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Texas Farmers and Ranchers Have Options for Disaster Assistance

AUSTIN, Texas – When disasters such as the May 4 through June 19 storms and floods strike, farmers and ranchers have options for help.

Farmers and ranchers affected by the May 4 to June 19 storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds may be eligible for assistance from several agencies and should apply today.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may assist survivors who are farmers and ranchers with some immediate needs including:

Grants to pay for temporary housing and minor home repairs,
Grants to replace personal property, including clothing,
Grants to pay for serious immediate needs not covered by insurance.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) may offer low-interest loans to farmers and ranchers to rebuild or repair their primary home and replace lost or damaged personal property.

To begin the application process, call FEMA at 800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 800-462-7585, or for those who use 711 or Video Relay Services (VRS), call 800-621-3362. Survivors may also apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov

Other programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Texas Farm Service Agency (FSA) include:

Emergency loans may be used to:

Restore or replace essential property,Pay all or part of production costs associated with the disaster year,
Pay essential family living expenses,
Reorganize the farming operation, and
Refinance certain debts, excluding real estate.
Provide loan applicants up to 100 percent of their total actual production and/or physical losses. Production losses must not exceed 30 percent. The maximum loan is $500,000.
Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program provides financial assistance for non-insurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters, including grass for grazing. Eligible producers must have purchased coverage for 2015.
Livestock Indemnity Program with payments to eligible producers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to the disaster,
Tree Assistance Program for nursery tree growers, vineyards and orchardists.
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program that provides emergency relief for feed losses (including lost grazing days and baled forage) and/or water shortages, due to a disaster.
Emergency Conservation Program that provides emergency funding to rehabilitate land severely damaged by a natural disaster, including fencing.

Texas leads the nation in the number of farms and ranches with 248,800 farms and ranches covering more than 130 million acres. The economic impact of food and fiber grown in Texas amounts to more than $100 billion per year.

To date, the FSA has identified dozens of disaster counties and contiguous counties where farmers and ranchers are eligible for FSA emergency loans. To get more information on FSA services, go online to the U.S. Department of Agriculture website at: www.fsa.usda.gov.

To locate your nearest FSA County office, visit: http://offices.usda.gov.

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All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

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.

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

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Texas Farmers and Ranchers Have Options for Disaster Assistance

Federal Aid Programs for State of Wyoming Declaration

Main Content

Release date:

July 7, 2015

Release Number:

HQ-15-044-FactSheet

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 Wyoming.

Assistance for Affected Individuals and Families Can Include as Required:

Rental payments for temporary housing for those whose homes are unlivable. Initial assistance may be provided for up to three months for homeowners and at least one month for renters. Assistance may be extended if requested after the initial period based on a review of individual applicant requirements. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)
Grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)
Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs. (Source: FEMA funded at 75 percent of total eligible costs; 25 percent funded by the state.)
Unemployment payments up to 26 weeks for workers who temporarily lost jobs because of the disaster and who do not qualify for state benefits, such as self-employed individuals. (Source: FEMA funded; state administered.)
Low-interest loans to cover residential losses not fully compensated by insurance. Loans available up to $200,000 for primary residence; $40,000 for personal property, including renter losses. Loans available up to $2 million for business property losses not fully compensated by insurance. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)
Loans up to $2 million for small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes that have suffered disaster-related cash flow problems and need funds for working capital to recover from the disaster’s adverse economic impact. This loan in combination with a property loss loan cannot exceed a total of $2 million. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)
Loans up to $500,000 for farmers, ranchers and aquaculture operators to cover production and property losses, excluding primary residence. (Source: Farm Service Agency, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.)
Other relief programs: Crisis counseling for those traumatized by the disaster; income tax assistance for filing casualty losses; advisory assistance for legal, veterans’ benefits and social security matters.

