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Texans Denied FEMA Aid Encouraged to Ask ‘Why?’

AUSTIN, Texas – Texans who get a letter from FEMA telling them they’re ineligible for disaster assistance should not give up—but should follow up instead.

Anyone who gets a letter from FEMA should read it carefully and call FEMA immediately if they disagree with it or have any questions. A simple error in a telephone number or a missing signature may be all that separates an applicant from federal assistance.

After registering with FEMA, applicants can expect a notice by mail about whether they qualify for federal disaster assistance:

If eligible, the letter explains the amount of the grant and how it is to be used.
If ineligible—if the grant amount reads “0”—applicants may still qualify.

A denial letter may indicate the application is missing information such as verification of occupancy of the damaged property, proof of identity, documentation of disaster damage, or what is covered under an insurance policy.

Applicants who do not receive a letter or are denied assistance should call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (FEMA) for an explanation why, or go to their account at DisasterAssistance.gov.

The 12 counties affected by the May storms are: Austin, Brazoria, Brazos, Fort Bend, Grimes, Hidalgo, Hood, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Travis, Waller, and Washington counties.

Survivors may register for assistance the following ways:

online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov
phone 800-621-3362 (FEMA). Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585. Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call 800-621-3362. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.

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.

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.

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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.

Download fema.gov/mobile-app to locate open shelters and disaster recovery centers, receive severe weather alerts, safety tips and much more.

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Texans Denied FEMA Aid Encouraged to Ask ‘Why?’

Severe Weather Wednesday: Get Ready Now

CHICAGO – With a threatening Wednesday forecast for most of the Great Lakes Region that includes severe storms, heavy rains, strong winds and the possibility of tornadoes, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region V encourages everyone to get prepared.

“Summer has begun, and with it, the heightened risk of severe storms,” said FEMA Region V Administrator Andrew Velasquez III. “Now is the time to make sure your family knows what to do to stay safe, and verify your mobile phone is enabled to receive Wireless Emergency Alerts to warn you of extreme weather and other emergencies in your area.”

Individuals should follow the instructions of state and local officials and listen to local radio or TV stations for updated emergency information related to this storm system. Purchasing a weather radio for your home is another way to ensure that you receive critical warning information. If a warning is issued, get indoors, and move to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls.

Find valuable tips to help you prepare for severe storms at http://www.ready.gov/severe-weather and download the free FEMA app, available for your Android, Apple or Blackberry device. Visit the site or download the app today so you have the information you need to prepare for severe weather.

Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at 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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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, 312-408-4455

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Severe Weather Wednesday: Get Ready Now

When there’s Lightning, Bolt to Safety Indoors

CHICAGO – It’s too easy to think we’re invincible when it comes to lightning storms—going outside, staying in the pool, or continuing a softball game as thunder sounds in the distance are not safe activities when lightning and thunder are in the area. Instead, move indoors when thunder roars—such a simple step could save more than 400 people from getting struck by lightning every year.

In recognition of Lightning Safety Awareness Week, June 19 – 25, 2016, FEMA is encouraging everyone to get storm safety smart:

There is no safe place outdoors when thunderstorms are in the area. Get indoors and avoid contact with corded phones, electrical equipment, plumbing, and windows and doors.
Water is an excellent conductor of electricity – so get out of and away from water!
Electricity always seeks the shortest path to its destination. Avoid tall, isolated trees or other tall objects in a lightning storm.
When camping, set up in a valley, ravine or other low area. Tents and open-sided shelters don’t provide protection from the dangers of lightning. If there isn’t a substantial building nearby, take shelter in your vehicle.
Wait 30 minutes after the last lightning or thunder before going back outside.
Anyone struck by lightning will need immediate medical attention. Call 911 and remember: lightning victims do not carry an electrical charge and are safe to touch.

During Lightning Safety Awareness Week, FEMA Region 5 will be hosting a social media engagement campaign in collaboration with the National Weather Service in Chicago—get involved by following FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5 and www.facebook.com/fema. You can also find more valuable lightning safety tips by visiting www.ready.gov/thunderstorms-lightning and www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov. Consider also downloading the free FEMA app, available for your Android, Apple or Blackberry device, so you have the information at your fingertips to prepare for severe weather.

