ATLANTA — Ten years ago October 24, Hurricane Wilma slammed ashore near Naples, Fla., as a Category 3 storm with a 50-mile-wide eye. Wilma was the most intense hurricane on record in the Atlantic Basin, with wind speeds reaching 175 mph over the Gulf of Mexico.

By the time Wilma exited the state near Palm Beach, it had spawned 10 tornadoes, left five people dead and six million people without power. Rainfall exceeded seven inches in some parts of the state. The President’s Oct. 24, 2005, disaster declaration made federal funding available to disaster survivors in Brevard, Broward, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Indian River, Lee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties.

In addition, federal funding was made available to the state and eligible local governments for debris removal, emergency protective measures and other public assistance in Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, De Soto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Indian River, Lee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Osceola, Palm Beach, Polk, Sarasota and St. Lucie counties.

To help disaster survivors FEMA obligated $342.5 million to 227,321 disaster applicants for the Individual and Household Program. Of that amount, $150.8 million was provided for housing (including temporary rentals and repairs) and $191.5 million for other serious disaster-related needs, such as personal property losses and moving and storage, medical or funeral expenses.    

FEMA also has obligated more than $1.4 billion in Public Assistance to the state of Florida, local governments and eligible nonprofit organizations for eligible projects. Of that amount:

  • $956.3 million reimbursed for debris clearance and emergency measures to protect public health and safety immediately after the storm;
  • $477.5 million reimbursed the work needed to make permanent repairs.

To date, more than $141.5 million has been obligated by FEMA for 119 Hazard Mitigation

Grant Program projects to build stronger, safer more resilient communities in Florida since Hurricane Wilma. A total of 111 mitigation projects are completed of which 90 are to retrofit public structures to protect against wind damage and 11 drainage projects to protect the public from flooding events.

###

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

 

 

Original article: 

Hurricane Wilma: Ten Years Later

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Two disaster recovery centers are now open in Horry County to help South Carolina flood survivors. The centers’ hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

Representatives from the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Small Business Administration and other agencies will be at the centers to explain disaster assistance programs and help survivors apply for aid.

The disaster recovery centers are located at the following addresses:

North Strand Park & Recreational Center

120 Hwy 57 S

Little River, SC 29566

South Strand Recreation Center

9650 Scipio Lane

Myrtle Beach, SC 29588

If possible, before going to a disaster recovery center, people with flooding losses should register with FEMA.  They can go online to DisasterAssistance.gov or call 800-621-3362 (Spanish: Oprima 2). Help is available in most languages, and lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week until further notice.

Disaster survivors who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585. If survivors use 711 or VRS (Video Relay Service) or require accommodations while visiting a center, call 800-621-3362. All disaster recovery centers are accessible and equipped with tools to accommodate disaster survivors who need disability-related communication aids.

Federal disaster assistance for individuals and families can include money for temporary rental assistance and essential home repairs for primary residences not covered by insurance.

Low-interest disaster loans from the Small Business Administration are also available to help with homeowner, renter and business uninsured losses. Survivors and businesses should first register with FEMA and may obtain information on SBA disaster loan applications by calling 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for people who are deaf or hard of hearing) or online at www.SBA.gov. They may also apply online at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Read this article:

South Carolina Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Horry County

Cannon Beach, Ore. – This past weekend, Cannon Beach held its second annual Race the Wave run for tsunami preparedness.  FEMA Corps provided support for the event along with several local and regional partners.  The team of eight FEMA Corps members, known as Blue Two, is serving in the FEMA Region X office in Bothell, Washington.  Blue Two arrived in Bothell September 3rd and will be in the area until November 12th.Their previous projects included a supporting role with the Central Coast Red Cross in California and FEMA Region VI in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Mayor Steidel of Cannon Beach speaks at the starting line of Race the Wave at Necus' Park.

Cannon Beach Mayor Sam Steidel speaks to partners and participants prior to Race the Wave.  In its second year the event continues to spread a message of tsunami preparedness.  The event ended at one of the cities cache storage sites, where there was a preparedness fair open to race participants and the local community.

Race the Wave gave participants the option of running, walking, or rolling through different courses that began at the beach, leading onto the tsunami evacuation route and up to the designated assembly area, where they finished at a Disaster Preparedness Fair. The Preparedness Fair featured fun and interactive booths from various organizations including the American Red Cross and the Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM) for families and persons of all ages to learn how to properly prepare for a potential earthquake and tsunami.

Cannon Beach is a prime location for the event since it is a coastal community with a high volume of tourism year round.  However, despite being community based for the past two years, its intention is to send a broader message about the prevalent tsunami hazard along coastlines.  Populations vulnerable to this type of disaster stretch from Alaska all the way down to the coast of California. FEMA Region X hopes this event and others like it will encourage communities to become active in preparedness and spread the message. 

