President Declares Disaster for New Hampshire

PRESIDENT DECLARES DISASTER FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of New Hampshire to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Sandy during the period of October 26 to November 8, 2012.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by Hurricane Sandy in Belknap, Carroll, Coos, Grafton, and Sullivan counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

James N. Russo has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Russo said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Follow FEMA online at 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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President Declares Disaster for New Hampshire

Donate Wisely to Help Hurricane Sandy Survivors

Warwick, R.I. -The best way to support Sandy survivors is to make financial contributions to reputable voluntary organizations, say officials from the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Cash is the most effective. Cash donations allow nonprofit organizations to purchase what disaster survivors need. Buying from local businesses helps the economy recover.

Donations of used clothing, miscellaneous household items and mixed or perishable foodstuffs must be sorted, packaged, transported, warehoused and distributed. These tasks require helping agencies to divert resources away from providing services, while the donated items may not meet disaster survivors’ needs.

Donate to reliable national or local organizations. Beware of solicitations to help Sandy survivors from people or groups you haven’t verified. These may be from con artists.

To find reputable organizations accepting donations of cash or looking for volunteers, go online to www.aidmatrixnetwork.org/fema and select Rhode Island from the drop down menu.

Finally, be patient. Recovery lasts a lot longer than the media attention. There will be a need for donations and volunteers to help Rhode Island recover for many months, even years, to come.

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 medical and dental expenses, funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

SBA disaster loan information and application forms may be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for people with speech or hearing disabilities) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET or by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Applications can also be downloaded from www.sba.gov or completed on-line at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

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Donate Wisely to Help Hurricane Sandy Survivors

Reduced Hours at Some New York Disaster Recovery Centers

NEW YORK – Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in Westchester and Suffolk counties remain open to assist survivors of Hurricane Sandy, but hours of operation have changed.

People who need face-to-face help at a DRC in the Westchester County Center should visit between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily until further notice. The address is 198 Central Ave., White Plains, NY 10606.

In Suffolk County, DRC locations and new hours are:

H. Lee Dennison Building
100 Veterans Memorial Highway
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily

Town Hall West
401 Main St.
Islip, NY 11751
Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily

Riverhead County Center
300 Center Drive
Riverhead, NY 11901
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily

Mastic Recreation Community Center
15 Herkimer St.
Mastic, NY 11950
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily

Lindenhurst Library
1 Lee Ave.
Lindenhurst, NY 11757
9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily

Disaster Recovery Centers are one-stop shops for eligible storm survivors to get face-to-face help as quickly as possible. More than 30 other Disaster Recovery Centers remain open throughout New York to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Anyone who sustained damage in counties designated for federal individual disaster assistance can visit any of the centers.

To find the one nearest you, the following options are available: Text DRC and a Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA), and a text message will be sent back with the address. Also, check out the disaster recovery center locator at www.FEMA.gov/disaster-recovery-centers.
Other DRCs may become available as sites are identified and approved. Conditions at individual locations may vary and affect opening times.

Additional help is available from roughly 1,000 FEMA community relations personnel who are blanketing damaged neighborhoods door to door, delivering information vital to recovery and encouraging residents to register for assistance when needed. These personnel can help refer survivors to the proper resources for any unmet disaster needs, but they do not assess or document damage. FEMA inspectors will contact survivors directly after they have registered.

Help also can be obtained by calling FEMA’s toll-free lines at 800-621-3362. Lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice, and assistance is offered in most languages. Individuals may register for help online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov.

If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

Federal disaster assistance for individuals and families can include money for rental assistance, essential home repairs, personal property loss and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

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Reduced Hours at Some New York Disaster Recovery Centers

FEMA Obligates $3.2 Million to St. John Parish Schools for Classrooms and Cleanup

BATON ROUGE, La. – Two grants totaling $3.2 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will help St. John Parish schools recover from Hurricane Isaac, FEMA has announced.

After the late August storm’s flooding severely damaged most of the buildings at the East St. John High School campus in Reserve, the district relocated most students to temporary classrooms at the nearby Leon Godchaux Academy campus.

But without enough classroom space at the academy, students are attending school daily in two, five-hour shifts this semester. On that limited schedule, the 2012-2013 academic year would extend through next summer and into September in order for students to get the required annual instructional time.

FEMA’s $1.4 million grant will provide additional modular classroom units for high school students. More class time is expected to be scheduled each day beginning in January. The school year then may end in July.

“Getting closer to the regular academic calendar is an important part of recovery for the St. John district and community,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar. “These funds will help the district recover costs for adding the temporary classroom space that will help students stay on schedule.”