How to Apply for Assistance:

Affected individuals and business owners in designated areas can begin the disaster application process by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov. Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice. Applicants registering for aid should be prepared to provide basic information about themselves (name, permanent address, phone number), insurance coverage and any other information to help substantiate losses.

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

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.)

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and 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/media-library and www.youtube.com/fema; follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fema and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fema.

Last Updated:

July 7, 2015 – 22:59

State/Tribal Government or Region:

Wyoming

Related Disaster:

Wyoming Severe Storms and Flooding

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Federal Aid Programs for State of Wyoming Declaration

Erosion Threat Assessment Reduction Team

Erosion Threat Assessment Reduction Team (ETART) is a multijurisdictional, interdisciplinary team formed jointly by FEMA and the State of Washington in response to the 2014 Central Washington wildfires to address the threat of flooding, mudslides, debris flows and other erosion over the approximately 415 square miles of burned lands.(For a landownership breakdown, see the following map and chart.)

In the summer of 2014, the Carlton Complex Fire burned more than 250,000 acres of land in Washington, the largest wildfire in state history. The fire burned private, federal, state and tribal lands, consumed 300 homes and destroyed critical infrastructure in its path. Then intense rainstorms over the scarred landscape caused more damage from flooding, mudslides and debris flow.

Fire suppression costs topped $68 million. But post-fire recovery costs have yet to be tallied.

Given the size and severity of the fire, President Obama issued a major disaster declaration on Aug. 11, which authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate federal disaster relief and to help state, tribal and local agencies recover from the disaster.

Once firefighters contained the Carlton fire on Aug. 25, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) deployed its Burn Area Emergency Response (BAER) team to measure soil quality, assess watershed changes, identify downstream risks and develop recommendations to treat burned federal lands.

FEMA officials and the BAER team acted fast. They knew more floods may follow without vegetation to soak up rainwater. More silt and debris in the runoff can plug culverts and raise water levels, which may further threaten downstream communities and properties.

To reduce the vulnerability of those downstream communities, FEMA created ETART. Modeled after BAER, ETART would measure soil quality, assess watershed changes, identify downstream risks and develop recommendations to treat burned state, tribal and private lands.

FEMA and the State of Washington recruited biologists, engineers, hydrologists, mapping experts, range specialists, soil scientists and support staff from more than 17 entities.

SPIRIT OF COOPERATION

ETART participants include: Cascadia Conservation District, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, FEMA, Methow Conservancy, National Weather Service (NWS), Okanogan Conservation District, Skagit Conservation District, Spokane Conservation District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of the Interior, USFS, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Whatcom Conservation District and Yakama Nation Fisheries.

Team members scored the benefits of working together across jurisdictional boundaries and overlapping authorities right away. To start, they stitched their maps together and overlaid their findings to gain consistency and a better perspective. Field assessments used extensive soil sampling. Computer modeling showed the probability of debris flow and other hazards.

Standard fixes in their erosion control toolbox include seeding and other ground treatments, debris racks, ditch protection, temporary berms, low-water crossings and sediment retention basins. Suggested treatments were evaluated based on their practical and technical feasibility.

Regional conservation districts provided a vital and trusted link to private landowners. They:
• held public meetings and acted as the hub of communications
• posted helpful links on their websites
• collected information on damage to crops, wells, fences, livestock and irrigation systems
• secured necessary permits that grant state and federal workers access to private property to assess conditions.

Local residents shared up-to-the minute information on road conditions and knew which seed mixtures worked best for their area. Residents proved key to the success of ETART.

Note: Teams found a few positive consequences of the wildfire. For instance, debris flow delivered more wood and gravel downstream, which may create a better fish habitat once the debris and sediment settle. The resultant bedload may enhance foraging, spawning and nesting for endangered species, such as Steelhead, Bull Trout and Spring Chinook Salmon.

STRENGTH OF COLLECTIVE ACTION

Final reports from BAER and ETART have helped several state agencies formulate and prioritize their projects, and leverage their budget requests for more erosion control funds.

