NEW YORK —More than $1.2 billion in federal disaster assistance has been approved for survivors of Hurricane Sandy in New York.

While there is still much work to be done, this money has contributed significantly to the recovery effort. FEMA’s priority is to get people back into their neighborhoods as soon as possible.

“This money will help families who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy start their recovery,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Michael F. Byrne. “Working with the SBA, FEMA is helping families get the money they need to repair their homes, find temporary housing and replace essential items lost in the storm.

FEMA continues to reach out to all 13 counties designated for Individual Assistance, focusing on the hardest-hit areas. Assistance to residents in affected counties includes:

  • Bronx                $2.2 million
  • Kings                 $180.7 million
  • Nassau               $269.2 million
  • New York         $12.2 million
  • Queens              $211.3 million
  • Richmond         $84.8 million
  • Suffolk              $61.4 million

FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration have approved more than $1.2 billion for Hurricane Sandy survivors. FEMA has approved nearly $827 million for individuals and households, including nearly $736 million for housing assistance and more than $91 million in assistance for other needs.

  • SBA has approved nearly $378 million in disaster loans to homeowners and renters and more than $25 million in disaster businesses loans. The SBA has staff members at every

FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Center and 19 Business Recovery Centers in the New York area to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance.

  • More than 260,000 New Yorkers have contacted FEMA for information or registered for assistance, including more than 141,000 who have applied through the online application site at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or on their smartphone at m.fema.gov.
  • 23 Disaster Recovery Centers are open in the affected areas. These include mobile sites as well as fixed sites, and to date more than 117,000 survivors have been assisted at Disaster Recovery Centers in New York.           
  • 58 inspectors are currently in the field. To date 169,031 home inspections have been completed, making a 99.4 percent completion rate.
  • 13 New York counties are designated for both Individual Assistance and Public Assistance. These are Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester. Greene County has been designated for Public Assistance only. 
  • Public Assistance funds are also flowing; so far, more than $323 million has been obligated to the state to help replenish dollars spent to protect New Yorkers before, during and after the storm. The FEMA PA program reimburses state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations 75 percent of costs for

disaster-related expenses associated with emergency protective measures, debris removal, and the repair and restoration of damaged infrastructure. In order to qualify, damage must be a direct result of Hurricane Sandy.

Individuals can register with FEMA online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov.  Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585.

Applicants who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) can call 800-621-3362.

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

Continue reading here:

Assistance to New York State Sandy Survivors Tops $1.2 Billion

BATON ROUGE, La. – A $4.5 million federal grant has been awarded to Jefferson Parish to help with costs for cleaning up debris created by Hurricane Isaac’s high winds and flooding, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Thursday.

The FEMA grant, totaling $4,510,862, helps reimburse the parish for work to remove and dispose of debris from the public rights of way. That includes more than 203,000 cubic yards of vegetative debris and nearly 54,400 cubic yards of construction and demolition debris.

“This grant demonstrates FEMA’s strong support for Jefferson Parish’s efforts to clear debris after the storm,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar. “The funds go to the parish but ultimately they will help the whole community recover from Hurricane Isaac.”

The FEMA grant covers the federal share of the parish’s eligible costs for the work. Under a cost-sharing formula, FEMA reimburses the state for 75 percent of the total costs, while the state and/or applicant pay the remaining 25 percent.

The newly obligated funds are a portion of the $14.3 million in total Public Assistance recovery funds approved for applicants in Jefferson Parish since the Aug. 29, 2012, declaration for Hurricane Isaac. Statewide, Public Assistance grants total $171.2 million.

Once FEMA reimburses the state of Louisiana it is the state’s responsibility to manage the funds, which includes making disbursements to local jurisdictions and organizations that incurred costs.

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

Visit site – 

FEMA Obligates $4.5 Million to Jefferson Parish for Debris Removal

BATON ROUGE, La. – Plaquemines Parish will receive a $13.7 million federal grant to help ensure the parish’s continued economic recovery following Hurricane Isaac, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Thursday.

The FEMA grant, totaling $13,748,715, helps reimburse the parish for work to remove nearly 15,480 cubic yards of vegetative debris from a chokepoint in the main drainage canal.

