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Mingo County Town Hall Meeting Set for May 3

Release Date: April 30, 2012
Release Number: 4059-059

» More Information on West Virginia Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, And Landslides
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CHARLESTON W.Va. — Mingo County residents who suffered losses from recent flooding will be able to learn more about disaster assistance programs at a Town Hall Meeting at 6 p.m., Thursday, May 3, at the Dingess Elementary School, 101 Schoolhouse Road in Dingess. Mingo County was added to the federal major-disaster declaration for Individual and Households Assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency on April 20.

A previously scheduled meeting at the location was postponed because of severe weather conditions that arose on April 26.

“Residents of Mingo County are now eligible to receive federal assistance to help affected individuals, families and businesses recover from losses sustained in the flooding of March 15 through March 31,” FEMA’s Charleston-based Federal Coordinating Officer Deanne Criswell said.

The town hall meeting will be hosted by FEMA, the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and the Mingo County Emergency Management Agency. FEMA disaster-assistance experts and representatives of the U.S. Small Business Administration will be available to answer questions about the available assistance programs.

Residents should register for FEMA assistance by calling FEMA’s 800 HelpLine number 800-621-3362 or apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov before they attend Thursday night’s meeting. Those unsure if they might be eligible for assistance should register with FEMA to find out whether they qualify.

Some registrants might receive an SBA disaster-loan application in the mail. It is important that the application be completed even if no loan is wanted. The information is needed to determine what additional help might be available, and no one is required to accept an SBA loan.

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.

Last Modified: Monday, 30-Apr-2012 15:41:24

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Mingo County Town Hall Meeting Set for May 3

Recovery Continues With Assistance to Pennsylvania Communities

Release Date: April 23, 2012
Release Number: 4025-138

» More Information on Pennsylvania Tropical Storm Lee
» More Information on Pennsylvania Hurricane Irene

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Federal assistance continues to support Pennsylvania’s recovery from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The aid now focuses on supporting whole community recovery and preparing for future disasters.

Disaster assistance to date totals more than one-half billion dollars.

“Our emphasis now is on longer-term solutions,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer Thomas J. McCool. “Important infrastructure is being repaired, and efforts are being made to make communities more disaster-resistant.”

Rebuilding infrastructure
More than $47 million in Public Assistance (PA) funding has been reimbursed to repair or replace taxpayer-owned infrastructure such as roads, bridges, utilities, schools, and similar facilities.

There are an estimated 6,000 PA projects from among 1,900 applicants that could result in federal funding of more than $200 million.
Of the nearly 3,000 projects completed to date, about 725 have shared more than $3 million in additional funding to lessen the effects of future disasters. The effort is known as mitigation. FEMA is expected to provide more than $30 million in mitigation funding to the commonwealth when all eligible projects are complete.

Long-Term Recovery Committees (LTRC) rely on local volunteers and donations which provide assistance to individuals that helps repair, replace, and rebuild those households whose needs are beyond the legal capacity of government assistance.

These committees have been established for 20 counties: Adams, Berks, Bradford, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montgomery, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuykill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wyoming, and York.

Providing for the whole community
Long-Term Community Recovery teams have been organized in the hardest-hit areas of the commonwealth. Their objective is to help focus local goals and match the whole community’s efforts with available federal, commonwealth, and community resources.

The community recovery teams have been organized in Shickshinny, Athens, and the Wyoming Valley and Swatara Valley areas.

Other statistics to date:

94,385 persons registered for assistance
83,936 damage inspections were completed
$141.8 million in Individual Assistance grants were disbursed:
- $128.6 million in housing assistance including temporary housing, home repairs, and personal property losses and
- $13.2 million in dental, medical, and funeral costs and other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance
- $18.1 million in maximum grants were awarded to 601 applicants
$98 million in low-interest disaster loans were approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration
$322 million in claim payments were paid through the National Flood Insurance Program
$874,400 in Disaster Unemployment Assistance was distributed
Recovery officials continue to transfer residents displaced by the storms from temporary to more permanent housing
- 249 temporary housing units in nine counties remain occupied

“The strength of the partnership between FEMA and the commonwealth has helped make the best of a bad situation,” said Commonwealth Coordinating Officer John Forr. “Working together effectively has paid off for the residents of Pennsylvania.”

