Three More Connecticut Counties Now Eligible for Public Assistance

WINDSOR, Conn. – State and local governments and certain nonprofit organizations in three additional Connecticut counties are now eligible to receive federal disaster assistance under the Public Assistance program to supplement state and local response efforts.

The counties added to the major disaster declaration issued Oct. 30 are Litchfield, Tolland and Windham. This brings the total to seven counties and two tribal nations included in the Connecticut disaster declaration.

Previous counties designated under the declaration are Fairfield, Middlesex, New Haven and New London, and the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribal Nations in New London County. Now, seven counties and both tribal nations are eligible for permanent work to repair and rebuild disaster-damaged infrastructure as well as costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures.

State, local and tribal governments and certain private nonprofit organizations are eligible to be reimbursed on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures, and permanent work to repair and rebuild infrastructure.

Public Assistance reimbursement is based on a federal cost share of at least 75 percent. In Connecticut, cost share for emergency power restoration and emergency public transportation was 100 percent at the height of hurricane recovery through Nov. 14.

Grants help pay for emergency protective measures such as police overtime; debris removal from public roads and rights-of-way; and permanent repairs to roads, bridges and public buildings. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

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.

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Three More Connecticut Counties Now Eligible for Public Assistance

Disaster Assistance Tops $76.3 Million in St. John Parish

BATON ROUGE, La. – Nearly three months since the Aug. 29 federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Isaac in Louisiana, more than $365 million in state and federal disaster assistance has been approved for the state. Disaster assistance for survivors in St. John Parish now totals $76,333,667.

St. John Parish by the Numbers

Number of survivors who registered for assistance with FEMA: 12,617

Amount of Housing Assistance approved: $22,877,141

Amount of Other Needs Assistance approved: $5,027,052

TOTAL Individual Assistance grants: $27,904,193

TOTAL Public Assistance obligations: $5,895,274

TOTAL U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans: $42,534,200

Timeline,

Aug. 27 – President Obama issued an Emergency Declaration in Louisiana, in advance of Hurricane Isaac, for emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct federal assistance under the Public Assistance program.

Aug. 29 – President Obama issued a federal disaster declaration for 35 parishes in Louisiana, including St. John. The declaration made Public Assistance (PA) funds available for reimbursement of  costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures (Categories A & B), including direct federal assistance. A total of 55 parishes are now designated for PA.

Aug. 29 – The federal disaster declaration also made all parishes in the state eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

Aug. 31 – An amendment designated five parishes in Louisiana, including St. John, eligible for Individual Assistance (IA). With subsequent amendments, IA is now available in 26 parishes: Allen, Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Morehouse, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.

Sept. 1 – A Disaster Recovery Center opened in St. John Parish at 1931 W. Airline Highway in LaPlace.  A total of 9,043 people have visited the recovery center, making it the busiest for Hurricane Isaac in Louisiana. It will close permanently on Nov. 29.

Sept. 3 – FEMA, at the request of the state, activated the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which allowed eligible evacuees from Hurricane Isaac who could not return to their homes to stay in hotels or motels until more suitable housing accommodations were available. The program was extended four times. Of the 5,877 St. John residents eligible for TSA, 895 checked into hotels under the program.

Sept. 13 – The SBA opened a Business Recovery Center in LaPlace, St. John Parish, to provide information about low-interest disaster loans to local businesses and to assist with applications.

Sept. 21 – FEMA extended the PA program in eight parishes, including St. John, to include supplemental funding for infrastructure repairs in the wake of Hurricane Isaac. Applicants in St. John are now eligible to apply for the full range of PA funding (Categories A-G).

Sept. 26 – FEMA approved supplemental funding for debris removal from qualified private properties in St. John Parish. Debris removal from private property is generally not eligible for FEMA funding, but funding was approved for St. John because the debris on residential and private business property was so widespread that public health, safety and the economic recovery of the community were threatened.

Survivors in St. John Parish affected by Hurricane Isaac can apply for disaster assistance until the Nov. 29 deadline. They may apply online at www.disasterassistance.gov, at m.fema.gov with a smartphone, or by phone at 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585. Survivors who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 800-621-3362.

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.

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 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.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of funding for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).

Original source: 

Disaster Assistance Tops $76.3 Million in St. John Parish

Disaster Assistance Tops $13.5 Million in Tangipahoa Parish

BATON ROUGE, La. – Nearly three months since the Aug. 29 federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Isaac in Louisiana, more than $365 million in state and federal disaster assistance has been approved for the state. Disaster assistance for survivors in Tangipahoa Parish now totals $13,542,192.