FEMA’s second grant for $1.8 million will help pay cleanup costs at the damaged high school campus and at Lake Pontchartrain Elementary School in LaPlace. Both schools sustained extensive flooding during the storm.

The FEMA grants will pay the federal share of the St. John school district’s eligible costs for the work. Under a cost-sharing formula, FEMA reimburses the state for 75 percent of the total costs, while the state and/or applicant cover the remaining 25 percent.

Once FEMA pays the funds to the state of Louisiana, their management, including disbursement to local school districts and organizations performing services, is the responsibility of the state. The obligated funds are a portion of nearly $121.8 million in total Public Assistance recovery funds obligated to the state since the Aug. 29 declaration for Hurricane Isaac.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow FEMA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

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, the R6 Hurricane Preparedness website at www.fema.gov/about/regions/regionvi/updates.shtm and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

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FEMA Obligates $3.2 Million to St. John Parish Schools for Classrooms and Cleanup

FEMA Working to Increase Assistance for Hurricane Survivors in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La. — More than $530,000 in additional disaster assistance is getting to Hurricane Isaac survivors as the result of an initiative launched by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Louisiana.

Under the initiative, 3,904 storm survivors are getting follow-up phone calls and even some home visits from a team of FEMA outreach liaisons. They are helping applicants with the appeal process, explaining letters they may have received from FEMA and assisting applicants with gathering the documentation needed for their claims.

So far, outreach specialists have helped survivors obtain more than $174,000 in Rental Assistance and nearly $358,000 in Housing Assistance.

Since Hurricane Isaac roared ashore in late August, the state and FEMA have approved more than $117 million in grants for eligible individuals and families in Louisiana. The grants are for temporary housing, home repair and reconstruction, and for other needs, including personal property replacement or disaster-related medical and dental expenses. The total includes more than $530,000 in assistance resulting from the outreach initiative.

“With this proactive approach we’re reducing the number of survivors determined ineligible for federal assistance because of incomplete or missing information,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of FEMA. “The recovery process is stressful for those who suffered great losses, and we want to make sure all survivors get the maximum grant they are eligible to receive.”

“Another benefit of survivor outreach is that FEMA can more quickly close cases and thus get survivors referred to long-term recovery committees to assist them with any unmet needs,” said Susan Tompkins, head of FEMA’s Individual Assistance branch for the hurricane recovery mission. “This helps speed the pace of recovery for everyone.”

The outreach effort will continue until FEMA contacts all eligible survivors in the parishes, Tompkins said.

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FEMA Working to Increase Assistance for Hurricane Survivors in Louisiana

FEMA Urges Quick Filing of Insurance Claims

NEW YORK – Property owners who sustained flood damages and are insured by policies underwritten by the Federal Emergency Management Agency are strongly urged to file claims immediately.

“The faster the claim is filed, the sooner the settlement process can begin,” said David Passey of FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program. “Individuals start the claim process by calling their insurance agent or company.”

The policyholder should provide the name of the issuing agent or company, the policy number and a phone number or email address where he or she can be reached, Passey said. After filing a claim, an adjuster will contact the policyholder within a few days to schedule an appointment for the initial inspection.

A “Proof of Loss” statement is required, which includes the detailed estimates of the cost to repair or replace damaged property. In most cases, the adjuster will provide a suggested Proof of Loss, but the ultimate responsibility for making sure the document is complete, accurate and filed on time is with the policyholder.

Should further damage be discovered after the adjuster has made an inspection, policyholders can file a supplemental claim.

“It is a good idea to separate damaged items from those that are OK,” Passey said. “And if possible, take lots of photographs of water in the property and things that are damaged. In case you are required to dispose of certain things, the photos will provide a record of what was ruined and removed.”

FEMA National Flood Insurance Program representatives can be reached at 800-427-4661 should policyholders have questions that cannot be answered by agents. More information is available at www.floodsmart.gov.

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FEMA Urges Quick Filing of Insurance Claims

More than $690 Million Approved for New York State Hurricane Sandy Survivors

Main Content

Release date:

November 27, 2012

Release Number:

NR-056

NEW YORK — Since Hurricane Sandy struck New York, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $690 million to help individuals and families recover from the disaster.
FEMA is reaching out to all 13 designated counties, focusing on the hardest hit areas of New York State. Assistance to the hardest-hit areas includes:

Bronx $1.7 million
Kings $146.5 million
Nassau $231.7 million
New York $9.1 million
Queens $176.6 million
Richmond $72.9 million
Suffolk $50.3 million

FEMA provides the following snapshot of the disaster recovery effort as of November 27:

More than 234,000 New Yorkers have contacted FEMA for information or registered for assistance with FEMA and more than $690 million has been approved. More than 119,000 people have applied through the online application site at www.disasterassistance.gov, or on their smart phone at m.fema.gov.
34 Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) are open in the affected areas. These include mobile sites as well as fixed sites, and to date nearly 57,000 survivors have been assisted at DRCs in New York.
750 inspectors in the field have completed more than 139,000 home inspections.
1,065 Community Relations (CR) specialists are strategically positioned throughout affected communities, going door-to-door explaining the types of disaster assistance available and how to register. More teams continue to arrive daily.
7 fixed feeding sites are being operated by the New York City Office of Emergency Management.
2 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs), 1 Rapid Deployment Force (RDF), 2 Prescription Medication Task Force Team (PMTFT) and 1 National Veterinary Response Team (NVRT) from the Department of Health and Human Services remain deployed in New York.
13 New York counties are designated for both individual and public assistance, including: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.
The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $38.8 million in disaster loans to homeowners, renters and businesses. The SBA has staff members at 18 Business Recovery Centers in the New York area to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has staff members at 16 Disaster Recovery Centers in the New York area to provide information on available housing and HUD programs.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has 30 On-Scene Coordinators deployed in New York who are responsible for monitoring or directing responses to all oil spills and hazardous substance releases reported to the federal government.

Individuals can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smart phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362. Multilingual telephone operators are available to help non-English-speaking survivors register for disaster aid and to get their questions answered.

If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

Last Updated:

November 28, 2012 – 09:03

State or Region:

New York

Related Disaster:

New York Hurricane Sandy

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More than $690 Million Approved for New York State Hurricane Sandy Survivors

Federal Aid Programs for the State of Alaska Declaration

Main Content

Release date:

November 27, 2012

Release Number:

HQ-12-152Factsheet

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama’s disaster declaration issued for the State of Alaska.

Assistance for the State, Tribal and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:

Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for removing debris from public areas and for emergency measures, including direct federal assistance, taken to save lives and protect property and public health. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)
Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas and similar publicly owned property, as well as certain private non-profit organizations engaged in community service activities. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state and local governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

How to Apply for Assistance:

Application procedures for state, tribal and local governments will be explained at a series of federal/state applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are paid through the state from funding provided by FEMA and other participating federal agencies.

FEMA’s mission is to support our first responders and 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.

Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts available at www.fema.gov/medialibrary and www.youtube.com/fema ; follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fema and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fema.

Last Updated:

November 27, 2012 – 21:54

State or Region:

Alaska

and

Region X

Related Disaster:

Alaska Severe Storm, Straight-line winds, Flooding, and Landslides

From –

Federal Aid Programs for the State of Alaska Declaration

President Declares Disaster for Alaska

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of Alaska to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the area affected by a severe storm, straight-line winds, flooding, and landslides during the period of September 15-30, 2012.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to state and eligible tribal and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storm, straight-line winds, flooding, and landslides in the areas of Alaska Gateway Rural Educational Attendance Area (REAA), Chugach REAA, Denali Borough, Kenai Peninsula Borough, and the Matanuska Susitna Borough.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Kenneth K. Suiso has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Suiso said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Follow FEMA online at 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.

President Declares Disaster for Alaska

Calling 2-1-1 or Filing an Insurance Claim Does Not Register You with FEMA

WARWICK, R.I. – To receive federal disaster assistance, Rhode Islanders who experienced losses because of Hurricane Sandy and called the state’s 2-1-1 line must also register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The same applies to those who filed a flood insurance claim. They must register with FEMA to obtain assistance with essential needs not covered by insurance. Registering with 2-1-1 or filing a flood insurance claim does NOT register you with FEMA.

“Some Rhode Islanders mistakenly believe they registered for help from FEMA when they called 2-1-1 or their insurance company,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Nick Russo, who leads FEMA’s mission in Rhode Island. “We want to make sure everyone knows they have to contact FEMA directly to become eligible for federal assistance.”

To register with FEMA, go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or to m.fema.gov if using a smartphone or call FEMA at 800-621-FEMA (3362). Multilingual registration assistance is available. People with a speech disability or hearing loss who use a TTY can call 800-462-7585 directly; or 800-621-3362 if using 711 or Video Relay Service. Phone lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until further notice.

Individual assistance to homeowners and renters includes grants to cover expenses for temporary housing, home repair, and other serious disaster-related needs and expenses, such as replacement of personal property and medical, dental or transportation costs that are not covered by insurance or other assistance programs.

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Calling 2-1-1 or Filing an Insurance Claim Does Not Register You with FEMA

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