Cannon Beach is home to a cache storage system that is stocked and maintained by its citizens.  Mayor Sam Steidel had this to say on their system, “Involving our citizens in community preparedness gives us an educated volunteer base that will be of great importance in the event of emergencies.  In the future we hope to seek further improvement in our efforts by cooperating with other coastal communities for outreach events like Race the Wave.”

Blue Two assisted the Cannon Beach Children’s Center and Clatsop County Emergency Management with logistical efforts including race route support and gathering content for social media.  The team found collaborative efforts between organizations to be interesting, such as the Oregon Office on Disability & Health to the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries.  The team was eager to participate in the event understanding the potential impact it could have.

The AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) and its FEMA Corps units engage 2,800 young Americans in a full-time, 10-month commitment to service each year. AmeriCorps NCCC members address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, and urban and rural development; FEMA Corps members are solely dedicated to disaster preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery work. The programs are administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). CNCS is the federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs, and leads President’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.

Visit source – 

FEMA Corps ‘Raced the Wave’ in Cannon Beach

Tsunami racers, take your marks! This Sunday, September 13, Race the Wave participants will practice the tsunami evacuation route from the coast to higher ground in Cannon Beach, Oregon. We know that increasing preparedness levels across the board means greater community resilience, and Race the Wave is a great event to highlight during National Preparedness Month this September.

The race finishes at the higher ground of one of the community’s evacuation meeting points, where Cannon Beach will host a preparedness fair with interactive booths to learn more about how to prepare for emergencies and disasters.

Runners at starting line of race

Residents of Cannon Beach, Oregon gather for a 5K race following a tsunami evacuation route from the beach to a safe meeting spot. The race helped residents build the “muscle memory” of getting to safety, if they should feel an earthquake while they are on or near the beach.

Race the Wave uses the National Preparedness month themes of being disaster aware and taking action to prepare and makes those themes relevant for their community.

  • Know the Plan: Make a plan with your family about where you will meet. Know if you need to pick your kids up from school. Know where you need to go and what to bring with you.
  • Take the Route: Become familiar with signage in your area. Learn the evacuation route from where you live, work, and play. Evacuate on foot and avoid traveling by car if possible.
  • Race the Wave: Natural warnings are the best sign of a tsunami. If you feel the ground shaking, move quickly inland or to a higher elevation. Listen to the radio to learn of tsunami warnings originating from non-local causes.

This is the second annual Race the Wave event, which includes a 10k, 5k and 2k for all abilities to participate in; participants can run, walk or roll the route. Visitors and locals alike will learn about the risks posed by the Cascadia Subduction Zone, and what they can do to stay safe.

The Community of Cannon Beach, Clatsop County Office of Emergency Management, Oregon Office of Emergency Management, Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), Oregon Office on Disability & Health at Oregon Health & Science University and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region X office are coming together to support Race the Wave.

FEMA encourages everyone to take steps to become better prepared for an emergency. Whether it’s at home, at work, at school, or in the community, there’s a lot that you can do to be ready and help others be ready too.  This September, take time to get disaster prepared and take action to prepare.

What you can do:

Continue reading – 

Know your tsunami evacuation routes – Race the Wave in Cannon Beach, OR Sept. 13

EATONTOWN, N.J. — Anyone who owns a business along the New Jersey shore is aware of the role the weather plays in its success or failure.  A rainy summer can wreak havoc with the cash register — people don’t come to the beach, visit the boardwalk or stop in at shore restaurants when the weather is bad. 

And when a storm like Hurricane Sandy threatens the coastline, owners of coastal businesses batten down the hatches and hope that the preparations they’ve made will keep their property secure. 

But there’s a lot more you can do to protect your business than simply covering up windows with plywood and storing outdoor furniture inside.

There are many building and mitigation techniques for coastal properties that make it possible for businesses in vulnerable locations to withstand even a storm as strong as Sandy.

In the wake of that historic hurricane, many owners of hard-hit properties have taken steps to build back stronger. Should the shore be hit by another storm, their businesses will be far more likely to survive with little or no damage.

This has been a quiet year for hurricanes in the mid-Atlantic region, but one thing residents of coastal communities know is that sooner or later, another bad storm will head this way.

Protecting your property means making an investment in your future.

As the stories of these three Jersey Shore businesses illustrate, taking action well before a storm is predicted can make all the difference.