Tangipahoa Parish by the Numbers

Number of survivors who registered for assistance with FEMA: 4,333

Amount of Housing Assistance approved: $8,006,878

Amount of Other Needs Assistance approved: $1,528,624

TOTAL Individual Assistance grants: $9,535,502

TOTAL Public Assistance obligations: $451,490

TOTAL U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans: $3,555,200

Timeline

Aug. 27 – President Obama issued an Emergency Declaration in Louisiana, in advance of Hurricane Isaac, for emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct federal assistance under the Public Assistance program.

Aug. 29 – President Obama issued a federal disaster declaration for 35 parishes in Louisiana, including Tangipahoa. The declaration made Public Assistance (PA) funds available for reimbursement of  costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures (Categories A & B), including direct federal assistance. A total of 55 parishes are now designated for PA.

Aug. 29 – The federal disaster declaration also made all parishes in the state eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

Sept. 3 – FEMA, at the request of the state, activated the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which allowed eligible evacuees from Hurricane Isaac who could not return to their homes to stay in hotels or motels until more suitable housing accommodations were available. The program was extended four times. Of the 991 Tangipahoa residents eligible for TSA, 97 checked into hotels under the program.

Sept. 5 – An amendment designated Tangipahoa Parish eligible for Individual Assistance (IA). With subsequent amendments, IA is now available in 26 parishes: Allen, Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Morehouse, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.

Sept. 12 – FEMA extended the PA program in 14 parishes, including Tangipahoa, to include supplemental funding for infrastructure repairs in the wake of Hurricane Isaac. Applicants in Tangipahoa are now eligible to apply for the full range of PA (Categories A-G) funding.

Sept. 13 – Two Disaster Recovery Centers opened in Tangipahoa Parish. Before the last one closed Oct. 20, a total of 1,350 people had visited the recovery centers in the parish.

Survivors in Tangipahoa Parish affected by Hurricane Isaac can apply for disaster assistance until the Nov. 29 deadline. They may apply online at www.disasterassistance.gov, at m.fema.gov with a smartphone, or by phone at 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585. Survivors who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 800-621-3362.

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.

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 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.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of funding for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).

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Disaster Assistance Tops $13.5 Million in Tangipahoa Parish

Hurricane Isaac Three Months Later: Adding Up the Recovery in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La. – In the nearly three months since Hurricane Isaac thrashed Louisiana, recovery has progressed for survivors, businesses and communities.

Below is a snapshot from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the state and federal assistance dollars approved to date and some milestones reached since the Aug. 29 disaster declaration:

$370.2 million     The FEMA-administered National Flood Insurance Program has paid $370,243,578 on claims from policyholders in Louisiana.

$365.3 million     Eligible Louisianians and their communities have been approved for state and federal assistance totaling $365,265,362.

$116.7 million     FEMA and the state have approved $116,699,418 in disaster assistance for Louisianians through FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program, which helps eligible applicants with emergency home repairs; uninsured personal property losses; and medical, dental and funeral expenses caused by the disaster. It also helps cover other disaster-related expenses.

$135.3 million     The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved $135,263,200 in low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses throughout the disaster area.

$113.2 million     FEMA has obligated $113,230,302 to cover 75 percent of the costs incurred by the state and local communities for repairs to storm-damaged infrastructure, removal of storm-related debris and for measures taken to protect people before, during and after the hurricane – including search and rescue, law enforcement, shelters and emergency care.

198,808     A total of 198,808 Louisianians have registered for disaster assistance in the 26 parishes designated for Individual Assistance.

138,553     FEMA housing inspectors have completed 138,553 home inspections, an important first step in determining eligibility for housing assistance.

117,540     Survivors at 117,540 homes, schools, and community- and faith-based organizations were contacted by the more than 300 FEMA Community Relations (CR) specialists who responded to Hurricane Isaac. The CR teams visited parishes designated for Individual Assistance, providing information, and answering survivors’ questions in neighborhoods, at Disaster Recovery Centers, and at points of distribution and shelters early in the response. They also reported critical issues in real-time for immediate action.

$72,442     Workers who have lost their jobs or those who are self-employed and unable to provide their services because of Hurricane Isaac have received $72,442 in Disaster Unemployment Assistance.

