What Texans Are Asked When Applying for FEMA Assistance

AUSTIN, Texas—Residents of 24 Texas counties affected by storms and flooding that occurred in May and June are encouraged to register with FEMA for federal disaster assistance. Having the information they need ready when they call or go online to register will speed the process.

Applicants will be asked for the following information:

  • Social Security number
  • address of the damaged primary residence
  • description of the damage
  • information about insurance coverage
  • a current contact telephone number
  • an address where they can receive mail
  • a bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit of funds

Eligible individuals and households of the 24 declared counties have until Aug. 10 to apply for assistance for damage that occurred between May 26 and June 24.

The affected counties are Austin, Bastrop, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Eastland, Fayette, Fort Bend, Grimes, Harris, Hidalgo, Hood, Kleberg, Lee, Liberty, Montgomery, Palo Pinto, Parker, San Jacinto, Stephens, Travis, Tyler, Waller and Washington.

Applying for disaster assistance is essentially a two-step process, which ensures consideration for all FEMA programs and the U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans. First, register with FEMA, then complete and return the no-obligation SBA loan application, if one is offered. There is no charge to apply for the loan and if approved, no obligation to accept it.

Disaster survivors may register the following ways:

  • online at DisasterAssistance.gov
  • phone 800-621-3362 (FEMA). Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call 800-621-3362. Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.
  • at a disaster recovery center. To find the nearest one, go online to the disaster recovery center locator at asd.fema.gov/inter/locator.

FEMA grants do not have to be repaid. FEMA assistance is nontaxable and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid or other federal benefits.

Survivors should register even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but underinsured applicants may receive help after their claims have been settled.

A free multilingual guide to the types of assistance available can be found at fema.gov/help-after-disaster.

For more information on the Texas recovery, visit the disaster webpage for the May-June storms at fema.gov/disaster/4272; or visit the Texas Division of Emergency Management website at txdps.state.tx.us/dem. Follow FEMA on Twitter @femaregion6.

# # #

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.

This article is from: 

What Texans Are Asked When Applying for FEMA Assistance

FEMA offers advice on repairing, rebuilding at local Lowe’s stores

CHARLESTON, W. Va. — As West Virginians repair or rebuild their homes damaged by last month’s storms, floods, landslides and mudslides, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and local Lowe’s Home Improvement stores have teamed up to provide free information, tips and literature on making homes stronger and safer.

FEMA mitigation specialists will be on hand, this week and next, at in-store information centers in five area locations to answer questions and offer home improvement tips and proven methods to prevent and lessen damage from future disasters. Most of the information is geared for do-it-yourself work and general contractors.

FEMA advisors will be available at:

LOWE’S  HOME  IMPROVEMENT

Cabel County
700 Mall Rd.
Barboursville, WV 25504
7 a.m. – 7 p.m. July 14–19.

Fayette County
46 Fayette Town Center Rd.
Fayetteville, WV 25840
7 a.m. – 7 p.m. July 14–19.

Kanawha County
1000 Nitro Marketplace
Cross Lanes, WV 25313
7 a.m. – 7 p.m. July 14–19.

Nicholas County
5200 W. Webster Rd.
Summersville, WV 26651
7 a.m. – 7 p.m. July 14–19.

Free reference booklets, in English and Spanish, with information on protecting your home from flood damage, will be available at all locations. More information about strengthening property can be found at fema.gov/what-mitigation.

West Virginians who have questions about their flood insurance policies and coverage should contact the National Flood Insurance Program call center at 800-621-3362 (Option 2) between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday. Specialists can help service claims, provide general information regarding policies, and offer technical assistance to aid in recovery.

Additional information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery can be found by visiting fema.gov/disaster/4273, twitter.com/femaregion3, twitter.com/FEMA, facebook.com/FEMA, fema.gov/blog and the flood information pages at http://wvflood.com

Original article: 

FEMA offers advice on repairing, rebuilding at local Lowe’s stores

“How can I help?” – some answers for West Virginians who want to make a difference for disaster recovery

Charleston, W.Va.– In the face of disaster, the people of West Virginia have come together with courage and compassion to ask “How can I help?”

The main needs now are cash donations and volunteers.

