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New Jersey Recovery: One Month Later

LINCROFT, N.J. – On the evening of October 29, Hurricane Sandy made landfall along the New Jersey coast resulting in the most damaging disaster in state history. Since then, Federal funds obligated to assist the residents and communities in the state have totaled more than $730 million.

The federal effort deployed to assist the state included 18 agencies with more than 2,600 personnel. In addition, under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), 12 states have deployed

440 personnel and equipment to support New Jersey. This includes law enforcement teams providing security and emergency medical services supporting sheltering and other life support needs.

The New Jersey National Guard responded with a force of over 2,200 Guardsmen to support response efforts throughout the state. For New Jersey, it was the largest mobilization of National Guardsmen to a domestic emergency and the largest humanitarian effort the state has orchestrated. The Guard rescued more than 7,000 residents and their pets, operated three fuel distribution points, transported and delivered tens of thousands of basic needs commodities to armories within communities impacted by the storm and provided approximately 250 hours of helicopter lift support to civilian authorities.

Even before Sandy made landfall, FEMA positioned food, water and blankets and deployed experts from several federal agencies to New Jersey, including the U.S. Coast Guard and other components of the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Energy, and Housing and Urban Development to provide resources and guidance to the state. Together, critical life-saving needs were provided in the immediate aftermath: emergency medical care, search and rescue, power generators in critical facilities, fuel for first responders.

FEMA also has issued 235 mission assignments to support disaster response and recovery needs, totaling nearly $250 million in projected assistance. This includes federal operational support (support among federal agencies) totaling $67.8 million, technical assistance support (federal support to the state) of $11.2 million such as the expertise brought to New Jersey to support assessment of critical infrastructure throughout the state, and direct federal assistance of nearly $170.0 million.

Immediately following Hurricane Sandy’s landfall, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), working with FEMA and local and state authorities, identified critical locations that needed temporary emergency power. They installed 102 emergency generators between Oct. 31 and Nov. 19 to provide life-saving power to 9-1-1 centers, police and fire stations and medical facilities; life-sustaining facilities such as shelters, water and wastewater treatment and pumping facilities; and other municipal facilities required to reinstitute local command and control and post-event recovery.

FEMA and local and state authorities turned to USACE for its extensive experience removing debris following natural disasters, assigning a debris management technical assistance mission in New Jersey Nov. 6. USACE placed debris subject matter experts in Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Middlesex and Union counties working with FEMA, state, county and local authorities to assess the quantities and types of debris and recommend courses of action for its removal. Quantities of various types of debris are still being calculated but are estimated to total around 6.2 million cubic yards, or enough debris to fill the MetLife stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

The U.S. Fire Service provided 26 chainsaw teams totaling 520 personnel to assist with tree removal in neighborhoods throughout the state. They also provided four Incident Management Teams who assisted the state Fire Marshal with fire coordination and fire planning response.

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank, Deputy National Security Advisor John O. Brennan, Deputy Transportation Secretary John Pocari, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick have toured damaged New Jersey communities and met with local leaders and emergency responders to view recovery efforts while vowing to bring all available resources to bear to support state and local partners in assisting survivors in the 21 counties designated for assistance.

“FEMA and the entire federal family have been our partners from the beginning,” said State Coordinating Officer Lt. Jeff Mottley. “They anticipated many of our needs and when there were challenges, they quickly offered solutions.”

“Getting survivors the assistance they need has been our top priority from the beginning,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Michael J. Hall. “When families and businesses begin to recover, whole communities begin to recover. The faster we can get recovery dollars into the hands of survivors and reimburse communities for disaster expenses, the faster they will move forward in their healing.”

In the first 30 days, FEMA provided $286 million to assist individuals and families repair damaged homes, find temporary housing and assist with expenses such as medical and dental bills. More than 46,000 New Jersey families have benefitted from that assistance so far.

Restoring power to over 2.6 million homes, businesses and government customers represented a critical priority. The Department of Energy worked closely with the state Board of Public Utilities to coordinate the power restoration. Demonstrating a true whole community response, over 23,000 utility professionals came together from New Jersey’s utility companies and, through mutual aid agreements with companies across the country, worked to restore service across the state.

To meet a critical need at a critical time, nearly 3,000 families have taken advantage of the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program by lodging in 340 hotels during the first four-week period.