40,486     Storm survivors numbering 40,486 have visited Disaster Recovery Centers since the first one opened Sept. 1, just one day after the Individual Assistance designation. Forty recovery centers operated in 23 parishes after the Aug. 29 disaster declaration. Centers remain open in St. John and Jefferson parishes.

24,618     FEMA Mitigation specialists have provided advice and tips on how to repair and rebuild safer and stronger homes to 24,618 Louisianians at recovery centers, home improvement stores, and fairs and festivals.

2,294     During the 10 weeks of the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, 2,294 storm survivors participated. The program allowed eligible evacuees from Hurricane Isaac whose neighborhoods were not accessible or whose houses were severely damaged or lacked utilities to stay in a hotel or motel on an emergency basis. FEMA paid the hotel for the cost of the room and taxes.

1,753     FEMA specialists numbering 1,753 deployed from around the United States to help Louisiana respond to and recover from Hurricane Isaac. FEMA teams continue to work with whole community partners to advance the recovery effort and mitigate against future hazards.

300     More than 300 AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members served in Louisiana starting in the days before Hurricane Isaac made landfall. They assisted in shelters, volunteer centers and neighborhoods, and helped survivors and communities clean up and rebuild after the storm.

150     More than 150 voluntary agencies have called upon their volunteers, some from throughout the United States, to provide one-on-one help to Isaac survivors in a range of programs and services. A number of the agencies will be part of the long-term recovery effort, working to meet the needs of hurricane survivors that go beyond state and federal assistance dollars.

99     FEMA Corps’ first cadre of 99 young adults joined the Hurricane Isaac response in October under their first assignment with the new program. Aimed at enhancing the nation’s ability to assist disaster survivors while expanding career opportunities for young people, FEMA Corps is a unique partnership between FEMA and the Corporation for National and Community Service and AmeriCorps.

55     A total of 55 Louisiana parishes are designated for assistance under FEMA’s Public Assistance Grant Program: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, East Carroll, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Iberia, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, La Salle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Point Coupee, Rapides, Richland, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Terrebonne, Union, Vermillion, Washington, West Baton Rouge, West Carroll and West Feliciana.

26     A total of 26 parishes have been designated for aid under the Individuals and Households Program. These include Allen, Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Morehouse, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana parishes.

9     The SBA opened nine Business Recovery Centers in six parishes, where customer service representatives and counselors met one on one with business owners who sustained property damage and economic loss as a result of Hurricane Isaac.

3     It has been nearly three months since Hurricane Isaac battered Louisiana.

Survivors in Louisiana affected by Hurricane Isaac can apply for disaster assistance until the Nov. 29 deadline. They may apply online at www.disasterassistance.gov, at m.fema.gov with a smartphone, or by phone at 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585. Survivors who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 800-621-3362.

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.

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 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.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of funding 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 cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).

Source:

Hurricane Isaac Three Months Later: Adding Up the Recovery in Louisiana

Disaster Assistance Tops $10.2 Million in Livingston Parish

BATON ROUGE, La. – Nearly three months since the Aug. 29 federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Isaac in Louisiana, more than $365 million in state and federal disaster assistance has been approved for the state. Disaster assistance for survivors in Livingston Parish now totals $10,231,446.

Livingston Parish by the Numbers

Number of survivors who registered for assistance with FEMA: 5,098

Amount of Housing Assistance approved: $6,488,199

Amount of Other Needs Assistance approved: $934,903

TOTAL Individual Assistance grants: $7,423,102

TOTAL Public Assistance obligations: $362,444

TOTAL U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans: $2,445,900

Timeline

Aug. 27 – President Obama issued an Emergency Declaration in Louisiana, in advance of Hurricane Isaac, for emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct federal assistance under the Public Assistance program.

Aug. 29 – President Obama issued a Federal Disaster Declaration for 35 parishes in Louisiana, including Livingston. The declaration made Public Assistance (PA) funds available for reimbursement of  costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures (Categories A & B), including direct federal assistance. A total of 55 parishes are now designated for PA.

Aug. 29 – The federal disaster declaration also made all parishes in the state eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

Sept. 1 – An amendment designated four parishes in Louisiana, including Livingston, eligible for Individual Assistance (IA). With subsequent amendments, IA is now available in 26 parishes: Allen, Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Morehouse, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.

Sept. 3 – FEMA, at the request of the state, activated the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which allowed eligible evacuees from Hurricane Isaac who could not return to their homes to stay in hotels or motels until more suitable housing accommodations were available. The program was extended four times. Of the 1,205 Livingston residents eligible for TSA, 130 checked into hotels in the program.