The ongoing recovery efforts continue with 247 FEMA employees and 73 from the commonwealth or other federal agencies. Sixty-five commonwealth residents were hired by FEMA to support the ongoing recovery

At the height of the recovery, there were 782 FEMA and 198 commonwealth and/or other federal agency employees working fulltime and overtime
- Additionally, more than 550 employees of the commonwealth, representing approximately 15 agencies, helped staff the temporary Disaster Recovery Centers. They answered questions on a number of issues, including mental health counseling, driver’s license replacements, emergency food program resources, farm damage, and much more
In addition to the Joint Field Office in Harrisburg, temporary FEMA/commonwealth operating facilities were opened in Sayre and Wilkes-Barre

“FEMA remains committed to the commonwealth,” said McCool. “We’ll be here until all available recovery resources have been provided.”

Last Modified: Tuesday, 24-Apr-2012 09:12:12

Original article:

Recovery Continues With Assistance to Pennsylvania Communities

State Has Two Separate Disaster Declarations In Effect

Release Date: April 20, 2012
Release Number: 4061-041

» More Information on West Virginia Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, And Lanslides

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – State and FEMA officials moved Friday to limit any confusion that might arise about the recent re-designation of Lincoln County as eligible for the FEMA Individual and Households Assistance Program.

“In essence, West Virginia has had two separate disasters declared by President Obama,” said Deanne Criswell, FEMA’s Charleston-based federal coordinating officer. “The first, declared on March 15, was for damages sustained in the storms from February 29 through March 5. The second, declared on March 22, was for damages sustained in the flooding from March 15 through March 31.” These are called “incident periods,” according to Criswell.

FEMA has applied its system of assigning a number to each declared disaster to these two events. The first is DR-4059 and the second is DR-4061, she said. “In the case of Lincoln County, it has been assigned both numbers, and it is important for survivors to know that registering with FEMA for one disaster does not register you for the other.”

Thus anyone who sustained damages or other losses from the flooding that occurred between March 15 and March 31 will need to register with FEMA under DR-4061, even if he or she had already registered under DR-4059.

People seeking aid or clarity about the registration process need only phone FEMA’s toll-free Help Line at 800-621-3362 to speak to a representative and supply some basic information. Operators are standing by from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time seven days a week, Criswell said. “The process is fast and simple. Even if you are unsure if you qualify, call FEMA and let us determine your eligibility. ”

Registration is also available online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov. From a cell phone or other PDA, the address is m.fema.gov. Those with hearing or speech disabilities can use the TTY number, 800-462-7585. For those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362.

Applicants should be ready to supply FEMA with his or her current contact information (mailing address, phone number, e-mail address or that of a friend or relative who can reach the applicant), a Social Security number of any household member, the address of the damaged property, a brief description of the problems and, if appropriate, any information about insurance coverage one might or might not have. The FEMA representative may ask for some other data, like the number of people residing in the property and the family’s gross annual income. All this information is critical to the process and will be kept in strict confidence by FEMA, Criswell said.

After registering with FEMA, applicants will be given a case number so they can follow the progress of their applications and to use when speaking to other FEMA personnel. To check on the status of one’s application, he or she can call the FEMA Help Line or visit the Disaster Recovery Center at 2270 Mud Fork Road in Logan. This information will be available after 24 hours of initially registering with FEMA.

Last Modified: Friday, 20-Apr-2012 16:39:44

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State Has Two Separate Disaster Declarations In Effect

Federal Disaster Aid In Kentucky Tops $18 Million

Release Date: April 20, 2012
Release Number: 4057-061

» More Information on Kentucky Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Total federal disaster assistance approved for Kentucky survivors of the tornadoes and damaging storms of Feb. 29 – March 3 now stands at more than $18.6 million.

To date:

Close to 5,300 Kentuckians in 21 designated counties have contacted FEMA for help or information regarding disaster assistance.
Over $8.7 million has been approved for Individual Assistance grants, including housing assistance, short-term rental assistance, home repair costs and other needs assistance.
Nearly $1.8 million of the Individual Assistance grants was for Other Needs Assistance, including payments for such eligible disaster-related items as medical and dental expenses, and lost personal possessions.
More than 2,580 homes sustained damages. Of those, more than 280 were destroyed.
Nearly 3,200 inspections of damaged properties have been conducted.
More than $9.9 million in low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses has been approved by the Small Business Administration.
FEMA Public Assistance has obligated more than $55,000 for repair projects in eligible counties.

Kentucky counties eligible for help from FEMA’s Public Assistance program are Adair, Ballard, Bath, Grant, Johnson, Kenton, Larue, Laurel, Lawrence, Magoffin, Martin, Menifee, Morgan, Pendleton, Trimble and Wolfe.