Helping disaster survivors who were displaced from their homes due to damage or power loss find safe and secure shelter is a key priority of the response. At peak of sheltering operations, 107 shelters were open with 4,370 people. Through efforts across federal, state, local, private sector and voluntary agencies, the last of the shelters closed on November 21.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has opened 10 Business Recovery Centers in the state to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance and has approved more than $21 million in disaster loans to both individuals and businesses.

The first FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers opened just days after the storm passed and continue to assist survivors at more than 36 locations where nearly 25,000 residents have been offered assistance and information about their recovery.

More than 650 FEMA community relations specialists have met with more than 86,000 storm survivors while going door-to-door. In total, nearly 150,000 homes were visited delivering information vital to disaster survivor’s recovery.

Even as Sandy was making its way up the east coast, FEMA and the Department of Defense established Incident Support Bases at Westover, Mass. and Lakehurst, New Jersey to position supplies and other resources close to areas in the hurricane’s path. Following the storm, more than 1.7 million meals and 2.6 million snacks have been served to survivors and first responders.

The Department of Health and Human Services deployed hundreds of personnel, including five Disaster Medical Assistance Teams and three Public Health Strike Teams to support hospitals and shelters in New Jersey. In total they were able to assist more than 750 people with medical needs.

FEMA also has teamed with the private sector network of business, industry, academia, trade associations, and other non-governmental organizations as equal partners in assisting with Sandy recovery.

The storm impact on New Jersey was historic in its severity. Storm surge impacts of up to 11 feet battered the coastline and wave heights of more than 14 feet were recorded. Peak wind gusts of 88 mph were clocked in Essex County. The devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy affected, damaged or destroyed more than 122,000 structures throughout all 21 counties.

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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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New Jersey Recovery: One Month Later

A ‘No’ from SBA May Open Doors to More Assistance

WINDSOR, Conn. – Some survivors of Hurricane Sandy are discovering that getting turned down for a low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration may lead to other forms of assistance.

“In most cases, referral to these resources is automatic if SBA rejects your loan application,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Albert Lewis of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “But applicants who don’t return their applications to SBA close the door on these resources.”

Many survivors receive a loan package from SBA after they register for assistance with FEMA. While SBA’s low-interest disaster loans represent the major source of federal funding for recovery, the application itself may open the door to other grant programs. People who do not qualify for a loan may be eligible for grants from FEMA.

Federal grants cover necessary expenses and serious needs, including:

Disaster-related medical and dental expenses
Disaster-related funeral and burial expenses
Disaster-related car repair expenses
Clothing and household items, such as room furnishings and appliances
Tools required for work
Computers and schoolbooks required for education
Oil and gas for heating furnaces
Moving and storage expenses related to the disaster

The deadline to complete an SBA application for a low-interest disaster loan is Dec. 31.

The SBA offers online applications through its Electronic Loan Application site at https://DisasterLoan.SBA.gov/ela. Survivors can call the SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, or visit the SBA’s website at www.SBA.gov/sandy.

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 (SBA) 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.

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A ‘No’ from SBA May Open Doors to More Assistance

SBA Loans Help Homeowners and Renters, Not Just Business

NEW YORK — Don’t let the word “business” in the name U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) fool you. If you are a homeowner or renter, the SBA is a primary source of federal funds for long-term recovery.

The SBA’s low-interest disaster loans of up to $200,000 can help qualified homeowners repair or replace damaged real estate. In addition, renters and homeowners may get up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged personal property. In both cases, these SBA loans are only for damages not covered by your insurance.

After you register for federal assistance, you may receive a letter in the mail with an SBA return address. Open it and complete the forms inside. It’s a critical step in the recovery process. Whether or not you want a low-interest loan, if you do not return your SBA application, you may miss out on other assistance from FEMA.

You must return the SBA application to be considered for FEMA grants that cover personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses. You do not need to repay these grants.

You do not need to return the application to be considered for eligibility for temporary housing assistance, and grants for public transportation, medical, dental or burial expenses.