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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, 312-408-4455

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When there’s Lightning, Bolt to Safety Indoors

FEMA awards Port of Brookings more than $400K for dredging

SALEM, OR – Boaters at Port of Brookings in Curry County will be navigating deeper waters thanks to a $416,250 disaster recovery grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Damage to the harbor, the busiest recreational port in Oregon, resulted from severe weather of December 10, 2015. Soaking rains triggered heavy silt deposits shed by floodwaters from stream tributaries and a failed culvert. Thousands of cubic yards of materials settled on the harbor floor restricting boat access to the Ice House pier service area.

The federal grant will help pay for the dredging and hauling away of 9,325 cubic yards of sediment.

Federal disaster recovery funds for this event come through FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Program. The program offers 75 percent—or $416,250 in this grant—of eligible costs for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities. The remaining 25 percent will come from non-federal sources such as state or local governments. The PA program also encourages protection of damaged facilities from future events by providing assistance for certain hazard mitigation measures.

“This arm of FEMA’s disaster assistance focuses on public infrastructure—infrastructure that residents, communities and local governments depend upon in Oregon,” said State Coordinating Officer Clint Fella of Oregon’s Office of Emergency Management.

President Barak Obama signed a major disaster declaration Feb. 17, 2016, making federal dollars available to 14 Oregon counties to help them recover from severe storms of Dec. 6-23 that caused landslides, mudslides, flooding and more than 100 road closures. Eligible entities include local and state governments and agencies, and certain private nonprofit organizations.

FEMA leadership takes keen interest in Oregon’s recovery; the state agreed to be the first implementation of a new Public Assistance Program delivery initiative intended to improve efficiency in delivering federal infrastructure dollars.

“Once FEMA funds are obligated for eligible projects, the state administers the program, but a robust partnership with Oregon has been in place since the disaster declaration,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Dolph Diemont.

Counties included in the declaration are: Clatsop, Clackamas, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Washington and Yamhill.

Port of Brookings was also significantly damaged in 2011 by the tsunami resulting from the 9.0 magnitude earthquake off Japan’s coast.

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FEMA awards Port of Brookings more than $400K for dredging

More than $2 million flows to Oregon for recovery projects

SALEM, Ore. –The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today that it has awarded Oregon more than $2 million as a portion of the FEMA Public Assistance program allocation for recovery from the severe winter storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides occurring December 6-23, 2015. This is one of several awards that are expected to be distributed as a result of the nearly month-long weather events.

FEMA’s Public Assistance grants will go to more than 400 eligible projects in 14 counties covering Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Washington and Yamhill.

The Public Assistance program offers supplemental financial assistance on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities in designated counties. The program encourages protection of these facilities from future events by providing assistance for certain hazard mitigation measures.

Current estimate of eligible damage is approximately $40 million. FEMA reimburses 75 percent of eligible costs and makes grant awards to the state. Oregon manages the grant awards to applicants and is accountable for their use.

Of the current grants, approximately $1.2 million is being awarded for three large projects, and about $1 million for water and electric lines, equipment, roadway and trench repairs, and a host of other small projects. Reimbursements for costs of emergency measures taken during response to the storms throughout the 14 affected counties are also flowing to disaster recovery grant applicants.

“A $425,000 award went to Lake Oswego for replacement of a collapsed storm drain and repair of a 12-foot deep sinkhole, while another went to Columbia River People’s Utility District for about $380,000,” said Clint Fella, State Coordinating Officer for the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. “The electric cooperative in Columbia County sustained pole, line and other damage along 113 miles of 154 different roads during the weather event.”

The Port of Brookings Harbor is also scheduled to receive $416,250 for sediment hauling and removal.

“This funding for Oregon’s recovery marks a difference in the way we deliver assistance,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer Dolph Diemont. “It also points to the State of Oregon’s hard work in this recovery process. They help determine project eligibility.”