“This grant will provide a significant boost to Plaquemines Parish’s efforts to recover from Hurricane Isaac,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar. “The funds will help restore functionality to the drainage system and therefore eliminate a threat to public health and safety.”

The FEMA grant covers the federal share of the parish’s eligible costs for the work. Under a cost-sharing formula, FEMA reimburses the state for 75 percent of the total costs, while the state and/or applicant pay the remaining 25 percent.

The newly obligated funds are a portion of the $73.2 million in total Public Assistance recovery dollars approved for Plaquemines Parish since the Aug. 29, 2012, declaration for Hurricane Isaac. Statewide, Public Assistance grants total $171.2 million.

Once FEMA reimburses the state of Louisiana it is the state’s responsibility to manage the funds, which includes making disbursements to local jurisdictions and organizations that incurred costs.

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

Read original article:

FEMA Awards $13.7 Million Grant to Plaquemines Parish for Hurricane Isaac Recovery

WARWICK, R.I. – Rhode Island senior citizens who receive federal disaster assistance for losses due to Hurricane Sandy will still be able to receive all their other federal benefits-and they need not worry about having to pay any additional taxes. 

“We want to assist seniors affected by Hurricane Sandy,” said Federal Coordinating Officer James N. Russo, who leads the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Sandy recovery mission in Rhode Island. “We can’t do that if they fear that asking for help will impact their other benefits or raise their taxes.”

Federal disaster assistance does not affect Social Security payments, Medicare benefits, food stamps or any other federal assistance programs.. The Internal Revenue Service does not consider it taxable income.

Seniors and others who experienced damage from Sandy may be eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program. This may cover expenses for temporary housing, home repairs, replacement of damaged personal property and other disaster-related needs, such as medical, dental or transportation costs, not covered by insurance or other programs.

To determine whether they are eligible for disaster recovery help from FEMA, seniors and others must register. Go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or to m.fema.gov if using a smartphone or call 800-621-FEMA (3362), 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Those who are deaf, hard of hearing or who have a speech disability may use TTY 800-462-7585.

After registering with FEMA, applicants may receive a packet from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). SBA loans are not just for small businesses. After a federally declared disaster, the SBA offers low-interest disaster recovery loans for homeowners and renters. No one is obligated to take out a loan. But if you don’t complete the application, you will not be considered for some other federal grants.

Some seniors with paid-off mortgages may wonder why they would want a long-term government loan. But if they need funds to restore their homes to pre-disaster condition, a low-interest loan from the federal government may be the best solution. The SBA offers disaster loans up to $200,000 to repair or replace homes and up to $40,000 to homeowners and renters for personal property losses.  Interest rates are as low as 1.688 percent. 

Find tweets about Sandy recovery at @femaregion1. For Rhode Island specific information go to http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4089. Other online resources include @FEMASandy and http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/FEMASandy and http://blog.fema.gov.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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

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

Excerpt from:

FEMA Aid Will Not Affect Senior Citizens’ Benefits

WINDSOR, Conn. — Disaster officials say residents should file their homeowner’s insurance claims first, but not wait on an insurance settlement to register for FEMA disaster assistance or complete an application for an SBA disaster loan.

“We want to make sure everyone who had damage from Sandy gets all the help they are eligible for,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Albert Lewis. “Don’t think you have to wait for an insurance adjuster. File your insurance claim, then register with FEMA and get the process started.”

Officials say it is always best to document damage thoroughly with photos and/or videos in case some of the damaged items have to be disposed of during the cleanup or before an inspector can inspect the property.

Residents of Fairfield, Middlesex, New Haven and New London counties, and the Mashantucket Pequot and the Mohegan Tribal Nations located within New London County who had damage from Hurricane Sandy may be eligible for federal disaster assistance from the FEMA Individual Assistance grant program.

Survivors can register online anytime day or night at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or with a smartphone or other Web-enabled device at m.fema.gov. Survivors can also register by phone anytime by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362. The TTY number is 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available at the close of the English message.

Registering for disaster assistance with other agencies or organizations does not register survivors for FEMA disaster assistance. Having FEMA flood insurance does not register policyholders for disaster assistance; flood insurance claims are handled separately.