Landowners and managers might share equipment, gain economies of scale and develop more cost-effective solutions. In the end, collaboration and collective action may avert future flooding.

CULTURE OF RESILIENCE

While public health and safety remain the top priority, other values at risk include property, natural resources, fish and wildlife habitats, as well as cultural and heritage sites.

Estimated costs for the emergency restoration and recovery recommendations on federal lands run $1.5 million. For short-term stabilization, USFS initiated funding requests for seeding and mulching urgent areas before the first snowfall. Other suggested treatments include bigger culverts, more warning signs and the improvement of road drainage systems.

For state and private lands, emergency restoration and recovery recommendations may cost in excess of $2.8 million. Erosion controls include seeding, invasive species removal and the construction of berms and barriers. In its final report, ETART also recommended better early warning systems, more warning signs on county roads and electronic message signs to aid residents evacuating via highways.

Landowners, managers and agencies continue to search for funding to pay for implementation. For instance, BLM regulations may allow it to seed its lands, as well as adjoining properties, after a wildfire. Select state agencies may provide seedlings, technical assistance on tree salvaging, or partial reimbursement for pruning, brush removal and weed control.

Knowing a short period of moderate rainfall on burned areas can lead to flash floods, the NWS placed seven real-time portable gauges in September to monitor rainfall in and around the area, and plans to place eight more rain gauges in the coming weeks. The NWS will issue advisory Outlooks, Watches and Warnings, which will be disseminated to the public and emergency management personnel through the NWS Advanced Weather Information Processing System.

Certain projects may qualify for FEMA Public Assistance funds. Under this disaster declaration, FEMA will reimburse eligible tribes, state agencies, local governments and certain private nonprofits in Kittitas and Okanogan counties for 75 percent of the cost of eligible emergency protective measures.

Successful ETARTs replicated in the future may formalize interagency memorandums of understanding, develop more comprehensive community wildfire protection plans and promote even greater coordination of restoration and recovery activities following major wildfires.

Erosion Threat Assessment Reduction Team

Farmers and Gardeners: Prepare Now to Weather the Whims of Mother Nature

EATONTOWN, N.J. — New Jersey comes by its nickname, “The Garden State,” honestly, as the agricultural industry brings more than $987 million into the state’s economy. The state is among the top ten producers of cranberries, peaches, spinach, bell peppers, blueberries, cucumbers, squash and tomatoes in the United States, according to the New Jersey Farm Service Agency.

Commercial farms and home gardens alike present similar challenges when natural disasters are a threat. The flat, open land that crops grow in and animals graze on has few natural defenses against flooding, and any tall buildings on farmland, such as barns and silos, can be vulnerable to lightning strikes.

While the average home garden doesn’t have the same scope of a large farm, owners of both can use similar methods to protect their crops, livestock and property from the impact of a natural disaster.

Take a full inventory of everything: livestock, equipment, pesticides, fertilizers, other chemicals and fuel. Animals should be tagged so they can be returned if they get lost or hurt during an incident. Have sandbags and plastic sheeting on hand to cover and protect crops and garden plots in case of flooding. Use wire and rope to secure objects, and lumber and plywood to protect windows. Put a fire extinguisher in every building and vehicle on your property.

Choose a safe, flood-proof location to store extra fuel for tractors and vehicles, food and water for livestock, and a gas-powered generator in case of power failure. Make sure that electrical power to flood-prone machines and structures can be easily turned off. Have hand tools accessible to assist in preparation and recovery.

If you are in a particularly flood-prone area, figure out escape routes for livestock to get to higher ground. Also, keep them out of barns that may flood, as their natural instinct is to seek shelter in a barn during an emergency.

In the aftermath of a disaster, report leaks of any hazardous materials (pesticides, fuel, fertilizer and other chemicals) to authorities. Check your utilities for signs of damage, and contact your utility company before turning anything back on. Spray surviving livestock with insect repellent to protect against mosquitoes, and have all animals checked for infectious diseases such as pneumonia or foot rot.