Although there has been an outpouring of financial support already to help flood survivors more is needed. Cash donations enable nonprofit organizations to purchase what disaster survivors need most. Buying the items from local businesses helps the economy recover. No gift is too small.

West Virginians and people from throughout the nation have donated thousands of hours of labor to help the many affected folks who are elderly, disabled, living on fixed incomes or otherwise overwhelmed by the flood’s after effects. But more volunteers are needed.

There are many organizations that need donations and are looking for volunteers and at least two comprehensive groups focused on West Virginia flood recovery. The West Virginia Chapter of  National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (WVVOAD) represents dozens of faith-based, community, nonprofit and non-governmental organizations active in flood response and recovery. wvflood is a new website updated by Volunteer West Virginia, the state’s Commission for National and Community Service, in partnership with WV VOAD with the support of the Office of Governor Earl Ray Tomblin. Anyone who can make a cash donation or volunteer may do so at the WVVOAD or wvflood websites.

Unfortunately, disasters tend to attract con artists who will take advantage of well meaning people. Donate to legitimate national or local organizations. Beware of solicitations to help survivors from people or groups who may sound sincere but you haven’t verified. If you are unsure or uncomfortable about the intentions of anyone you encounter, please contact local law enforcement. If you suspect fraud please call the West Virginia consumer protection hotline 800-368-8808.

Finally, be ready to stick around  for the long haul. The work of recovery lasts a lot longer than the media attention. There will be a need for donations and volunteers to help West Virginia recover for many months, even years, to come.

Even if you’re not ready to take any action at this time, you may find recovery information and survivors can find out about and ask for assistance by visiting either of the websites:

#wvflood http://wvflood.com/about/Pages/default.aspx

or VOAD https://wvvoad.communityos.org/cms/

Additional information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery can be found by visiting fema.gov/disaster/4273, twitter.com/femaregion3, twitter.com/FEMA and fema.gov/blog.

Continue reading here – 

“How can I help?” – some answers for West Virginians who want to make a difference for disaster recovery

Appeals and Comments on Revised Preliminary Flood Maps for St. Bernard Parish Ends Soon

DENTON, Texas – Homeowners, renters and business owners are encouraged to review revised preliminary flood maps for St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. Anyone who wishes to file an appeal or comment has until Aug. 10, 2016, for submission.

 “We hope that everyone reviews the maps to understand the flood risks involved,” said FEMA Region 6 Administrator Tony Robinson. “It is also very important that we receive the public’s input on these maps.”  
    
Appeals are formal objections and must be based on technical data showing proposed maps to be scientifically incorrect. Appeal topics include: Proposed base flood elevations or flood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) boundaries and zones, or floodways. Anyone making an appeal must include the method, data and analysis used to support the claim.  

Comments are objections to a base map feature change. Those feature changes could include labels, incorrect road names or jurisdictional boundaries, or any other non-appealable change.

The public can provide comments and appeals to their local floodplain administrator, who will forward them to FEMA for final resolution.

The maps can be viewed at the parish floodplain administrator’s office, or by:

•    Viewing the preliminary flood map at: http://maps.riskmap6.com/LA/StBernard/
•    Using a live chat service about flood maps at go.usa.gov/r6C, just click on the “Live Chat” icon;
•    Contacting a FEMA Map Specialist at 1-877-FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627) or FEMAMapSpecialist@riskmapcds.com.

The next step is the resolution of all the comments and appeals. When that is complete, FEMA will notify communities of the effective date of the final maps.

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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Appeals and Comments on Revised Preliminary Flood Maps for St. Bernard Parish Ends Soon

Texans Who Registered for April Storm Damage Should Register for May-June Floods, Too

AUSTIN, Texas—Residents of 10 Texas counties that were hit by storms and flooding in April are encouraged to register with FEMA for federal disaster assistance if they had damage from the May-June event, as well.

In back-to-back disaster declarations, residents of 10 counties were affected by storms and flooding April 17-30 and again May 26-June 24. Those counties were Austin, Fort Bend, Grimes, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Parker, San Jacinto, Tyler and Waller.