Public Assistance is available on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of damaged infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, utilities, schools, and similar facilities. Public Assistance is also available to certain private nonprofit agencies and organizations.

Commonwealth counties eligible for Individual Assistance are Bath, Campbell, Carroll, Grant, Grayson, Johnson, Kenton, Larue, Laurel, Lawrence, Magoffin, Martin, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, Ohio, Pendleton, Rowan, Russell, Trimble and Wolfe.

Individual Assistance for homeowners and renters can include grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other serious disaster-related expenses not met by insurance or other assistance programs.

Kentucky Emergency Management and FEMA encourage Kentuckians to make sure their friends, neighbors and family members have registered with FEMA for federal disaster assistance by the federal disaster assistance registration deadline of May 7.

Disaster officials stress the importance of returning the Small Business Administration loan application survivors may have received as part of their registration package. Completion of the application provides information that may determine eligibility for further federal disaster assistance. The deadline to apply for property damage SBA loans also is May 7. The deadline to apply for economic injury SBA loans is Dec. 6

Due to a steady decrease of activity, SBA’s Business Recovery Center located in Johnson County, Kentucky closed April 19. SBA’s Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Morgan County will cease operations on Friday, April 27, at the close of business. All Commonwealth-FEMA disaster recovery centers are now closed as well.

There are three ways to register with FEMA or to contact FEMA for help or information regarding disaster assistance: call 800-621-FEMA (3362), register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or register using a tablet or Smartphone by visiting m.fema.gov. Help is available in many languages.

Disaster applicants who use TTY should call 800-462-7585. Those who use 711 or Video Relay Service should call 800-621-3362. Lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, every day.

Kentucky Emergency Management urges anyone who has storm damage to their residence or other property to document the damage by photographing or videoing it and to maintain a list of any repairs and keep repair receipts. If survivors have not done so, they should report the damage and location to their county emergency manager.

Free crisis counseling, supported by a grant from FEMA to the Kentucky Community Crisis Response Board, is available to Kentuckians who suffer from stress, anxiety or depression as a result of the recent storms and flooding. Persons who need this assistance and live in Johnson, Magoffin, or Martin County call 800-422-1060; residents of Bath, Lawrence, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, Rowan, or Wolfe counties call 800-562-8909; citizens in Campbell, Carroll, Grant, Kenton, or Pendleton County call 859-331-3292; and in Laurel County, call 888-640-9335.

The FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides Commonwealth, local governments and certain private nonprofits with grants to improve the ability of public facilities to withstand future disasters. Additional information on the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program in Kentucky can be accessed at: http://kyem.ky.gov/recovery/Pages/HazardMitigation.aspx

More disaster-specific information can be found on the Kentucky Emergency Management website at www.kyem.ky.gov.

Last Modified: Friday, 20-Apr-2012 16:37:17

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Federal Disaster Aid In Kentucky Tops $18 Million

As May 8 Deadline Approaches, Fed Storm Aid Exceeds $3m To Hoosiers

Release Date: April 20, 2012
Release Number: 4058-033

» More Information on Indiana Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes

INDIANAPOLIS – As the May 8 deadline to apply for federal Individual Assistance quickly approaches, disaster assistance has exceeded $3 million for Indiana residents and communities affected by severe storms from Feb. 29 through March 3 in Clark, Jefferson, Ripley, Scott, Warrick and Washington counties in Indiana.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports that, as of April 19, $1,378,468 has been approved to fund expenses not covered by insurance or other programs. Such expenses include temporary rental assistance, repair and replacement of essential household items and disaster-related medical, dental or funeral costs. FEMA reports 1,417 registrations have been received. Homes are being inspected within 36 hours of registration, and 587 inspections have been completed.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) reports $1,689,500 in low-interest disaster loans have been approved for homeowners, renters, businesses and non-profits. Thirty-three loans have been approved thus far, and more approvals are anticipated. The agency has issued 1,056 home loan applications and 184 business loan applications.

Homeowners are welcome to return SBA low-interest disaster loan applications to the Business Recovery Center in Scottsburg. The center, which will continue operating Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., until further notice, is located at:

Scott County Economic Development Corporation
821 South Lake Road South
Scottsburg, Ind. 47170

May 8 is the last day to register for FEMA Individual Assistance.