Windansea Restaurant, Highlands, NJ

A view of the outside seating area and dock of the Windansea RestaurantWindansea Restaurant Sustained Little Damage from SandyOne month after Superstorm Sandy, Dan Shields and his business partner, Robert Higgins, were thanking their lucky stars. Their waterfront restaurant, Windansea in Highlands, had withstood the raging floods and winds of Superstorm Sandy with relatively minor damage.

The rest of Highlands was not so fortunate. Flood waters inundated dozens of homes and businesses   around town. The damage was so extensive that authorities restricted access to the town for several days in order to clear debris and restore public safety.  Many of Shields’ and Higgins’ fellow restaurateurs in Highlands were essentially out of business, their kitchens and dining rooms now sodden piles of wreckage.

What saved Windansea?

The partners are quick to credit the borough’s new building code that required properties like their bayside restaurant, which lies in a ‘V’ flood zone, to comply with tough new Federal Emergency Management standards.

When they purchased the property, they’d intended to make only minor renovations, but structural defects required them to replace more than 50 percent of the building, and that meant complying with the new building codes.  It was an expensive, time consuming and often frustrating experience, Shields admitted.

But in the end, it saved the restaurant.

Though the building sustained some damage to its first floor lobbies and outdoor Tiki bar, Windansea was back in business less than three weeks after the storm.

Jenkinson’s Aquarium, Point Pleasant, NJ

When Hurricane Sandy hit the Jersey shore in October of 2012, thousands of businesses up and down the coast — from Middlesex County through Cumberland County — were heavily damaged or completely destroyed.

But inside Jenkinson’s Aquarium on the Point Pleasant Boardwalk, all was well with the penguins, sharks and other sea creatures who call the aquarium home.

The popular seaside tourist attraction sustained only minor damage thanks to the efforts of Jenkinson’s staff.

As Hurricane Sandy came ashore, a powerful storm surge swept through the lower floor of Jenkinson’s Aquarium, flowing out into the streets and surged several blocks deep into Point Pleasant Beach, then swept back the way it had come as the surge receded.

Despite the direct hit, the building housing Jenkinson’s Aquarium suffered only minor damage. There was debris to be removed. Several of the aquarium’s large plastic garbage barrels, housed in the lower level when the ocean came through, were scattered around the borough. But the staff embedded in the aquarium remained safe and dry. All of the marine lives – penguins, sharks, seahorses, exotic fish – were safe.

What saved Jenkinson’s?

“Our Business Continuity plan was excellent,” notes Cindy Claus, director of Jenkinson’s Aquarium.

“Without it, I really think we would have been in a bad way. We were ready when Sandy got here.”

See a video about Jenkinson’s Aquarium at: http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/11215

Panini Bay, Tuckerton, NJ

When the Panini Bay Waterfront Restaurant in Tuckerton was damaged by Superstorm Sandy, owner and Chef Ivar Johnson had several critical decisions to make. Chief among tA view of the Panini Bay Restaurant with the enclosed wheelchair lift.The Main Feature of the Rebuilt Panini Bay Is the Enclosed Wheelchair Lifthem was how to maintain wheelchair access for customers with disabilities while elevating the remaining structure and incorporating additional mitigation features.

The restaurant had a wheelchair ramp before Sandy, but rebuilding it was not feasible given the height of the elevation.

Panini Bay’s main floor was elevated to sixteen feet above sea level, on 9-foot high pylons. A new seating area was built on a raised platform and the kitchen was relocated to the center of the building. A multilevel staircase was added.

What made elevation workable?

The main feature of the rebuilt Panini Bay is the enclosed wheelchair lift outside the restaurant that transports customers up to the entrance.

The lift cost $25,000. Two people, along with a rider using a wheelchair, can fit inside comfortably. The lift has a seat, a seat belt, and an emergency phone inside. The enclosure cost an additional $12,000 and completely surrounds the lift and its mechanics, but it makes it possible for all of Johnson’s customers to enjoy dinner on the waterfront at Panini Bay.

“The lift gets plenty of use,” Johnson said.

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.twitter.com/FEMASandywww.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/fema, www.fema.gov/blog, 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.”

Link to article:

Mitigation Makes for Success: A Tale of Three Businesses

EATONTOWN, NJ — Nearly two years after Hurricane Sandy, communities around New Jersey are still recovering from the damages inflicted by that historic storm.

The cost of cleaning up debris, clearing waterways and roads, repairing damaged sewer systems and other critical infrastructure, and rebuilding homes and businesses assaulted by wind and water is well into the tens of billions of dollars.

The idea that a storm like Sandy could happen again isn’t one we want to contemplate. But the fact is, not only could it happen again, chances are good that it will.

It’s just a matter of time.