Test the soil, especially in smaller gardens and flower beds. It is recommended that flooded areas not be planted again for at least 30 to 60 days. Before replanting, make sure the soil is dry and has been reworked. Salt water can get washed up by waves and storm surge and get into the soil and on plants and trees, causing leaves to brown and damaging roots and buds. The damage salt spray can do to plants can last for several years.

Dispose of any leafy green vegetables and any other crops with edible parts that were touched by flood water. Affected root vegetables can be sanitized for consumption by rinsing them and soaking them in a bleach/water solution.

Once a disaster happens, the Farm Service Agency offers loans to farm owners to cover repairs/replacements and working capital. Contact the local Disaster Recovery Center after an incident for information, or visit a local FSA office. Farmers can also contact the Department of Agriculture’s Extension Service for more information and materials on how they can protect themselves from disasters.

The FSA has several financial programs to help farmers in the event of a disaster.

The Emergency Conservation Program provides emergency funding for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by wind erosion, floods, or other disasters.

The Emergency Haying and Grazing Assistance Program coordinates emergency hay placement and grazing of certain Conservation Reserve Program acreage in areas suffering from weather-related disasters at the discretion of either the state or national FSA.

The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program covers non-insurable crop losses caused by low yields, inventory loss or inability to plant crops due to a disaster.

The Emergency Loan Assistance Program provides emergency loans to help livestock producers recover from production and physical losses due to drought, floods, other natural disasters, or quarantine. Contact your local Farm Service Agency for more information about these programs.

The Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) Cooperative Extension Service has information on home gardening and commercial agriculture, and has offices in every county in New Jersey. For general advice on preparedness, visit www.ready.gov.

http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4086/updates/sandy-one-year-later

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

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

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Farmers and Gardeners: Prepare Now to Weather the Whims of Mother Nature

Federal Aid Programs for the State of Mississippi Declaration

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

Assistance for Affected Individuals and Families Can Include as Required:

Rental payments for temporary housing for those whose homes are unlivable. Initial assistance may be provided for up to three months for homeowners and at least one month for renters. Assistance may be extended if requested after the initial period based on a review of individual applicant requirements. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)
Grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)
Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs. (Source: FEMA funded at 75 percent of total eligible costs; 25 percent funded by the state.)
Unemployment payments up to 26 weeks for workers who temporarily lost jobs because of the disaster and who do not qualify for state benefits, such as self-employed individuals. (Source: FEMA funded; state administered.)
Low-interest loans to cover residential losses not fully compensated by insurance. Loans available up to $200,000 for primary residence; $40,000 for personal property, including renter losses. Loans available up to $2 million for business property losses not fully compensated by insurance. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)
Loans up to $2 million for small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes that have suffered disaster-related cash flow problems and need funds for working capital to recover from the disaster’s adverse economic impact. This loan in combination with a property loss loan cannot exceed a total of $2 million. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)
Loans up to $500,000 for farmers, ranchers and aquaculture operators to cover production and property losses, excluding primary residence. (Source: Farm Service Agency, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.)
Other relief programs: Crisis counseling for those traumatized by the disaster; income tax assistance for filing casualty losses; advisory assistance for legal, veterans’ benefits and social security matters.

How to Apply for Assistance:

Affected individuals and business owners in designated areas can begin the disaster application process by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov. Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice. Applicants registering for aid should be prepared to provide basic information about themselves (name, permanent address, phone number), insurance coverage and any other information to help substantiate losses.

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

Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, taken to save lives and protect property and public health. Emergency protective measures assistance is available to state and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state, tribal 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 Public Assistance:

Application procedures for tribal and local governments will be explained at a series of federal/state and federal/tribal 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.