SBA customer service representatives are available to issue or accept low-interest disaster loan applications and answer questions at all New York State/FEMA disaster recovery centers and 18 SBA business recovery centers. To find the nearest disaster recovery center, check out the disaster recovery center locator at www.FEMA.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or, with a tablet or smartphone, go to m.fema.gov. You may also text “DRC” and your Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA). For example, if you lived in Staten Island, you would text: “DRC 10301.” If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362. To locate the nearest business recovery center, visit www.sba.gov or call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339.)

Applicants may also apply online using the Electronic Loan Application via SBA’s secure website at https://DisasterLoan.SBA.gov/ELA. More information is available by calling the SBA Disaster Customer Service Center toll-free number, 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339.) Assistance is also available by sending an email to DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or by visiting www.sba.gov.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4085, http://twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

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SBA Loans Help Homeowners and Renters, Not Just Business

State, Local, Tribal Governments, Private Nonprofits Get 30 More Days to Request FEMA Public Assistance Grants

Deadlines extended to request reimbursement for debris removal, infrastructure repair and other costs

NEW YORK – Deadlines to apply for Public Assistance (PA) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been extended for 30 days. Counties, municipalities and certain non-profits that provide essential services of a governmental nature may qualify for PA funding to help reimburse eligible costs for rebuilding infrastructure such as bridges, roads and public utilities.

The deadline for Requests for Public Assistance (RPA) is now extended from the original deadline which was 30 days after each county was designated as part of President Barack Obama’s Hurricane Sandy New York disaster declaration.

The extended deadlines are now:

Dec. 29, 2012: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Richmond, Suffolk and Queens
Jan. 2, 2013: Rockland and Westchester
Jan. 12, 2013: Orange, Putnam, Sullivan and Ulster

Michael F. Byrne, FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer, granted the extension following a request from the New York State Office of Emergency Management. The PA program provides for the reimbursement of 75 percent of eligible costs.

In the request for an extension, the state cited the unprecedented impact of Hurricane Sandy and the tremendous increase in the number of organizations submitting RPAs, many of which have never been involved in the PA process.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4085, http://twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

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State, Local, Tribal Governments, Private Nonprofits Get 30 More Days to Request FEMA Public Assistance Grants

Approved Funds for New York State Hurricane Sandy Survivors Tops $700 Million

Main Content

Release date:

November 28, 2012

Release Number:

NR-059

NEW YORK — Since Hurricane Sandy struck New York, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $703 million to help individuals and families recover from the disaster.

FEMA is reaching out to all 13 designated counties, focusing on the hardest hit areas of New York state. Assistance to the hardest-hit areas includes:

Bronx $1.7 million
Kings $149.5 million
Nassau $234.8 million
New York $9.5 million
Queens $179.4 million
Richmond $73.9 million
Suffolk $51.1 million

FEMA provides the following snapshot of the disaster-recovery effort as of November 28:

More than 236,000 New Yorkers have contacted FEMA for information or registered for assistance with FEMA and more than $703 million has been approved. More than 120,000 people have applied through the online application site at www.disasterassistance.gov, or on their smart phone at m.fema.gov.
34 Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) are open in the affected areas. These include mobile sites as well as fixed sites, and to date more than 59,000 survivors have been assisted at DRCs in New York.
655 inspectors in the field have completed nearly 142,000 home inspections.
1,018 Community Relations (CR) specialists are strategically positioned throughout the affected communities, going door-to-door explaining the types of disaster assistance available and how to register. More teams continue to arrive daily.
7 fixed feeding sites are being operated by the New York City Office of Emergency Management.
1 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs), 1 Rapid Deployment Force (RDF), 2 Prescription Medication Task Force Team (PMTFT) and 1 National Veterinary Response Team (NVRT) from the Department of Health and Human Services remain deployed in New York.
13 New York counties are designated for both individual and public assistance. Theses are Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.
The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved nearly $42 million in disaster loans to homeowners, renters and businesses. The SBA has staff members at 19 Business Recovery Centers in the New York area to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has assessed 740 regulated facilities such as landfills, power plants and chemical facilities for impacts from Hurricane Sandy.