The good news is that it’s possible to take steps now to reduce your community’s vulnerability to flooding and strengthen its resilience before another Sandy comes to town.

One way to accomplish that is to participate in the Community Rating System, a hazard mitigation program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The goals of the CRS program are to reduce losses caused by flooding, facilitate accurate insurance ratings and promote awareness about flood insurance.

Residents of towns that participate in CRS pay reduced flood insurance premiums. The premiums are discounted in five percent increments based on the level of flood protection each community has achieved.

Communities raise their CRS rating via their achievements in four categories: Information, Mapping and Regulations, Flood Damage Reduction, and Flood Preparedness.

Sixty-one communities and the Meadowlands area in New Jersey are presently enrolled in the CRS program, saving more than $17 million combined on their flood insurance premiums.

Joining the CRS program is free, but it does require the commitment of the community. Mayors of towns that want to participate must send a letter of interest to the regional office of FEMA, which for New Jersey is:

 Federal Emergency Management Agency
 Region II office
 26 Federal Plaza, 13th Floor
 New York, N.Y.10278
 (212) 680-8594

FEMA representatives will then arrange a visit to review the community’s floodplain management status and ensure that it meets federal regulations.

Once the community is granted a “letter of good standing,” it receives a verification visit from the Insurance Services Office, a FEMA contract agency, to verify the community’s eligibility for the program and to determine its rating.

Once accepted into the program, towns must file annual reports showing the measures they have taken to reduce their flood risks. Every five years, each town must undergo a complete audit to ensure that they remain in compliance with the CRS program.

Most communities enter the CRS at Level 9, which immediately entitles residents to a five percent reduction in their flood insurance bills. Communities achieve the maximum premium discount of 45 percent when they reach level one.

More importantly, they will have strengthened their ability to withstand the whims of Mother Nature when storm clouds gather and waters rise.

As of May 1, 2014, 11 communities in New Jersey had achieved a Level 5 in the CRS, earning property owners a 25 percent reduction in their flood insurance premiums. Those communities are: Avalon, Beach Haven, Long Beach Township, Longport, Mantoloking, Margate, Pompton Lakes, Sea Isle City, Stafford Township, Stone Harbor and Surf City.

With another hurricane season on the horizon, now is the perfect time to increase your town’s ability to weather a future storm. Learn more about NFIP’s CRS program online at http://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program-community-rating-system

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.twitter.com/FEMASandywww.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/fema, www.fema.gov/blog, 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.”

Link – 

Calling All Mayors: Reduce Your Town’s Flood Risk, Insurance Costs through FEMA’s Community Rating System

Eatontown, N.J. —  Hurricane season officially begins each year on June 1, but unlike firemen’s fairs, cookouts and fun at the beach, the season for hurricanes doesn’t end along with the summer.

As a new school year begins, now may be a good time to check your stock of batteries, bottled water and other emergency supplies that may be needed should New Jersey experience an autumn hurricane.

While storm frequency tends to peak in August and September, hurricane season in the United States extends to November 30, and while the risk of a Thanksgiving storm may seem remote, it could happen.

In 2012, Superstorm Sandy only missed it by a few weeks.

Sandy made landfall in New Jersey as a tropical cyclone on October 29, flooding coastal communities, taking down trees, tearing up infrastructure and demolishing homes and businesses throughout the state. Forty New Jersey residents lost their lives.

Two years later, the ongoing expenses of repair, rebuilding and recovery from Sandy have made it the second costliest storm in United States history after Katrina, an August 29 storm that devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005.

Like Sandy, many of the most destructive storms in United States history have occurred after Labor Day, causing massive loss of life and property damage in the billions.

On September 8, 1900, a category 4 hurricane engulfed Galveston Island, Texas. Storm tides as high as 15 feet swept away homes and businesses, killing an estimated 8,000 people.

On September 18, 1920, a category 4 hurricane bearing the highest sustained winds ever recorded at that time slammed into Miami Beach and downtown Miami. Believing the storm was over, thousands of people emerged from their homes during a half-hour lull at the eye of the storm and were trapped without shelter as it regained its ferocity. Every building in downtown Miami was either damaged or destroyed and hundreds of people were killed. The storm then crossed into the Gulf of Mexico, where it destroyed virtually every pier, vessel and warehouse on the Pensacola coast.

In the end, more than 800 people were reported missing after the storm and though records are incomplete, the Red Cross recorded 373 deaths and 6,381 injuries as a result of the hurricane.