If residents of those 10 counties registered with FEMA for April disaster-related damage, they also need to register for damage sustained in the May-June storms.

Federal assistance became available to 24 counties for the May-June floods after the presidential disaster declaration of June 11.

Those counties are Austin, Bastrop, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Eastland, Fayette, Fort Bend, Grimes, Harris, Hidalgo, Hood, Kleberg, Lee, Liberty, Montgomery, Palo Pinto, Parker, San Jacinto, Stephens, Travis, Tyler, Waller and Washington.

The deadline to register for assistance is the same for all 24 counties: Aug. 10.

Applying for disaster assistance is essentially a two-step process, which ensures consideration for all FEMA programs and the U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans. First, register with FEMA, then complete and return the no-obligation SBA loan application, if one is offered. There is no charge to apply for the loan and if approved, no obligation to accept it.

Disaster survivors may register the following ways:

  • online at DisasterAssistance.gov
  • phone 800-621-3362 (FEMA). Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call 800-621-3362. Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.
  • at a disaster recovery center. To find the nearest one, go online to the disaster recovery center locator at asd.fema.gov/inter/locator.

FEMA grants do not have to be repaid. FEMA assistance is nontaxable and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid or other federal benefits.

Survivors should register even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but underinsured applicants may receive help after their claims have been settled.

A free multilingual guide to the types of assistance available can be found at fema.gov/help-after-disaster.

For more information on the Texas recovery, visit the disaster webpage for the May-June storms at fema.gov/disaster/4272; or visit the Texas Division of Emergency Management website at txdps.state.tx.us/dem. Follow us on Twitter @femaregion6.

# # #

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.

More here: 

Texans Who Registered for April Storm Damage Should Register for May-June Floods, Too

FEMA Offers Advice for Texans on Lessening Storm Damage

AUSTIN, Texas – A team of specialists from FEMA will visit Lowe’s in Fort Bend County July 14-19 to offer tips and techniques to lessen the impact of disaster-related property damage.

Specialists will be available at the following location:

Where:
Lowe’s, 28005 Southwest Freeway, Rosenberg TX 77471

When:
7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, July 14-15

8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 16-17

7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, July 18

7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 19

FEMA Mitigation specialists will be on hand to answer questions and offer home improvement tips to reduce damage in future disasters. Information is geared to both do-it-yourselfers and general contractors.

Booklets are available in both English and Spanish on protecting your home from flood damage and other natural disasters. If you need an accommodation to access Braille or large print, please let our representatives know. American Sign Language interpreters can be available, if requested, by calling Everett Sedgwick at 202-870-4129. More information on how to strengthen homes, businesses and communities can be found at fema.gov/what-mitigation and fema.gov/texas-disaster-mitigation.

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program has a call center to answer policyholder questions, service claims, provide general information and offer technical assistance. To speak with a flood insurance specialist, call 800-621-3362 (FEMA) between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For more information on Texas recovery, visit the disaster webpage for the May storms at fema.gov/disaster/4272, or visit the Texas Division of Emergency Management website at dps.texas.gov/dem/. Follow us on Twitter @femaregion6.

# # #

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.

Visit site: 

FEMA Offers Advice for Texans on Lessening Storm Damage

Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Kanawha, Monroe Counties

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kanawha and Monroe counties are the locations for the latest Disaster Recovery Centers.  The centers, which opened July 8, provide survivors of the June 22 severe storms, floods, mudslides and landslides with useful information for recovery assistance.

The latest centers are:

Kanawha County                                          Monroe County                                                        

Tent in parking lot across from                     Alderson Senior Center                                             

Dollar General Store                                       317 Monroe St.

120 Maywood Ave., W.                                 Alderson, WV 24910

Clendenin, WV 25045                                    Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily

Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), various state agencies, and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) staff the centers, giving survivors a chance to discover what programs are available to help them, and to get their questions answered. 

Unless otherwise noted, all recovery centers are open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice. To locate the closest center, survivors can either visit http://go.usa.gov/x3NnJ or download the FEMA App to their mobile device. Before visiting a center, survivors can register with FEMA by going online to DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling 800-621-3362.  Video Relay Service (VRS) or 711 users can call 800-462-7585.