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

Those with a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; for 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

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

Last Updated:

November 28, 2012 – 16:54

State or Region:

New York

Related Disaster:

New York Hurricane Sandy

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Approved Funds for New York State Hurricane Sandy Survivors Tops $700 Million

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/femaregion6, the R6 Hurricane Preparedness website at www.fema.gov/about/regions/regionvi/updates.shtm and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

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

FEMA Working to Increase Assistance for Hurricane Survivors in Louisiana

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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FEMA Working to Increase Assistance for Hurricane Survivors in Louisiana

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

Main Content

Release date:

November 27, 2012

Release Number:

NR-056

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Last Updated:

November 28, 2012 – 09:03

State or Region:

New York

Related Disaster:

New York Hurricane Sandy

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

Volunteers Are A Vital Resource In The Aftermath Of Sandy

TRENTON, N.J. – When a disaster strikes, volunteers are a vital resource. They represent the compassionate face that brings comfort to disaster survivors and provides for their immediate needs.

“Working together as friends and neighbors is spontaneous after a disaster” said FEMA Volunteer Agency Liaison Manager Ken Skalitzky. “This approach is really what makes a community whole again.”

One group of volunteers recently was recognized when Middletown, N.J. Mayor Anthony P. Fiore presented the Key to the City to Dave Karr, whose volunteer staff from the Southern Baptist Convention, Oklahoma Disaster Relief, prepared more than 1.5 million meals for disaster survivors.

“It was a real honor,” Karr said. “I was told they rarely do this. I accepted on behalf of the whole Oklahoma team.”

Karr’s team and the organization they represent are typical of the volunteers working in New Jersey, both locally and from out of state. More than 100 organizations manage thousands of dedicated volunteers. Here are some of the major organizations and their services:

Adventist Community Services – manages warehouse distribution of supplies for disaster survivors.
Mennonite Disaster Service – doing clean up, repairs, and rebuilding homes.
The Salvation Army – provided Thanksgiving dinner or lunch in several locations throughout the state. The Transitional Sheltering Assistance social services programs connect needs with available resources.
Samaritans Purse – doing muck outs, removing dirt and debris; cleaning up and sanitizing homes to prevent mold.
Southern Baptist Convention/Oklahoma Disaster Relief – 117 volunteers prepared more than 1.5 million meals to date, and is deploying 41 emergency relief vehicles across New Jersey to continue feeding disaster survivors.
The Red Cross – more than 4,000 volunteers assisting with meals, sheltering, essential supplies, and health services.
United Methodist Committee on Relief – volunteers working on “muck outs.”
Catholic Charities – 363 volunteers serving at relief sites offered financial and other material assistance to some 3,000 families. The sites are now closed.

Voluntary Agency Liaison staff at FEMA work with the state umbrella organization, New Jersey Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). FEMA provides information on the extent

of damage from the disaster to VOAD. The organization then contacts its local partners who provide direct services to disaster survivors.

Disaster assistance is coordinated over the long term by VOAD to make sure everyone who needs help receives help.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Video of volunteers in action and of Volunteer Agency Liaison Manager Ken Skalitzky are available

for your use at: http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/10552.

For still photos of volunteer activities, go to: http://www.fema.gov/photolibrary/photo_search.do.

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.

Volunteers Are A Vital Resource In The Aftermath Of Sandy

More than $649 Million Approved for New York State Hurricane Sandy Survivors

Main Content

Release date:

November 24, 2012

Release Number:

NR-050

NEW YORK — Since Hurricane Sandy struck New York, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $649 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 $134.2 million
Nassau $221.2 million
New York $7.5 million
Queens $167.6 million
Richmond $68.3 million
Suffolk $45.8 million

FEMA provides the following snapshot of the disaster recovery effort as of November 24:

More than 228,000 New Yorkers have contacted FEMA for information or registered for assistance with FEMA and more than $649 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 50,000 survivors have been assisted at DRCs in New York.

Nearly 1,300 inspectors in the field have completed more than 127,000 home inspections.
1,099 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.

9 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 $23.6 million in disaster loans to both individuals and businesses.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has moved 38,400 cubic yards of debris by barge out of the New York City area. To date, 45 loaded barges have transported debris via the Hudson River keeping up to 450 trucks off of local roadways.

Nearly 900 New York National Guard (NYNG) soldiers continue to support recovery operations in New York City, conducting door to door wellness checks in Far Rockaway. The National Guard, working in partnership with local authorities, visited more than 850 residences to assess local needs.

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 24, 2012 – 19:07

State or Region:

New York

Related Disaster:

New York Hurricane Sandy

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More than $649 Million Approved for New York State Hurricane Sandy Survivors

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