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

The U.S. Small Business Administration  is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private, nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and covers 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.

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.

View original – 

Don’t Wait on Insurance to File For FEMA Aid or Apply for an SBA Disaster Loan

WARWICK, R.I. — Since November 14 when President Obama declared a major disaster for Rhode Island due to damage from Hurricane Sandy, federal disaster aid to Rhode Islanders has topped $1,060,342 in assistance.

Below is a statistical summary of state-federal aid for individuals, families and public entities in the counties designated for FEMA’s assistance programs. Numbers are as of December 30, 2012:

  • 509 households have registered with FEMA for some form of disaster assistance, including financial grants, loans and other disaster-related services.
  • $293,243 has been approved through the Individuals and Households Program to help pay for housing assistance, including rental assistance and repairs to homes.
  • $22,086 has been approved to help applicants cover other disaster-related needs such as medical and dental expenses, funeral costs and lost personal property and loss of transportation.
  • $213,513 has been obligated through the Public Assistance Program, which reimburses local, county, and state government entities and some non-profit organizations for their disaster related costs.
  • 71 applicants have requested aid from the Public Assistance Program.
  • $531,500 in low interest, disaster recovery loans to homeowners has been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

FEMA and state officials continue to encourage anyone with storm-related losses to register for assistance. This includes renters and those who have insurance. FEMA provides assistance to renters. And for those with insurance, FEMA may be able to cover expenses insurance does not cover.

The registration deadline is January 14, 2013. Rhode Islanders affected by Hurricane Sandy should register now to see if they qualify for assistance. Register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone at m.fema.gov or by calling toll-free 800-621-FEMA (3362). The phone line is open 24 hours a day seven days a week. Those with a speech disability or hearing loss who use a TTY can call 800-462-7585 directly; or 800-621-3362 if using 711 or Video Relay Service.  Rhode Islanders with questions about federal disaster assistance or their registration may call 800-621-3362 and select the “help” option.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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

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

View original – 

More than $1 Million in Sandy Federal Disaster Aid Approved for Rhode Island

HUNT VALLEY, Md.  — State and federal disaster assistance is bringing needed financial help to homeowners, renters and business owners who suffered damage or loss as a result of Hurricane Sandy.

But Maryland Emergency Management Agency and Federal Emergency Management Agency officials are urging storm survivors to use disaster funds wisely and only for their intended purpose.

“Many people have great needs and the money they receive may not cover all they would like,” said MEMA Executive Director Ken Mellette. “But if you spend money on anything other than what your FEMA letter tells you, additional assistance may not be available.”

Funds are available through grants for housing or other needs and through low-interest federal loans to replace housing or personal effects.

Housing Assistance grants must be used only for

Basic housing repairs for homeowners

  • Short-term rental assistance
  • Reimbursement of hotel/motel expenses

Other Needs Assistance grants should be used to help replace essential personal property and meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable-aid programs. Most funds are deposited electronically and a letter follows in the mail to explain how the money is to be used.

Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration are also available to homeowners, renters, businesses and private nonprofit organizations of all sizes.

“We want you to use the money to meet specific disaster-related needs,” Federal Coordinating Officer Mike Lapinski said.

Here are tips to help you get the most out of your personal disaster recovery payment:

  • Keep all of your receipts.
  • If you receive your grant in the form of a check, make sure to safeguard those funds and only spend the money on disaster-related expenses.
  • Don’t be tempted to pay household bills with the disaster recovery payment.
  • Don’t make purchases unrelated to needs created by the disaster.

Disaster grants are subject to an audit and recipients should keep receipts or bills for three years to demonstrate how all funds were used in meeting disaster-related needs. These grants are tax free and are not a loan. They do not have to be repaid. They are not counted as income for welfare or other federal benefit programs and they cannot be garnished.

 “If you receive an SBA loan application after you apply with FEMA, be sure to complete and return it to the SBA,” Lapinski said. “If you don’t, you can disqualify yourself from any more federal assistance.”

FEMA’s housing assistance and grants for disaster-related medical and dental expenses, funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to the SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

Completing the loan application does not commit you to a loan, but it is an important part of the federal financial disaster assistance process.