The other centers are:

Clay County

Clay County High School

1 Panther Dr.

Clay, WV 25043

 

Fayette County

Midland Trail High School

26719 Midland Trail

Hico, WV  25854

 

Greenbrier County

Mobile Disaster Recovery Center

Southeastern Labor Council, AFL-CIO

65 West Main St.

White Sulphur Springs, WV 24986

 

Town Hall

201 Kanawha Ave.

Rainelle, WV 25962

 

Kanawha County

Kanawha County School Operations Center

3300 Pennsylvania Ave.

Charleston, WV 25302

 

Nicholas County

City of Richwood City Hall
6 White Ave.

Richwood, WV 26261

 

Nicholas County High School

30 Grizzly Ln.

Summersville, WV 26651

 

Pocahontas County

McClintic Public Library

500 8th St.

Marlinton, WV  24954

 

Roane County

Geary Elementary School

9538 Clay Rd.

Left Hand, WV 25251

 

Summers County

Summers County Memorial Building Gym

451 1st Ave.

Hinton, WV 25951

 

Webster County

Webster Springs Municipal Building

City Council Room

143 McGraw Ave.

Webster Springs, WV 26288

Registering with FEMA is the first step towards qualifying for disaster assistance which may include grants to help homeowners and renters pay for temporary housing, essential home repairs, personal property replacements and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

SBA offers low-interest disaster loans for businesses of all sizes, homeowners, renters and private non-profit organizations. SBA disaster loans may cover repairs, rebuilding, as well as the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property.

For more information about SBA loans, call SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or visit http://www.sba.gov/disaster. TTY users can call 800-877-8339.  Applicants may also apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Additional information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery can be found by visiting fema.gov/disaster/4273, twitter.com/FEMARegion3 and fema.gov/blog.

Originally from: 

Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Kanawha, Monroe Counties

FEMA to Those Who Receive Assistance: Use Funds for Its Intended Purpose

AUSTIN, Texas – Federal officials are cautioning Texans who have received disaster assistance from FEMA to use the money for its intended purpose and to keep disaster spending receipts for three years.

Disaster assistance is to help residents meet basic disaster-related needs and funds are distributed via check or direct deposit. A letter explaining what the payment is to be used for arrives within a day or two of the check or direct deposit payment.

If an applicant spends the payment on anything other than the purpose for which it is directed, he or she may be denied assistance the next time a disaster strikes. In some cases, FEMA will ask that the money be returned.

“Money from FEMA is not like a tax refund from the IRS, so please don’t treat it as such,” said Federal Coordinating Officer William J. Doran III, who is in charge of FEMA’s operations in Texas. “These funds are to help survivors in their disaster recovery and shouldn’t be used for anything else.”

Those receiving assistance are urged to keep receipts of their disaster spending for three years to document the money was used to meet disaster-related needs. If a recipient receives an insurance settlement to cover the same expenses, he or she must reimburse FEMA. Random audits are conducted to confirm funds were spent properly.

Disaster assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners.

Twenty-four counties are included in the May 26-June 24 federal disaster declaration: Austin, Bastrop, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Eastland, Fayette, Fort Bend, Grimes, Harris, Hidalgo, Hood, Kleberg, Lee, Liberty, Montgomery, Palo Pinto, Parker, San Jacinto, Stephens, Travis, Tyler, Waller and Washington.

Federal assistance is available to eligible individuals and households, and those who work in those 24 counties.

Applying for disaster assistance is essentially a two-step process, which ensures consideration for all FEMA programs and the U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans. First, register with FEMA, then complete and return the no-obligation SBA loan application, if one is offered. There is no charge to apply for the loan and if approved, no obligation to accept it.

Disaster survivors may register the following ways:

  • online at DisasterAssistance.gov
  • phone 800-621-3362 (FEMA). Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call 800-621-3362. Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.
  • at a disaster recovery center. To find the nearest one, go online to the disaster recovery center locator at asd.fema.gov/inter/locator.

FEMA grants do not have to be repaid. FEMA assistance is nontaxable and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid or other federal benefits.

Survivors should register even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but underinsured applicants may receive help after their claims have been settled.

