decide to paint it as well.”

While this is going on, other members of the LTRC are working to recruit volunteer organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, the Mennonites and others to come in and repair or rebuild homes. Still others are securing grants large enough to meet most, if not all, of the unmet needs.

“The dollars can go into the millions,” he said.

And any excess funding all goes to meet the needs of the survivors.

“If there is a surplus, they use the money to replace furniture, appliances and other things that will help people get back on their feet.

 “They want to provide people with safe, sanitary and functional homes,” Buckner said. “In some areas of the country they are not as successful. But they are here because the southern culture dictates that communities take care of their own.”

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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.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

For more information on Alabama’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or http://www.ema.alabama.gov/.  For the joint Facebook page, go to www.facebook.com/AlabamaEMA. To receive Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/AlabamaEMA  or www.twitter.com/femaregion4

Link:  

Volunteers: The Often Overlooked Backbone of Disaster Recovery

Being Alert to Fraud Helps Both Recovery and the Taxpayer

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The great majority of people registering with Federal Emergency Management Agency for help have genuine needs.

Unfortunately, the rush to get assistance by those affected by the Alabama tornadoes, severe storms and flooding of April 28 through May 5 also may present opportunities to defraud taxpayers.

Fraud increases the cost of recovery after a disaster and gives money to those without disaster-related losses, say emergency management officials.

The Inspector General for FEMA investigates complaints of fraud, waste or abuse involving FEMA contracts, programs or personnel.

The office of the Inspector General maintains a toll-free Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721.

Potential cases of fraud or misuse can be referred to the U.S. Justice Department for prosecution. Penalties for felony offenses can be severe.

Here are some examples of complaints that are typically filed with the FEMA Office of the Inspector General:

  • Applicants used false names and multiple and/or fictitious addresses;
  • Applicants claimed losses they didn’t sustain or to which they were not entitled;
  • Applicants did not use FEMA grant money for the intended purposes;
  • Municipal officials used FEMA grant money for their own benefit;
  • FEMA checks were stolen; and
  • Applicants received duplicate payments from FEMA and their insurance companies.

Complaints also may be filed by writing to:

National Center for Disaster Fraud

Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4909

Those who visit the Office of the Inspector General website at www.fema.gov/ig/hotline.shtm will find an option to submit a complaint using internet electronic mail. Those who submit complaints via email must waive confidentiality because of the non-secure nature of Internet electronic mail systems.

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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.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

For more information on Alabama’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or http://www.ema.alabama.gov/.  For the joint Facebook page, go to www.facebook.com/AlabamaEMA. To receive Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/AlabamaEMA  or www.twitter.com/femaregion4

 

 

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Being Alert to Fraud Helps Both Recovery and the Taxpayer

FEMA Registration Period in Alabama Closes Tuesday

Tuesday, July 15 is the deadline in Alabama to register with FEMA and to return an application for physical damage to the SBA.

Persons who suffered damage in the spring storms of April 28 through May 5 who have yet to register with FEMA should do so as soon as possible. The registration process takes about 30 minutes. The ways to register are:

  • Go online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
  • Visit m.fema.gov from a Smartphone,
  • Dial 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585,
  • For those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services, call 800-621-3362.

The toll-free numbers are operated from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Centers remain open in Baldwin and Mobile counties 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays through tomorrow, Tuesday, July 15. These disaster centers are located in:

 

  • Baldwin County
  • Elberta Town Hall,10352 Main St., Elberta, AL 36530
  • Fairhope Civic Center (Delchamps Room), 161 North Section St., Fairhope, AL 36532
  • Mobile County
  • Old Navy/Marine Corps Reserve Center, 4851 Museum Dr., Mobile, AL 36608
  • Specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the SBA will be on hand to answer questions.

Survivors also can reach the SBA:

  • To complete an online application at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
  • Call the SBA customer service center with questions at 800-659-2955.
  • If you use 711-Relay or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-877-8339.
  • For more information, visit www.sba.gov.