Sept. 7 – The first of two Disaster Recovery Centers opened in Livingston, Livingston Parish. Before the last one closed on Oct. 20, a total of 1,470 people had visited the recovery centers in the parish.

Sept. 21 – FEMA extended the PA program in eight parishes, including Livingston, to include supplemental funding for infrastructure repairs in the wake of Hurricane Isaac. Applicants in Livingston are now eligible to apply for the full range of PA funding (Categories A-G).

Survivors in Livingston Parish affected by Hurricane Isaac can apply for disaster assistance until the Nov. 29 deadline. They may apply online at www.disasterassistance.gov, at m.fema.gov with a smartphone, or by phone at 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585. Survivors who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 800-621-3362.

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.

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 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.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of funding for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).

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Disaster Assistance Tops $10.2 Million in Livingston Parish

Hurricane Isaac Three Months Later: Louisiana Looking Ahead, Moving Forward

BATON ROUGE, La. – Nearly three months ago, Hurricane Isaac swamped Louisiana with torrential rains, high winds and storm surge. Since then, local, state, federal and voluntary agencies, plus the private sector, have worked hand in hand with survivors to help them recover from the storm’s destruction.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in state and federal assistance have jump-started the recovery efforts of individual survivors, their families and their communities in the 55 parishes designated for Individual Assistance and/or Public Assistance. And more help will arrive with the rollout of recovery programs designed to help Louisianians over the long haul.

“Louisianians have made tremendous progress in their journey toward recovery from Hurricane Isaac,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “The efforts of the survivors themselves, combined with those of the whole recovery community, have made all the difference in Louisiana.”      

Even before Hurricane Isaac made its first landfall on Aug. 28 before wobbling back out to sea, then hitting the coast again, emergency workers at all levels of government, law enforcement and voluntary agencies mobilized to prepare for the storm’s onslaught. On Aug. 27, President Obama issued an emergency disaster declaration authorizing FEMA to provide assistance for emergency protective measures to alleviate the hurricane’s impact on life and property. The major disaster declaration came just two days later.

Although weaker than Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Isaac moved inland much more slowly, causing devastating flooding, some of it in areas largely unscathed by the 2005 storm. Along with the seasoned storm veterans of the coastal parishes and New Orleans, survivors unaccustomed to major storms found themselves needing help.

For many, assistance came almost immediately. Just a week after the Aug. 29 disaster declaration for Hurricane Isaac in Louisiana, more than $10 million in state and federal disaster assistance had already headed to survivors. Within 16 days, that total had soared to $100 million.

Today, disaster assistance has topped $365 million. This includes more than $116 million in grants from FEMA’s Individual Assistance (IA) program, more than $135 million in low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and more than $113 million in reimbursements to the state and local governments from FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) program. Separately, the FEMA-administered National Flood Insurance Program has paid more than $370 million on claims from policyholders in Louisiana.

Beyond the funds disbursed to individuals, families, businesses and communities, federal programs have helped survivors stay temporarily in hotels when their homes were unlivable; funded crisis counseling for Louisianians suffering from the emotional effects of the storm and its aftermath; helped connect survivors to other agencies’ assistance programs to ensure that they would get the help they needed; and reimbursed municipalities for emergency protective measures taken to preserve lives and property, restoring hurricane-damaged infrastructure and removing debris from parish rights-of-way and private property. 

Within hours of the Aug. 29 declaration, the first Community Relations specialists began their work of providing crucial recovery information to storm survivors. Over the following weeks, hundreds of Community Relations specialists visited parishes designated for Individual Assistance, answering survivors’ questions in neighborhoods, at Disaster Recovery Centers, and at points of distribution and shelters.

Forty recovery centers served survivors throughout Louisiana, and two centers remain open in hard-hit parishes so residents can meet face to face with specialists who can help them register and answer their questions about state and federal assistance. Mitigation and National Flood Insurance Program specialists joined the staff at the centers, greatly expanding the information available to survivors.   

Mitigation outreach specialists also met with more than 24,500 Louisianians in several settings, including the disaster recovery centers, home improvement stores, fairs and festivals, providing advice and tips on rebuilding stronger homes. Two strike teams in Jefferson, Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes visited residents, some accessible only by boat, to offer advice and mold cleanup kits.