A free multilingual guide to the types of assistance available can be found at fema.gov/pdf/assistance/process/help_after_disaster_english.pdf

For more information on the Texas recovery, visit the disaster webpage for the May storms at fema.gov/disaster/4272; or visit the Texas Division of Emergency Management website at txdps.state.tx.us/dem. Follow us on Twitter @femaregion6.

# # #

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.

Read article here – 

FEMA to Those Who Receive Assistance: Use Funds for Its Intended Purpose

Lincoln County DRC opens

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The latest Disaster Recovery Center opens in Lincoln County beginning July 8 to provide assistance to survivors of the June 22 severe storms, floods, landslides and mudslides.

The center is located at the Morrisville Fire Department Substation, 2508 Straight Fork Rd., Alkol, WV 25501.  It is the twelfth center to open in West Virginia.

Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), various state agencies, and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) staff the centers, giving survivors a chance to discover what programs are available to them, and to get their questions answered. 

Weather permitting, all recovery centers are open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice. To locate the closest center, survivors can either visit http://go.usa.gov/x3NnJ or download the FEMA App to their mobile device. Before visiting a center, survivors can register with FEMA by going online to DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling 800-621-3362.  Video Relay Service (VRS) or 711 users can call 800-462-7585.

The other centers are:

Clay County

Clay County High School

1 Panther Dr.

Clay, WV 25043

 

Fayette County

Midland Trail High School

26719 Midland Trail

Hico, WV  25854

 

Greenbrier County

Mobile Disaster Recovery Center

Southeastern Labor Council, AFL-CIO

65 West Main St.

White Sulphur Springs, WV 24986

 

Town Hall

201 Kanawha Ave.

Rainelle, WV 25962

 

Kanawha County

Kanawha County School Operations Center

3300 Pennsylvania Ave.

Charleston, WV 25302

 

Nicholas County

City of Richwood City Hall
6 White Ave.

Richwood, WV 26261

 

Nicholas County High School

30 Grizzly Ln.

Summersville, WV 26651

 

Pocahontas County

McClintic Public Library

500 8th St.

Marlinton, WV  24954

 

Roane County

Geary Elementary School

9538 Clay Rd.

Left Hand, WV 25251

 

Summers County

Summers County Memorial Building Gym

451 1st Ave.

Hinton, WV 25951

 

Webster County

Webster Springs Municipal Building

City Council Room

143 McGraw Ave.

Webster Springs, WV 26288

Registering with FEMA is the first step towards qualifying for disaster assistance which may include grants to help homeowners and renters pay for temporary housing, essential home repairs, personal property replacements and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

SBA offers low-interest disaster loans for businesses of all sizes, homeowners, renters and private non-profit organizations. SBA disaster loans may cover repairs, rebuilding, as well as the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property.

For more information about SBA loans, call SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or visit http://www.sba.gov/disaster. TTY users can call 800-877-8339.  Applicants may also apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Additional information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery can be found by visiting fema.gov/disaster/4273, twitter.com/region3 and fema.gov/blog.

More here: 

Lincoln County DRC opens

West Virginia storm survivors should ‘stay in touch’ with FEMA

CHARLESTON, W. Va.– West Virginia homeowners and renters who have registered for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are encouraged by recovery officials to “stay in touch” with the agency after they have applied for assistance.

Applicants changing their addresses or phone numbers – even if only temporarily – should update that information with FEMA. Missing or erroneous information could result in delays getting a home inspection or in receiving assistance. When registering with FEMA, it’s a good idea to provide a secondary contact phone number – both a cell phone and a landline number, for example.

FEMA has provided two ways for homeowners and renters to update their information:

  • Visit the FEMA website at DisasterAssistance.gov to upload documents.
  • Call the toll-free FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (voice, 711 or relay service). TTY users should call 800-462-7585. Lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.

When updating status information, callers should refer to the nine-digit number issued at registration. This number is on all correspondence applicants receive from FEMA and is a key identifier in tracking assistance requests.

For more information on West Virginia recovery, visit the disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4273, Twitter at www.twitter.com/region3 and the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management at www.dhsem.wv.gov.

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West Virginia storm survivors should ‘stay in touch’ with FEMA

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