If you have registered with FEMA already but have questions about your application for assistance, about the eligibility letter you received from FEMA after you registered or any other questions, or if you have information FEMA has requested or that you wish to add to your application, dial 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585.  Persons who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services also should dial 800-621-3362.

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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.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

For more information on Alabama’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or http://www.ema.alabama.gov/.  For the joint Facebook page, go to www.facebook.com/AlabamaEMA. To receive Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/AlabamaEMA  or www.twitter.com/femaregion4

 

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FEMA Registration Period in Alabama Closes Tuesday

Disaster Federal Aid for Alabama Reaches More Than $38 Million

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Federal aid provided to Alabama residents affected by the April 28 through May 5 severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding has reached nearly $38 million.

The following numbers, compiled July 10, provide a snapshot of the Alabama/FEMA disaster recovery to date:

Funds approved:

  • $16.2 million for Housing Assistance grants to help with recovery rental expenses and home repair costs.
  • $3.9 million for Other Needs Assistance to cover essential disaster-related needs, such as medical expenses and lost personal possessions.
  • $14.8 million approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration for low-interest loans to eligible homeowners, renters and businesses.
  • $3 million for Public Assistance programs. Of that amount, $1.2 million has been allocated for debris removal. Another $481,300 will go toward storm response and $1.3 has been obligated for infrastructure repair and replacement.

Survivor Recovery

  • 15,577 damaged homes and property have been inspected (99 percent of requests).
  • 9 counties designated for Individual Assistance.
  • 21 counties designated for Public Assistance.

FEMA works with many volunteer agencies and the private sector to speed the recovery effort. As of mid-May, 3,048 volunteers from numerous organizations throughout the country had donated nearly 22,000 hours to help survivors clean up debris, repair and rebuild their homes following the spring storms.

FEMA’s mitigation outreach program at nine Home Depot and Lowe’s home improvement stores provided 1,600 shoppers with information on rebuilding/repairing homes in a safer and resilient manner. Thank you letters are being presented to participating stores.

Alabama residents affected by the disaster now have just five days to register as the governor-requested extension ends Tuesday, July 15. That date also is the deadline to apply for a physical disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

No matter the degree of loss or insurance status, survivors are urged to apply for help.

  • By phone, call 800-621-3362 (FEMA) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., local time. Operators are multilingual. TTY 800-462-7585.
  • By computer, go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
  • By smartphone or tablet, use m.fema.gov.
  • For those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services, call 800-621-3362.

County-by-County approved breakdown of Individual Assistance:

 

 

County

Approved Registrations

Housing Assistance

Other Needs Assistance

Baldwin

2,009

$7,406,398.75

$1,357,551.62

Blount

27

     156,231.00

13,080.03

DeKalb

25

71,001.00

20,674.77

Etowah

57

427,844.51

53,507.05

Jefferson

424

1,097,191.43

202,440.98

Lee

53

267,722.71

54,516.18

Limestone

296

982,860.99

509,923.83

Mobile

4,104

5,502,001.79

1,669,443.43

Tuscaloosa

60

288,302.14

69,360.60

Total:

7,055

$16,199,554.32

$3,950,488.49

Recovery officials urge all Alabama residents who have registered for assistance to stay in close contact with FEMA throughout the recovery process. This is especially true during the first weeks after registering when FEMA housing inspectors must contact applicants to view damages. Those with mobile phones should provide that number to FEMA during the registration.

Affected survivors and business owners in the nine designated counties may apply for assistance from FEMA and/or the SBA. Those counties are: Baldwin, Blount, DeKalb, Etowah, Jefferson, Lee, Limestone, Mobile and Tuscaloosa.                               

Disaster Loan Outreach Centers, operated by the SBA to assist survivors with questions about federal disaster loans, are located in Baldwin and Mobile counties. These offices are located at:

  • Elberta Town Hall, 10352 Main Street, Elberta, AL 36540.
  • Fairhope Civic Center (Delchamps Room), 161 North Section Street, Fairhope, AL 36532.
  • Old Navy/Marine Corps Reserve Center, 4851 Museum Drive, Mobile, AL 36608.

These facilities, which also are staffed with a FEMA specialist, are open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Tuesday, July 15.