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Federal Aid Programs for the State of Mississippi Declaration

Federal Aid Programs for the State of Illinois Disaster Recovery

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

Assistance for Affected Individuals and Families Can Include as Required:

Rental payments for temporary housing for those whose homes are unlivable. Initial assistance may be provided for up to three months for homeowners and at least one month for renters. Assistance may be extended if requested after the initial period based on a review of individual applicant requirements. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)
Grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)
Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs. (Source: FEMA funded at 75 percent of total eligible costs; 25 percent funded by the state.)
Unemployment payments up to 26 weeks for workers who temporarily lost jobs because of the disaster and who do not qualify for state benefits, such as self-employed individuals. (Source: FEMA funded; state administered.)
Low-interest loans to cover residential losses not fully compensated by insurance. Loans available up to $200,000 for primary residence; $40,000 for personal property, including renter losses. Loans available up to $2 million for business property losses not fully compensated by insurance. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)
Loans up to $2 million for small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes that have suffered disaster-related cash flow problems and need funds for working capital to recover from the disaster’s adverse economic impact. This loan in combination with a property loss loan cannot exceed a total of $2 million. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)
Loans up to $500,000 for farmers, ranchers and aquaculture operators to cover production and property losses, excluding primary residence. (Source: Farm Service Agency, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.)
Other relief programs: Crisis counseling for those traumatized by the disaster; income tax assistance for filing casualty losses; advisory assistance for legal, veterans’ benefits and social security matters.

How to Apply for Assistance:

Affected individuals and business owners in designated areas can begin the disaster application process by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov. Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice. Applicants registering for aid should be prepared to provide basic information about themselves (name, permanent address, phone number), insurance coverage and any other information to help substantiate losses.

Follow FEMA online at http://blog.fema.gov, 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.

Original article –

Federal Aid Programs for the State of Illinois Disaster Recovery

A Year After Hurricane Sandy: New Jersey Recovery By The Numbers

Sandy facts

October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy strikes with a storm surge weather experts had never seen before
37,000 primary residences destroyed or damaged
8.7 million cubic yards of debris left behind
2.7 million New Jerseyans without power

The first 48 hours

548 FEMA specialists on the ground in New Jersey
Three mobile disaster recovery centers open
3 States responded with Emergency Medical Services – 385 people
8 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams and U.S. Public Health Strike Teams arrive
October 31, 2012, the first FEMA Individuals and Household Program disbursement of $155,027

Response milestones at one year

More than $5.67 billion in total federal assistance approved for Individual Assistance grants, SBA low-interest disaster loans, National Flood Insurance Program payments and Public Assistance grants.

Individual Assistance

More than $413 million approved for individuals and households including:
- Nearly $356 million for housing assistance
- More than $56.6 million for other needs, including clothing, household items, disaster-related damage to a vehicle, and disaster-related medical and dental expenses
More than 261, 000 people contacted FEMA for help or information
127,046 housing inspections completed
36 disaster recovery centers opened
90,000 visits to disaster recovery centers
5,546 individuals and families housed temporarily in hotel rooms under the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program
3,410 survivors received disaster unemployment assistance

U.S. Small Business Administration

More than $819.8 million in SBA low-interest disaster loans approved for homeowners, renters and businesses

National Flood Insurance Program

More than $3.5 billion paid on all claims in flood insurance payments made to policyholders

Public Assistance

More than $926 million was approved in FEMA Public Assistance grants to communities and some nonprofit organizations that serve the public
4,959 projects approved so far

A whole community response

507 voluntary agencies were involved in recovery
More than 1.6 million meals and 1.4 million liters of water were distributed
21 languages were used to communicate assistance information to survivors
More than 1 million multilingual fliers were distributed
Nearly 8.7 million cubic yards of debris was removed
At peak, more than 2,429 people were deployed to New Jersey by FEMA and other federal agencies
36 federal agencies assisted FEMA during Hurricane Sandy in New York
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers received 335 requests for generators – 106 installed at peak
Approximately 300,000 pounds of food was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
The Defense Logistics Agency delivered 2.3 million gallons of fuel to distribution points in New York and New Jersey
The Port of New Jersey was closed to incoming and outgoing vessel traffic because of Superstorm Sandy, according the U.S. Coast Guard