FEMA is implementing a new business model to deliver funding for public infrastructure recovery after a disaster. The new model does not represent a change in FEMA’s mission or in what it does, but is intended to improve the quality and efficiency of the recovery process for communities affected by disasters.

The disaster declaration signed by President Obama on Feb. 17, 2016 made FEMA’s Public Assistance recovery program available to declared counties. The state and FEMA have been working closely with local officials since Feb. 17 to identify damage, develop project costs and to deliver funding to assist in the recovery from the December, 2015 storms.

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More than $2 million flows to Oregon for recovery projects

SBA Disaster Loan Application Deadlines Nears

AUSTIN, Texas – Two important deadlines are ahead for Texans who are considering a loan through the U.S. Small Business Administration for recovery from the April storms and flooding.

Most survivors who registered with FEMA for disaster assistance were contacted by the SBA with information on the agency’s loan-interest disaster loans, as well as instructions on how to complete the loan application.

The deadline to submit the application for physical damage is June 24, 2016. The deadline for businesses to submit a loan application for economic injury is Jan. 25, 2017.

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property, offering low-interest disaster assistance loans to businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters.

Survivors may apply online using the electronic loan application via SBA’s secure website at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Disaster loan information and application forms are also available from SBA’s customer service center by calling 800-659-2955 or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Individuals who are deaf or hard‑of‑hearing may call 800-877-8339. For more disaster assistance information or to download applications, visit sba.gov/disaster.

Completed applications should be mailed to:

U.S. Small Business Administration
Processing and Disbursement Center
14925 Kingsport Rd.
Fort Worth, TX 76155

SBA loan applications should be submitted even as disaster survivors await an insurance settlement. The loan balance is reduced by the settlement. SBA loans may also be available for losses not covered by insurance.

Both FEMA and the SBA encourage Texans who suffered damage or loss from the April storms and were provided a loan application to complete the application. There is no obligation to take a loan if offered. If approved, and a survivor does not accept the loan, it may make them ineligible for additional federal assistance.

Homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 from SBA to repair or replace their primary residence.
Homeowners and renters may borrow up to $40,000 to repair or replace personal property.
Businesses may borrow up to $2 million for any combination of property damage or economic injury. SBA offers low-interest working capital loans—called Economic Injury Disaster Loans—to small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations of all sizes.

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SBA Disaster Loan Application Deadlines Nears

Disaster Recovery Centers to Close in Cleveland (Liberty County), Houston and Cypress (Harris County)

AUSTIN, Texas – The disaster recovery center in Cleveland (Liberty County) will close June 24 and three others in Houston and Cypress (Harris County) will close June 25.

Liberty County

Location:
Cleveland Civic Center
210 Peach Ave.
Cleveland, TX 77327

Closing:
6 p.m. Friday, June 24

Harris County

Location:
Imperial 20 (Office Building)
16800 Imperial Valley Dr., Suite 108
Houston, TX 77060

Closing:
2 p.m. Saturday, June 25

Location:
Bayland Community Center
6400 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77074

Closing:
2 p.m. Saturday, June 25

Location:
Lone Star College – CyFair Library
9191 Barker Cypress Rd.
Cypress, TX 77433

Closing:
2 p.m., Saturday, June 25

Disaster recovery centers are operated jointly by FEMA and the state. Visiting a disaster recovery center is not required to register for FEMA assistance.

After the centers close, Texans whose homes or businesses were affected by the April 17-24 storms and flooding can still register for assistance, get updates about applications, learn about the appeals process or check the status of their claim the following ways:

visit DisasterAssistance.gov
phone 800-621-3362 (FEMA). Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585. Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call 800-621-3362. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.

Recovery officials encourage Texans who registered for disaster assistance with FEMA to stay in touch. If survivors change their addresses or phone numbers they should update FEMA with the information. Missing or erroneous information could result in delays in getting a home inspection or receiving assistance.

Disaster survivors can also visit other recovery centers that remain open. To find the closest one, go online to the Disaster Recovery Center Locator at asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm.

For more information on the Texas recovery, visit the disaster webpage for the April storms at fema.gov/disaster/4269 or visit the Texas Division of Emergency Management website at dps.texas.gov/dem/. Follow us on Twitter @femaregion6.