As Louisianians continue to recover from Hurricane Isaac, they may have some needs that go beyond the scope of assistance the state or FEMA can provide. That’s when community-based long-term recovery groups can help.

With support and guidance from FEMA and the state, long-term recovery groups are already working in 15 hard-hit parishes. Formed from a network of nonprofit and voluntary agencies and faith- and community-based organizations, these recovery groups are working with survivors to determine their longer-term needs and connect them to assistance.

Staff and volunteers from some groups have helped clear debris at damaged homes, while others are recruiting volunteers and staff.  Some groups have programs to help survivors pay utility bills or obtain necessities such as clothing and furniture.

On a community scale, the state of Louisiana, along with FEMA, has activated the new National Disaster Recovery Framework for the first time. Like initial response efforts, extended recovery requires a united effort beginning at the local level, plus the private sector and individuals — the whole community — and the framework aims to help make that happen.

Already, framework coordinators have held the first public meetings in two parishes to identify local recovery priorities, with more public sessions expected in the coming weeks, said Wayne Rickard, who was appointed the federal disaster recovery coordinator for Louisiana’s Hurricane Isaac recovery effort. After this stage, agencies at the state and federal levels will pool their resources and information to help communities and parishes find alternative pathways to secure technical assistance and funding.

Meanwhile, our Public Assistance mission continues to gain momentum and meet the challenges in Louisiana’s hard-hit coastal parishes. We are coordinating with our state and local partners, and reaching out to the federal family as well as FEMA Headquarters and Region VI leadership to find viable solutions to the more complex issues that stand in the way of full community recovery.

Because we extended the Individual Assistance registration deadline, Hurricane Isaac survivors have until Nov. 29 to register with FEMA for potential assistance. Louisianians can register for assistance or check the status of their cases online at www.disasterassistance.gov, via smartphone at m.fema.gov, or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585.  Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. FEMA phone lines operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week; multilingual operators are available. 

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.

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 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.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of funding for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339.)

Excerpt from:  

Hurricane Isaac Three Months Later: Louisiana Looking Ahead, Moving Forward

More Than $500 Million Approved for Hurricane Sandy Recovery

More Than $500 Million Approved for Hurricane Sandy Recovery

Main Content

Release date:

November 18, 2012

Release Number:

4085-035

NEW YORK, N.Y. — Since Hurricane Sandy struck New York, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved more than $500 million to help individuals and families recover from the disaster.
FEMA is reaching out to all the 13 declared counties with attention to the hardest hit areas of New York state. To date, more than $500 million has been approved. Assistance to the hardest hit areas includes:

  • Bronx $998,825
  • Kings $102,621,916
  • Nassau $178,016,765
  • New York $4,437,375
  • Queens $134,415,479
  • Richmond $55,414,997
  • Suffolk $30,424,541

FEMA provides the following snapshot of the disaster recovery effort as of Nov. 18:

  • More than 212,000 New Yorkers have contacted FEMA for information or registered for assistance with FEMA and more than $500 million has been approved.  More than 109,000 have applied through the online application site at www.disasterassistance.gov, or on their smart phone at m.fema.gov.
     
  • 30 Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) are open in the affected areas.  These include mobile sites as well as fixed sites, and to date more than  34,000 survivors have been assisted at DRCs in New York.
     
  • 969 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.
     
  • Nearly 1,300 inspectors in the field have completed nearly 87,000 home inspections.
     
  • 19 Points of Distribution (PODs) are open and providing supplies to the affected residents. 
     
  • 9 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs), and 1 National Veterinary Response Team (NVRT) from the Department of Health and Human Services are 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 $3.5 million in disaster loans.
     
  • Individuals can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smart phone at m.fema.gov.  Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) should call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

Last Updated:

November 19, 2012 – 11:18

State or Region:

New York

Related Disaster:

New York Hurricane Sandy

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More Than $500 Million Approved for Hurricane Sandy Recovery

Stay in Touch with FEMA and Make Sure Your Contact Information is Up-to-Date

WINDSOR, Conn. – Hurricane Sandy survivors who have already registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency are urged to keep in touch with the agency, especially if they have been displaced by the disaster.

Survivors who have registered for assistance should keep their contact information current to ensure timely delivery of important assistance updates.

Keeping one’s contact information current with FEMA will also help connect survivors with FEMA’s home inspectors. Unnecessary delays may occur if an inspector is unable to reach an applicant by phone to schedule an appointment. Applicants are also urged to keep their appointments with home inspectors in order to avoid delays.