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A Year After Hurricane Sandy: New Jersey Recovery By The Numbers

Colorful Insect Threatens to Decimate Missouri’s Ash Tree Population–Debris Clean-up Practices Impact Infestation

Kansas City, Mo – Last spring, a series of storms caused extensive tree damage in many communities throughout Missouri. As clean-up continues, proper debris management will impact the fate of Missouri’s Ash trees by helping to stop the spread of a small but invasive pest making its way across the state.

A native of Asia, as of June, 2013, the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) had been found in 20 states and two Canadian Provinces. In a report published on the University of Missouri Extension website, Missouri’s EAB infestation was discovered in 2008 in a campground at Wappapello Lake in Wayne County. Since then ten counties have been placed under quarantine to prevent the accidental spread of the beetle by regulating the movement of potentially-contaminated wood products, including firewood and mulch from storm debris.

The importance of proper wood management is magnified when one considers that approximately 14 percent of trees in the State’s towns and cities are Ash, and the figure reaches as high as 30 or 40 percent in some neighborhoods and parks. The EAB is 100 percent fatal to Missouri’s native ash trees — blue, green, and white — of any size, age, or health, according to the University of Missouri Extension.

On its own, the beetle will only fly a few miles. However, it is easily and quickly transported to new areas when people inadvertently move Ash infected with EAB larvae. Wood waste from pruning, storm damage, or tree removal may seem like a readily available fuel source, yet State officials warn that moving firewood, whether ash from quarantined areas or otherwise, is the primary avenue for the spread of the EAB. Many of the places where it has been found are parks and campgrounds where people unknowingly carried EAB with them when they brought firewood on a picnic or camping trip.

Missouri Department of Conservation Forest Entomologist Rob Lawrence emphasizes the importance of not moving woody debris from the immediate vicinity when cutting trees and limbs that have been storm damaged or need trimming. “The debris can be allowed to decay or burned any time before spring when the adults emerge, but to reduce the possibility of spreading EAB or any other pest, the main thing is not to move it from the immediate vicinity,” he said.

The EAB larva is the source of destruction as it spends its life inside ash trees, feeding on the inner bark where it cannot be seen. According to Jodie Ellis of Purdue University, the eggs females deposit on the surface of ash bark, in its crevices and cracks, hatch in 1-2 weeks. The tiny larvae bore through the bark and into the phloem, the tissue layer that spreads nutrients throughout the tree, creating S-shaped tunnels or galleries. As the larvae feed and grow, the galleries get larger, disrupting the transport of nutrients and ultimately killing the tree.

The ten counties currently under EAB quarantine are Bolinger, Carter, Clay, Iron, Madison, Platte, Pulaski, Reynolds, Shannon and Wayne. According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the results of this summer’s EAB infestation survey may add more regions of the State to the quarantine area.

The quarantine regulates both the interstate movement of potentially contaminated wood products and movement between these counties and others within the State. In addition to firewood, the quarantine covers ash nursery stock and any part of an ash tree. Firewood from any species of hardwood, including oak, maple and hickory is quarantined as well because, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), once a log has been cut and split, it is extremely difficult to differentiate between ash wood and other hardwood species.

There are opportunities for the timber, wood, and firewood industries to continue interstate commerce through the use of processing options associated with the issuance of a USDA compliance agreement, certificate, or limited permit. Contact the USDA’s APHIS at 573-893-6833 for more information. Permitting and compliance agreements for commercial wood transport within the State of Missouri can be obtained by contacting the Missouri Department of Agriculture at 573-751-5505.

If you suspect the presence of the EAB or other invasive insect or disease, the first step to verify the identity of the pest as many little green bugs look similar. Visit www.eab.missouri.edu for identification aids or call the Missouri Department of Conservation at 1-866-716-9974. Once confirmed, an online report form is available at http://extension.missouri.edu/scripts/eab/forestpestsreport.asp.

Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Find regional updates from FEMA Region VII at www.twitter.com/femaregion7. 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.

View photos of and get more information about the EAB at http://extension.missouri.edu/emeraldashborer/looklike.aspx.

Original post:

Colorful Insect Threatens to Decimate Missouri’s Ash Tree Population–Debris Clean-up Practices Impact Infestation

FEMA Lends A Hand To Vermonters During National Food Drive

WILLISTON, Vt. – As the Federal Emergency Management Agency marks more than two years in Vermont assisting disaster survivors, its staff are working to help fight hunger in the state as well.

The fifth annual Feds Feed Families campaign is a national project of federal employees who help collect food and non-perishable items for those in need, and this year FEMA employees in Vermont are helping to replenish the shelves of the Vermont Foodbank.

“FEMA has had a presence in Vermont since the spring 2011 floods,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mark Landry, the head of FEMA’s Vermont operations. “Through Irene, and now through this summer’s flooding we have been working to assist Vermonters. Donating food through the Feds Feed Families effort is a natural extension of that work.”

So far, employees at FEMA’s Joint Field Office in Williston have contributed 530 pounds of food and non-perishable items to the Vermont Foodbank as part of Feds Feed Families.

The United State Department of Agriculture is leading this year’s Feds Feed Families campaign, which officially began on June 1 and will run through August 28, 2013.

All federal agencies, including field components, are asked to participate in the campaign. The field agencies typically share their collections with local food banks.

Since 2009, federal workers have donated and collected 15.2 million pounds of food and other non-perishable items to support families across America.

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

Original article:

FEMA Lends A Hand To Vermonters During National Food Drive

More than $664 Million Approved for New York State Hurricane Sandy Survivors

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Release date:

November 25, 2012

Release Number:

NR-051

NEW YORK — Since Hurricane Sandy struck New York, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $664 million to help individuals and families recover from the disaster.

FEMA is reaching out to all 13 designated counties with attention focused on the hardest hit areas of New York State. Assistance to the hardest-hit areas includes:

Bronx $1.5 million
Kings $139.1 million
Nassau $224.6 million
New York $8.2 million
Queens $170.4 million
Richmond $70.4 million
Suffolk $47.4 million

FEMA provides the following snapshot of the disaster recovery effort as of November 25:

More than 230,000 New Yorkers have contacted FEMA for information or registered for assistance with FEMA and more than $664 million has been approved. Almost 117,000 have applied through the online application site at www.disasterassistance.gov, or on their smart phone at m.fema.gov.

35 Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) are open in the affected areas. These include mobile sites as well as fixed sites, and to date nearly 52,000 survivors have been assisted at DRCs in New York.

Nearly 917 inspectors in the field have completed more than 131,000 home inspections.

1,088 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.

8 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),1 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 (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 and has approved more than $29 million in disaster loans to both individuals and businesses.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) approved New York’s request to provide USDA Foods to households impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Approximately 1.1 million pounds of household size USDA Food, valued at approximately $721,178, will be distributed between November 4 through November 30, 2012, to households through 1,000 designated emergency feeding outlets in the areas of Westchester and Rockland Counties, New York City, and Long Island.

How to get assistance:

Individuals can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smart phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362. Multilingual telephone operators are available to help non-English-speaking survivors register for disaster aid and to get their questions answered. After dialing FEMA’s registration/helpline callers should choose Option 3. FEMA can provide translation/interpretation services over the phone.

People who have a speech disability or hearing impairment can call TTY 800-462-7585. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services may call 800-621-3362.

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

Last Updated:

November 25, 2012 – 19:02

State or Region:

New York

Related Disaster:

New York Hurricane Sandy

Taken from –

More than $664 Million Approved for New York State Hurricane Sandy Survivors

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