President Obama’s major disaster declaration for Maryland made federal assistance available to affected individuals in Somerset County.

For more information about this disaster, go to www.fema.gov/disaster/4091, www.mema.maryland.gov or www.sba.gov/sandy.

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.

 

 

 

Original article – 

Use Disaster Funds Wisely and for Intended Purpose

New York – The Federal Emergency Management Agency understands that some Hurricane Sandy survivors may need additional temporary rental assistance to help them achieve their permanent housing goals.

All applicants who received temporary rental assistance from FEMA were mailed a “Declaration for Continuing Need for Rental Assistance” letter.

This form is mailed 15 days after applicants receive their initial rental assistance grant and explains how to request additional temporary rental assistance from FEMA.

To receive additional temporary rental assistance as quickly as possible, applicants must:

  • Complete the form with all the applicable information and mail it back to FEMA at the address printed on the form.
  • Applicants will need to provide information of both pre-disaster and current expenses that are applicable to their households such as pay-stubs to verify income.
  • They also must provide a copy of their lease and the name and phone number of their landlord.  
  • Applicants who don’t have the form should contact FEMA’s toll-free Help Line

800-621-FEMA (3362).

FEMA expects all families who receive temporary rental assistance to return to their damaged home when it is repaired or to locate and occupy affordable housing without FEMA rental assistance at their earliest opportunity. 

However, FEMA also recognizes this is a difficult time for Hurricane Sandy survivors and that some families need additional temporary assistance to assist them in their recovery. 

Survivors should not hesitate to contact the FEMA Help Line 800-621-FEMA (3362) with any questions or concerns regarding temporary rental assistance from FEMA.                                                                                                          

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/SandyNY, http://twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog

View original post here – 

Survivors with Ongoing Housing Needs Should Stay in Touch with FEMA

TRENTON, N.J. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency and its partners are working to address the housing needs of people displaced by Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey. The top priority is to help survivors return to their homes or to help them find a safe housing alternative if returning home is not an option.

More than 16,000 households have received FEMA grants to make essential repairs to their homes.

For those who cannot return home, the goal is to help them find a rental property close by. This is better for survivors and helps the whole community recover.

Rental Assistance

More than 41,000 families have received temporary rental assistance from FEMA to help pay for an apartment, house or other temporary home. This assistance is provided while displaced survivors are working to find a permanent housing solution.

Returning to a permanent home is a significant milestone on the road to recovery. FEMA rental assistance may last for up to 18 months from the date of declaration. So it’s important for survivors to have a permanent housing plan.

FEMA has a housing portal at www.fema.gov/housingportal to help families find rental units. In addition to apartments or homes normally available, the portal identifies units provided by federal partners.

To be eligible for possible rental assistance, survivors must first register with FEMA. There are many ways to register.

Survivors can register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet by using the FEMA app or going to m.fema.gov. People may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services can call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day seven days a week until further notice.

The deadline to register with FEMA is Jan. 30, 2013.

Transitional Sheltering Assistance

At the request of the state, FEMA activated the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program to move eligible survivors from shelters into hotels or motels if they couldn’t return to their damaged homes. TSA lodging expenses are paid directly to the hotel by FEMA.

Nearly half of the more than 5,000 households that temporarily stayed in a hotel or motel in New Jersey have moved to more sustainable housing. The average hotel/motel stay is 15 days.

The program operates in two-week increments. During each two-week period, FEMA reviews the eligibility of each applicant and emphasizes finding a more sustainable temporary housing solution as quickly as possible.

The TSA program has been extended through Jan. 11, 2013, for those who continue to meet eligibility criteria. The new extension will allow eligible applicants to remain in participating hotels during the holiday season. FEMA will call applicants eligible for the extension to notify them of the extension period and the checkout date of Jan. 11, 2013.

TSA-eligible survivors can receive help finding a hotel by calling: 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services can call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day seven days a week until further notice.

Help finding TSA participating hotels also is available online: www.femaevachotels.com.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is supporting the housing recovery.