For more information, call the SBA customer service center at 800-659-2955. If you use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS), call 800-877-8339.

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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.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

For more information on Alabama’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or http://www.ema.alabama.gov/.  For the joint Facebook page, go to www.facebook.com/AlabamaEMA. To receive Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/AlabamaEMA  or www.twitter.com/femaregion4

 

View this article – 

Disaster Federal Aid for Alabama Reaches More Than $38 Million

Portland Disaster Relief Trials Pedal for Earthquake Preparedness

Portland, Ore. – Gear up for the third annual Portland Disaster Relief Trials (DRT), taking place this upcoming Saturday, July 19. This 30-mile earthquake preparedness exercise is designed to highlight how cargo bikes can be used in disaster supply runs, helping mitigate some of the fuel and transportation problems that typically affect cars and other vehicles after major earthquakes.

The scenario for the DRT is to focus on day four after a major earthquake. Cyclists, without cell phones, must navigate their own route between checkpoints while picking up 100 pounds of supplies and completing disaster-related activities. This makeshift course consists of an off-pavement portion, a one-meter obstacle, and at least one shallow water crossing. Not to mention, bikes will be carrying varied types of supplies that range in size and weight. Finding the most efficient way to fasten and carry the cargo “is a hallmark of the Disaster Relief Trials.”

This year, seeing the cargo bikes race is not the only reason to go. There will be a huge cargo bike fair, complete with family-friendly activities and events that will be going on throughout the day. The event’s host, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), has partnered with another major Portland biking event, Fiets of Parenthood, to create a fun family bicycle obstacle course.

A proud supporter of the Disaster Relief Trials, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Region X staff and FEMA Corps team will be supporting the event, providing earthquake preparedness information, interactive activities, and full-size earthquake hazard map.

Portland DRT will be this Saturday, July 19, 2014 at the OMSI building from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Follow @femaregion10 on Twitter as they live tweet from the event. For more information about the 2014 Disaster Relief Trials, go to http://drtpdx.org/.

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.

 

# # #

Link: 

Portland Disaster Relief Trials Pedal for Earthquake Preparedness

Federal funds authorized to help fight Chiwakum Fire

Seattle, WA – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Chiwaukum Fire, burning in Chelan County, Washington.

FEMA Region X Regional Administrator, Kenneth D. Murphy determined that the Chiwaukum Fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster.  Murphy approved the state’s request for federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) on July 16, 2014 at 11:54 p.m. PDT.

On July 16, 2014, the State of Washington submitted a request for a fire management assistance declaration for the Chiwaukum Fire burning in Chelan County.  At the time of the request, 800 primary homes were threatened, but the number increased to 2,000 when the spreading fire began to threaten the Lake Wenatchee area.  Approximately 7,200 people have been evacuated, including campgrounds and recreational homes.  Two shelters have been opened, one by the County at Cascade High School, and another by the American Red Cross at the Baptist Church.  Both are operating around the clock at the time of the request.  Highway 2 is closed in directions, as well as local roads and bridges, and railroad lines within the threatened areas. The fire has damaged or threatened electrical distribution lines and substations, with the potential to shut off power to the area. Impacts to irrigation facilities, wildlife and cultural resources are a concern in and around the fire perimeter. The fire started on July 15, 2014, and currently at least 10 fires are burning uncontrolled and have consumed approximately 4,500 acres of Federal, State, and private land. Firefighting resources fighting the fire include: Type 2 Incident Management Team, mixed air platforms, helicopters (although limited because of visibility due to smoke in some areas), engines, water tenders and fire hand crews. The Federal Principal Advisor has confirmed the threat to homes. The fire is currently is uncontained.  

A state of emergency was declared by the Governor late Tuesday, July 14 in 20 Eastern Washington counties in response to multiple wildfires threatening homes, businesses, public infrastructure, and natural resources in many parts of the state as fire crews face continued severe fire weather conditions.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of Washington State’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.

Fire Management Assistance Grants 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.

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.

 

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Credit: 

Federal funds authorized to help fight Chiwakum Fire

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