The first step for homeowners, renters and business owners to obtain federal disaster assistance is to register with FEMA. One easy way to apply is to call the toll-free telephone registration (800) 621-FEMA (3362). This number is also a help line individuals may call to ask questions and verify their registration. For speech-or hearing-impaired applicants, the TTY number is (800) 462-7585 and Video Relay Service may be accessed at (800) 621-3362. These lines are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Registration is also possible in the following ways:

Online at www.fema.gov or www.DisasterAssistance.gov; and
by smart phone or tablet at m.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.

Last Modified: Friday, 20-Apr-2012 16:31:01

Originally posted here:

As May 8 Deadline Approaches, Fed Storm Aid Exceeds $3m To Hoosiers

Disaster Unemployment Benefits Deadlines

Release Date: April 17, 2012
Release Number: 4059-030

» More Information on West Virginia Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, And Lanslides
» More Information on West Virginia Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, And Landslides

CHARLESTON, W. Va. — Self-employed residents who are unemployed as a direct result of the recent tornadoes and flooding have only a few days left to file for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program benefits. For the presidentially declared disaster of March 16, the deadline is April 23. For the disaster declared on March 22, the deadline is April 25.

“The DUA program extends coverage to self-employed people, farm workers and others who have lost employment as a direct result of the disaster,” Jimmy Gianato, West Virginia state coordinating officer, said. “It is specifically designed to assist those who are otherwise ineligible for state unemployment benefits.”

The availability of benefits extends to those living or working in any of the four counties eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance. They are Marion, Logan, Lincoln and Wayne counties.

You may be eligible to apply for DUA if:

You were injured in the disaster and are unable to work, whether you are an employee or self-employed
Your workplace was damaged or destroyed
Your transportation to work is not available
You cannot get to your job because you must travel through the affected area
You were about to begin working, but could not because of the disaster
You derived most of your income from areas affected by the storms and flooding and your business is down as a direct result of the disaster

The Disaster Unemployment Assistance program is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but it is administered through the West Virginia Department of Labor.

To apply for DUA, go to your nearest Workforce West Virginia One Stop Office. Have your Social Security number, earnings from your most recent tax year and employment history available. Office locations are available at www.wvcommerce.org and www.workforcewv.org. By phone, find your local Workforce office by dialing 211.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 17-Apr-2012 11:28:55

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Disaster Unemployment Benefits Deadlines

St. Bernard’s Historic Courthouse Restored With FEMA Funding

Release Date: April 17, 2012
Release Number: 1603-973

» More Information on Louisiana Hurricane Rita
» More Information on Louisiana Hurricane Katrina

NEW ORLEANS – As repairs to St. Bernard Parish’s early 20th century courthouse near completion, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today $638,677 in additional funding for the Katrina-related restoration work.

This new funding brings the agency’s total monetary support to more than $7.5 million for the noteworthy project.

The historic courthouse, known as “St. Bernard’s Old Courthouse,” dates back to 1915 and served as the parish’s first courthouse until 1939. More recently, prior to Hurricane Katrina, St. Bernard Parish leased the courthouse facility to the local public school board for use as Beauregard Middle School. For this reason, the facility is also commonly referred to as the “Old Beauregard Middle School.”

Located on Bayou Road and Beauregard Lane in St. Bernard, the courthouse was flooded by an estimated 8 feet of water during Katrina, causing extensive damages to the historic facility. Nearly seven years later, it is now returning to the community after undergoing successful recovery measures.

“This landmark project, involving one of the parish’s most important historic buildings, is the result of the successful collaboration between the parish government, the state and FEMA’s public assistance and historic preservation groups,” said FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office Deputy Director of Programs Andre Cadogan.
“In the end, the courthouse’s original and historic features will be repaired while returning the building’s functional, pre-Katrina use as an educational facility.”

“Since taking office on January 10, 2012, we have witnessed the exceptional, cooperative relationship fostered between FEMA and St. Bernard Parish. The Old Historic Courthouse is a perfect example of this relationship,” said St. Bernard Parish President David Peralta. “As this refurbished courthouse nears substantial completion, I would like to thank our local FEMA team for an outstanding job regarding their efforts to preserve this historic landmark, which allows the beautiful Old Beauregard Courthouse to return to its days of glory. This is FEMA at its finest.”

As with all federally funded recovery projects, FEMA ensures that efforts comply with federal environmental and historic preservation laws and Executive Orders.

“FEMA’s recovery grants not only enable new life for damaged facilities, but when applicable, also preserve history—as is the case with this project,” said Cadogan.