The department increased the Fair Market Rent standard to 120 percent so families with Section 8 housing choice vouchers have more options. It also relaxed rules to allow senior housing providers to open up vacant units to Hurricane Sandy survivors under the age of 55 without jeopardizing a community’s qualification for certain legal exemptions under the Fair Housing Act.

HUD is also giving the state and communities the flexibility to redirect millions of dollars of Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships funds for housing and services for disaster survivors.

HUD has directed banks to hold off on foreclosures and forbearance of Federal Housing Administration mortgages for disaster-affected areas for 90 days following the date of the presidential disaster declaration.

Temporary Housing Units Provided by FEMA

A temporary housing unit – either a manufactured home that can be put in an existing commercial mobile home park, or a remodeled apartment unit at Fort Monmouth — is a last option when renting a property is not possible or reasonable. Decisions on direct federal housing units for survivors are made on a case-by-case basis.

Forty-five units at Fort Monmouth will soon be made available to eligible survivors. Manufactured homes will be installed as needed and as suitable pads are identified at commercial mobile home parks.

By law, federal temporary housing assistance can last only up to 18 months from the date of the disaster declaration.

Call If Your Housing Needs Change

It is critical that FEMA has your current contact information. If housing advisors cannot reach you,    then they will be unable to discuss housing options with you.

If you have a continuing housing need, or if you need to update your contact information, please call by phone or 711/VRS – 800-621-3362, TTY 800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers operate   24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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 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.

Source article:

FEMA Works To Help New Jersey Meet Sandy Housing Needs

NEW YORK – Nearly seven weeks since the Oct. 30 federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Sandy in New York, more than $1 billion in state and federal assistance has been approved for survivors.

“We are all working together to get the disaster assistance where it needs to be – in the hands of survivors and communities,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Michael F. Byrne. “FEMA’s mission has been to help individuals and families recover from the disaster and we will continue to support residents until the mission is completed.”

While there is still much work to be done, this money has contributed significantly to the recovery effort. Survivors are repairing homes and debris is getting cleaned up. FEMA assistance is helping to speed the pace of recovery for survivors. 

FEMA continues to reach out to all 13 counties designated for Individual Assistance, focusing on the hardest-hit areas. Assistance to residents in affected counties includes:

  • Bronx                $2.1 million
  • Kings                 $175 million
  • Nassau               $263.8 million
  • New York         $11.9 million
  • Queens              $205.9 million
  • Richmond         $82.8 million
  • Suffolk              $59.8 million

FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration have approved more than $1 billion for Hurricane Sandy survivors. This includes more than $806 million in Individual Assistance and more than $723 million for Housing Assistance and nearly $83 million in assistance for other needs.

  • The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $264 million in disaster loans to homeowners, renters and businesses. The SBA has staff members at every FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Center and 19 Business Recovery Centers in the New York area to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance.
  • More than 256,000 New Yorkers have contacted FEMA for information or registered for assistance, including more than 139,000 who have applied through the online application site at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or on their smartphone at m.fema.gov.
  • 24 Disaster Recovery Centers are open in the affected areas. These include mobile sites as well as fixed sites, and to date nearly 105,000 survivors have been assisted at Disaster Recovery Centers in New York.           
  • 91 inspectors are currently in the field. To date 164,824 home inspections have been completed, making a 99 percent completion rate.
  • 2 Points of Distribution remain open in Nassau County providing meals, water and blankets. 
  • 13 New York counties are designated for both Individual Assistance and Public Assistance. These are Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester. Greene County has been designated for Public Assistance only. 
  • Public Assistance funds are also flowing; so far, more than $318 million has been obligated to the state to help replenish dollars spent to protect New Yorkers before, during and after the storm. The FEMA PA program reimburses state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations 75 percent of costs for

disaster-related expenses associated with emergency protective measures, debris removal, and the repair and restoration of damaged infrastructure. In order to qualify, damage must be a direct result of Hurricane Sandy.

Individuals can register with FEMA online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov.  Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585.

Applicants who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) can call 800-621-3362.

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

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/SandyNY, www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

Link: 

Assistance to New York State Sandy Survivors Tops $1 Billion

 Page 69 of 87  « First  ... « 67  68  69  70  71 » ...  Last »