Applicants who need to update their contact information or who have questions regarding their application can visit a Disaster Recovery Center for in-person help or call the toll-free FEMA helpline, 1-800-621-3362, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Help is available in most languages.

Storm survivors who have not registered yet are urged to do so immediately online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or with any web-enabled mobile device, tablet or smartphone at m.fema.gov. Follow the link to “Apply Online for FEMA Assistance.”

By calling the helpline or visiting a Disaster Recovery Center, survivors can:

  • Update their file with a change of address or new phone number.
  • Ask questions about disaster assistance.
  • Track the progress of their FEMA application.
  • Get information about the inspection process.
  • Learn about the steps to appeal a FEMA decision.

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.

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.

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.

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Stay in Touch with FEMA and Make Sure Your Contact Information is Up-to-Date

Corps Teams with Volunteer Agencies to Help Bring Stability to New Jersey

LINCROFT, N.J. — FEMA, the state of New Jersey, volunteer agencies and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, working out of the State-FEMA Joint Field Office in Lincroft, NJ, began a Shelter In Place Assistance Program Nov. 14 to help New Jersey residents recover following Hurricane Sandy.

The program provides training, mentoring, and materials by Army engineers to Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) members, such as the Southern Baptist Convention, Mennonite and Methodist Men.

“The most important part of recovery is helping those affected by Hurricane Sandy get back to a sense of normalcy,” said Joel Hendrix, South Atlantic Division, Chief Readiness and Contingency Operations, who is leading the Corps efforts. “Nothing brings more stability to someone affected by disaster than getting back into their home.”

The program seeks to give VOAD groups the skills and materials necessary to make minor, temporary repairs to homes, such as boarding up windows with plywood. Allowing people to return to their homes so quickly after a disaster, said Hendrix, not only gives them time to make more permanent repairs but also minimizes the number of people seeking temporary shelter.

About 500 homes, many of which suffered water damage, will be assessed for possible repairs.

“Our job is to support the governor and the volunteers,” Hendrix said.

The Corps’ team is working in close coordination with FEMA, and state and locals officials.

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. 

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Corps Teams with Volunteer Agencies to Help Bring Stability to New Jersey

FEMA Mississippi Operations Transfer from Clinton to Biloxi

CLINTON, Miss. – The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency/FEMA Joint Field Office and Operations Center will transfer to the Mississippi Recovery Office location in Biloxi on Nov. 21, and operate as a processing center.

The Clinton joint field office served as a hub for disaster operations following the landfall of Hurricane Isaac in Mississippi Aug. 28. The Biloxi recovery office was established in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina.

Before Isaac made landfall on the Gulf Coast, FEMA disaster personnel from across the country were on the ground to partner with the state to help individuals and communities.

At the height of response operations more than 800 FEMA personnel from every state, plus Canada, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico became part of the emergency response effort to support local and state emergency management. The staff included more than 60 Mississippians.

“The workforce we have brought here is an invaluable asset to Mississippi’s recovery,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Terry Quarles. “We’re lucky to have a diverse group, including many Mississippians, all of whom possess a unique set of skills to help this state as it recovers from
Hurricane Isaac.”

Disaster personnel at the Clinton facility supported three recovery programs: Individual Assistance, Hazard Mitigation and Public Assistance.

The programs help Mississippi disaster survivors and communities recover from Hurricane Isaac, as well as ensure they are better prepared for future disasters.

Disaster personnel do more than assist in the state’s recovery. FEMA personnel also contribute to the local economy by occupying hotel rooms, eating at restaurants and shopping in stores.

More than 40 FEMA Corps volunteers also have contributed to the disaster response effort in Mississippi. FEMA Corps is part of a new program within AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps. These members are devoted solely to disaster response and recovery efforts.

Nearly 50 volunteer agencies and faith-based groups also contributed significantly to the recovery. Hard-hit individuals and families have benefitted from debris cleanup teams, chainsaw crews, tree removal, home repairs and other essential recovery services that have been provided for free.

As FEMA transitions the Clinton Joint Field Office, Mississippians should know that help is only a phone call or internet link away and the agency will continue to assist residents through to a full recovery.

To reach FEMA:

  • Go online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
  • Visit m.fema.gov from a Smartphone.
  • Dial 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585.
  • For those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services, call 800-621-3362.

The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

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.

 

 

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FEMA Mississippi Operations Transfer from Clinton to Biloxi

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