FEMA-funded work on the storm-damaged courthouse’s historical features includes the masonry walls; ornamental-stamped, copper cornice; and refurbishment of its original wood windows, wood floors and interior plasterwork.

To date, including this recent grant, FEMA has provided approximately $1.7 billion in public assistance funding for recovery work related to hurricanes Katrina and Rita throughout St. Bernard Parish.

When FEMA approves projects through its supplemental Public Assistance grant, the funds are made available to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, who disburses them to the applicant for eligible work completed.

The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations’ buildings, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 17-Apr-2012 08:33:21

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St. Bernard’s Historic Courthouse Restored With FEMA Funding

Federal Disaster Aid Total In Kentucky Exceeds $14 Million

Release Date: April 6, 2012
Release Number: 4057-051

» More Information on Kentucky Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding

FRANKFORT, Ky. — More than $14 million in federal disaster assistance has been approved for Kentucky survivors of the recent severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding occurring Feb. 29 through March 3.

“The swift action by our local, state and federal partners in response to this natural disaster has allowed millions of federal dollars to go directly to our families as they recover and rebuild their lives,” Gov. Steve Beshear said. “We will continue to monitor and assist in these long-term recovery efforts until every community is stable and thriving once again.”

To date:

Over 5,000 Kentuckians in 21 designated counties have contacted FEMA for help or information regarding disaster assistance.
More than $6.3 million has been approved for housing assistance, including short-term rental assistance and home repair costs.
More than 2,580 homes sustained damages. Of those, more than 671 were destroyed.
Over 4,400 households have received FEMA grants to help pay for temporary housing.
Over 2,940 inspections of damaged properties have been conducted.
Over $6.7 million in low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses has been approved by the Small Business Administration.
Nearly $1.6 million has been approved to cover other essential disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses and lost personal possessions.

The 14 Kentucky counties eligible for help from FEMA’s Public Assistance program are Ballard, Grant, Johnson, Kenton, Larue, Laurel, Lawrence, Magoffin, Martin, Menifee, Morgan, Pendleton, Trimble and Wolfe.

Public Assistance is available on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of damaged infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, utilities, schools and similar facilities. Public Assistance is also available to certain private nonprofit agencies and organizations.

Kentucky Emergency Management and FEMA are encouraging Kentuckians to make sure their friends, neighbors and family members have registered with FEMA for federal disaster assistance.

The federal disaster assistance registration deadline for Individual Assistance is May 7.

Disaster officials stress the importance of returning the SBA loan application survivors may have received as part of their registration package. Completion of the application provides information that may determine eligibility for further federal disaster assistance.

There are three ways to register with FEMA for help or information regarding disaster assistance: call 800-621-FEMA (3362), register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or register using a tablet or Smartphone by visiting m.fema.gov. Help is available in many languages.

Disaster applicants who use TTY should call 800-462-7585. Those who use 711 or Video Relay Service should call 800-621-3362. Lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, every day.

Kentucky Emergency Management urges anyone who has storm damage to their residence or other property to document the damage by photographing or videoing it and to maintain a list of any repairs and keep repair receipts. Report the damage and location to your county emergency manager.

Free crisis counseling, supported by a grant from FEMA, is available to Kentuckians who suffer from stress, anxiety or depression as a result of the recent storms and flooding. Persons who need this assistance and live in Johnson, Magoffin, or Martin County call 800-422-1060; residents of Bath, Lawrence, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, Rowan, or Wolfe counties call 800-562-8909; citizens in Campbell, Carroll, Grant, Kenton, or Pendleton County call 859-331-3292; and in Laurel County, call 888-640-9335.

The FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides Commonwealth, local governments and certain private nonprofits with grants to improve the ability of public facilities to withstand future disasters.

More disaster-specific information can be found on the Kentucky Emergency Management website at www.kyem.ky.gov.

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

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and 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.

Last Modified: Friday, 06-Apr-2012 18:07:23

Source:

Federal Disaster Aid Total In Kentucky Exceeds $14 Million

Disaster Recovery Centers In Marion And Wayne Counties To Close April 13th.

Release Date: April 6, 2012
Release Number: 4059-061

» More Information on West Virginia Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, And Lanslides
» More Information on West Virginia Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, And Landslides

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – State and federal Disaster Recovery Centers in Fairmont (Marion County), Dunlow and Wayne (both in Wayne County) will close permanently at noon on Friday, April 13, officials said Saturday. Two other centers, one in Logan County and one in Lincoln County, will remain open until further notice.