Download fema.gov/mobile-app to locate open shelters and disaster recovery centers, receive severe weather alerts, safety tips and much more.

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Download fema.gov/mobile-app to locate open shelters and disaster recovery centers, receive severe weather alerts, safety tips and much more.

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Disaster Recovery Centers to Close in Cleveland (Liberty County), Houston and Cypress (Harris County)

Berlin, NJ Firefighters to Receive New Personal Safety Equipment – Federal Grant will Fund Purchase

NEW YORK — The regional volunteer firefighting alliance in Berlin Borough and Berlin Township is currently operating with obsolete, 14-year-old safety equipment that is out of compliance with National Fire Protection Association standards.

The items to be replaced are self-contained breathing apparatuses at Berlin firehouses in both the Borough and Township. The Borough’s Fire Chief, William Behnke, and the Township’s Fire Chief, Joseph Jackson, Jr., say that the combined 47 SCBAs at both facilities have been subject to wear and tear over 14 to 15 years and “numerous documented failures.”

But thanks to an Assistance to Firefighters Grant totaling nearly $280,000.00 effective May 20, the two firehouses will be receiving 47 new SCBAs, each of which will consist of a harness/backpack, a face piece, and two breathing cylinders.

Chief Behnke reports that the two firehouses conducted a joint needs assessment and concluded that “replacing our old, obsolete, non-compliant, and failing SCBA is the highest priority for improving firefighter safety and operations in the region.”

Unlike the worn-out gear it will replace, the new equipment will be compatible with that used by neighboring firehouses. It will allow firefighters to communicate with each other, display the amount of cylinder air available, and provide access to “rapid intervention teams,” which rescue trapped firefighters. The equipment also has other technological features enhancing safety.

The total grant amounts to $293,750.00 with $13,988.00 being contributed locally.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency administers the AFG program. Dale McShine, director of FEMA’s Region II Grants and National Preparedness Division, said she is pleased that the new equipment will have such a positive impact on the firefighters’ personal well-being. “If they’re not safe, their ability to protect residents is also at risk.”

Located in southwestern New Jersey, and with a population of some 16,000 residents, Berlin Borough responded to 854 alarms last year, while the Township answered 806.

Berlin Mayor James Bilella says that this grant is “truly significant to a small town like ours because it allows us to serve our population effectively.” He added, “Our volunteer first responders need updated, modern equipment to do their jobs safely.”

Tania Hedlund, FEMA’s Region II Branch Chief for grants, reports that in fiscal year 2014, the Region awarded 273 AFG awards totaling $95.6 million.

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Berlin, NJ Firefighters to Receive New Personal Safety Equipment – Federal Grant will Fund Purchase

Aging Fire Hoses in Upstate New York Fire House Replaced By Federal Grant

NEW YORK — “We normally carry 1,000 feet of two and one-half-inch hose on each of our two engines and our ladder truck. But we are no longer able to do it and that’s not safe,” said Fire Chief Dan Smith of the Hornell, New York Fire Department.

“We used to have 3,250 feet of usable hose,” he said, “but we’re now down to 2,500 feet. The trouble is that we bought this hose, which is expensive, in the 1960s. It’s aging and it must comply with the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association or be taken out of service, Chief Smith explained.

“What’s worse,” he said, “we’ve had a number of hose lines burst while we’re on the job.”

But the chief was most pleased when he received confirmation this week that his department will receive an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) in the amount of $19,315.00 to purchase 3,250 feet of new hose and an assortment of new nozzles. With the local share of $965.00, the grant totals $20,280.00.

The AFG program is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Dale McShine, the director of FEMA Region II’s Grants and Preparedness Division, which awarded the grant, said she was “glad to have been able to be a part of providing such critical elements of a firefighter’s job.”

The Hornell Fire Department has 23 full-time paid firefighters, all of whom are cross-trained as emergency medical technicians. The department responds to more than 3,575 calls per year, many of which are for emergency medical services, for which the department is amply equipped with advanced life support equipment, including cardiac monitors.

Hornell’s Mayor Sean Hogan is delighted with FEMA’s grant. “That hose was nearly 40 years old,” he said, “and it simply had to be replaced.” If it weren’t for the AFG, he added, “We would have to add almost one percent to our local tax budget to cover the cost, which would be a hefty hit.” The mayor went on to say that if it were not for programs like to the AFG, local budgeting can become a “pretty catch-as-catch-can process.”

Located near the Finger Lakes, some 120 miles southeast of Buffalo, Hornell is a rural community of 46 square miles with 12,700 residents. The department also provides fire suppression and mutual aid services to an additional population of 36,280 in neighboring towns and villages.

Chief Smith says that he places a good deal of emphasis on fire prevention through house and apartment inspections, and promoting smoke detectors at schools and elsewhere. He adds that the department also provides smoke detectors to the largest at-risk group of residents over 65. His firefighters install these detectors and offer safety tips about falling, burns, and the like.

“You can never point to a fire or an accident you’ve prevented,” Chief Smith observes, “but it’s certainly true that an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.”

Tania Hedlund, FEMA’s Region II Branch Chief for Grants reports that in fiscal year 2014, the Region awarded 273 grants, totaling $95.6 million.

Source –

Aging Fire Hoses in Upstate New York Fire House Replaced By Federal Grant

Protect Yourself from Disaster-Related Fraud and Scams

AUSTIN, Texas – As storms and flooding wreak havoc across Texas, FEMA officials are warning of another danger: scam artists and unscrupulous contractors out to fleece communities and survivors struggling to recover from disaster.

Be aware of these most common post-disaster scams:

Housing inspectors: If home damage is visible from the street, an owner/applicant may be vulnerable to those who pose as housing inspectors and claim to represent FEMA or the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Ask for identification. Federal and state representatives carry photo ID. A FEMA or SBA shirt or jacket is not proof of affiliation with the government.
FEMA inspectors never ask for banking or other personal information. < >EMA housing inspectors verify damage but do not hire or endorse specific contractors to fix homes or recommend repairs. They do not determine eligibility for assistance.
Use licensed local contractors backed by reliable references; recovery experts recommend getting a written estimate from at least three contractors, including the cost of labor and materials; and read the fine print.
Demand that contractors carry general liability insurance and workers’ compensation. If he or she is not insured, you may be liable for accidents that occur on your property.
Avoid paying more than half the costs upfront. Doing so offers little incentive for the contractor to return to complete repairs.

Pleas for post-disaster donations: Con artists play on the sympathies of disaster survivors, knowing that people want to help others in need. Disaster aid solicitations may arrive by phone, email, letter or face-to-face visits. Verify charitable solicitations:

Ask for the charity’s exact name, street address, phone number and web address, then phone the charity to confirm that the person asking for funds is an employee or volunteer.
Don’t pay with cash. Pay with a check made out to the charity in case funds must be stopped later.
Request a receipt. Legitimate nonprofit agencies routinely provide receipts for tax purposes.

Offers of state or federal aid: Beware of anyone claiming to be from FEMA or the state and asking for a Social Security number, bank account number or other sensitive information. Scammers may solicit by phone or in person, promising to speed up the insurance, disaster assistance or building permit process. Others promise a disaster grant and ask for large cash deposits or advance payments. Here’s how to protect yourself:

Federal and state workers do not solicit or accept money. FEMA and SBA staff never charge applicants for disaster assistance, inspections or help in filling out applications. If you have any doubts, do not give out information and file a report with the police.

If you suspect fraud, call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721. If you are a victim of a home repair or price-gouging scam, call the Office of the Texas Attorney General at 800-252-8011. For information regarding disaster-related fraud and how to protect yourself, visit texasattorneygeneral.gov/cpd/disaster-scams.

Download fema.gov/mobile-app to locate open shelters and disaster recovery centers, receive severe weather alerts, safety tips and much more.

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Download fema.gov/mobile-app to locate open shelters and disaster recovery centers, receive severe weather alerts, safety tips and much more.

Originally posted here:

Protect Yourself from Disaster-Related Fraud and Scams

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