Verdunville Volunteer Fire Dept., Rte. 5, 2270 Mud Fork Road in Logan; and
Duval Fire Company, 5237 Straightfork Road, Griffithsville

The centers are staffed with disaster recovery specialists who can provide information and answer questions about storm-related assistance. Those seeking assistance should register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency before visiting a DRC.

The closing of the three DRCs has no effect on the ability of those seeking federal and state assistance for damages sustained during the recent tornadoes, severe storms and flooding to register, which is the first step in asking for help. Deadline for Lincoln, Marion and Wayne county residents to register is May 15; for residents of Logan County, the deadline is May 21.

Applicants can register by phone by calling FEMA’s Helpline at 800-621-3362. They can also use the Help Line to answer questions, provide information or learn the status of their application. People with hearing disabilities can use the TTY number, 800-462-7585. Applicants can also register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or with any web-enabled mobile device or smart phone at m.fema.gov. Follow the link to “Apply for Assistance.”

Information to have ready when registering with FEMA includes the address of the damaged property, names of members of the household, a general description of the damage, the Social Security number of any family member living in the home, the extent of insurance coverage and certain other information needed to expedite the process.

Last Modified: Friday, 06-Apr-2012 18:04:12

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Disaster Recovery Centers In Marion And Wayne Counties To Close April 13th.

Tax Assistance Available To Vermonters Affected By Flooding

Release Date: April 6, 2012
Release Number: 4022-076

» More Information on Vermont Tropical Storm Irene

» 2012 Region I News Releases

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. – With the April 17 deadline for filing individual income tax returns rapidly approaching, Vermonters who were affected by last year’s spring floods or Tropical Storm Irene may have help available.

Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency urged Vermonters to check with both the Internal Revenue Service and the Vermont Tax Department to learn what benefits may be available.

“Vermonters who suffered losses from a presidentially declared disaster have a variety of options open to them,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer James N. Russo. “In addition to filing a disaster casualty loss claim, they can receive a waiver of fees and expedited processing if they request documents like prior tax returns that may have been destroyed.”

Casualty losses – property damaged or destroyed and not covered by insurance or other reimbursement – can be deducted from an amended 2010 return or on the 2011 return, both of which are due April 17. Russo reminded those who received Individual Assistance grants from FEMA that these are not considered income for tax purposes.

The deduction applies to loss of property because of sudden, unexpected or unusual events such as severe weather. The unreimbursed loss must be more than 10 per cent of the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income to be eligible for the deduction, and individuals cannot deduct those personal property losses that have been covered by insurance or other reimbursements, such as FEMA Individual Assistance grants.

The IRS website has tax information about federal tax relief in disaster situations at: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=108362,00.html. To contact the IRS toll-free disaster hotline, call 1-866-562-5227, or visit www.irs.gov

Business owners may also be able to deduct qualified expenses and should consult Publication 2194B: Disaster Losses Kit for Businesses for more information.

Vermont state income taxes are based on the filer’s federal taxable income, so flood-related losses do not need to be documented separately with the State of Vermont.

“We encourage Vermonters affected by Tropical Storm Irene to take advantage of all the assistance available to them,” said Mary Peterson, Tax Commissioner for the State of Vermont. “Vermonters able to reduce their tax liability at the federal level due to Irene may be able to receive tax relief at the state level as well. It is important to understand all of your options.”

For information about Vermont income taxes, contact the Vermont Department of Taxes at 1-(866) 828-2865 (toll-free in VT) or (802) 828-2865 (local & out-of-state) or visit their website, www.state.vt.us/tax

The Vermont Society of Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) has been offering free or reduced-fee tax preparation and consultation services to Vermonters affected by Tropical Storm Irene. There are special forms and requirements for casualty losses, but at this late date VTCPA is urging Vermonters who have not yet sought help to file for extensions. Contact Carolyn Stevens, CPA at cstevens@trans-video.netor (802) 485-6448 if email is not available.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax preparation services to Vermonters making under $42,000 annually. The program is a partnership between the IRS and the Chittenden County CASH Coalition, local United Way agencies and Community Action agencies. To find a location near you, visit www.state.vt.us/tax/individualvolunteers.shtml or dial 2-1-1.

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

Last Modified: Friday, 06-Apr-2012 15:52:38

Tax Assistance Available To Vermonters Affected By Flooding

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