On September 20 and 21, 1938, a fast-moving hurricane struck the Mid-Atlantic and New England with such force that thousands of people were taken by surprise. On Long Island, some 20 people watching an afternoon movie at a local cinema were swept out to sea and drowned. One of the victims was the theater’s projectionist. In downtown Providence, Rhode Island, flood waters rapidly flooded streets, submerging automobiles and street cars as their occupants fled to the high floors of office buildings to escape drowning. The record-breaking storm was responsible for 600 deaths, causing $308 million in damage in the midst of the Great Depression.

On October 14, 1954, Hurricane Hazel made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane near Calabash, North Carolina, inundating the coastline with an 18-foot storm surge on a lunar high tide. When the storm passed, only 5 of 357 buildings in Long Beach, North Carolina were still standing. The Raleigh, North Carolina Weather reported that “all traces of civilization on the immediate waterfront between the state line and Cape Fear were practically annihilated.” Nineteen people were killed in North Carolina, with several hundred more injured; 15,000 homes were destroyed and another 39,000 were damaged.

On September 11, 1960, Hurricane Donna barreled across Florida, then traveled east through North Carolina, the Mid-Atlantic states and New England, causing $387 million in damage in the United States and $13 million elsewhere along its path.

Accounts like the ones above illustrate the importance of making a plan to protect your family and property from the potentially devastating effects of a hurricane or tropical storm.

With that in mind, why not take a minute to inventory your emergency supplies and schedule a trip to the store to stock up on items that you may need in an emergency.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s website, www.ready.gov, has as wealth of information on how to plan, prepare and protect your family should another disaster like Sandy occur in the coming months.

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

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

Source:  

Stay Prepared: Hurricane Season Doesn’t End with Summer

September 2, 2014
News Release

 

Race the Wave 5K fun run/walk to practice tsunami evacuation routes.

Cannon Beach, OR – September is National Preparedness Month and Pacific Northwest coastal communities are leading by example. Cannon Beach, Oregon will host Race the Wave, their first hazard-themed fun run designed to blend awareness and action into a single activity.

Race the Wave is a 5k tsunami fun run/walk that follows an actual tsunami evacuation route in Cannon Beach.  On September 28, participants will learn about earthquake and tsunami hazards so they can make informed decisions and take actions to be better prepared, creating a more resilient community. The race route begins on the beach and finishes at the higher ground of one of the community’s evacuation meeting points, where Cannon Beach will host a preparedness fair with interactive booths for all to learn more about how to prepare for emergencies and disasters.

Cannon Beach, OR is a community long committed to ensuring its citizens and visitors are prepared for a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami. Race the Wave uses the National Preparedness month themes of being disaster aware and taking action to prepare and makes those themes relevant for their community.

  • Know the Plan: Make a plan with your family about where you will meet. Know if you need to pick your kids up from school. Know where you need to go and what to bring with you.
  • Take the Route: Become familiar with signage in your area. Learn the evacuation route from where you live, work, and play. Evacuate on foot and avoid traveling by car if possible.
  • Race the Wave: Natural warnings are the best sign of a tsunami. If you feel the ground shaking, move quickly inland or to a higher elevation. Listen to the radio to learn of tsunami warnings originating from non-local causes.

The Community of Cannon Beach, Clatsop County Office of Emergency Management, Oregon Office of Emergency Management, Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), Oregon Office on Disability & Health at Oregon Health & Science University and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region X office are coming together to support Race the Wave.

FEMA is encouraging everyone to take steps to become better prepared for an emergency. Whether it’s at home, at work, at school, or in the community, there’s a lot that you can do to be ready and help others be ready too.  This September, take time to get disaster prepared and take action to prepare.

For more information and to participate in Race the Wave visit the community Facebook page

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 twitter.com/femaregion10, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at twitter.com/craigatfema The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications

# # #

See more here:  

Race the Wave 5K fun run/walk to practice tsunami evacuation routes.

NEW YORK – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded Public Assistance grants for debris removal, emergency protective measures and permanent work for Hurricane Sandy recovery projects.

Recent awards include:

• Nearly $12.2 million to Nassau County for waterway debris removal in Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Long Beach, Atlantic Beach, Cedarhurst, Freeport and Island Park.

• Nearly $10 million to City of New York Department of Citywide Administrative Services for emergency protective measures, including labor, communications, light towers, generators and fuel truck rental.

• More than $6.1 million to New York City Department of Parks and Recreation for citywide debris removal.

• More than $4.5 million to New York Health and Hospitals Corporation to provide a temporary facility for the Ida Israel Community Health Clinic.

• More than $2.1 million to Nassau County Police Department for emergency protective measures, including evacuations, patrols and identification of public hazards.

• More than $1.6 million to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for permanent repairs to portions of John F. Kennedy International Airport fencing.

For Hurricane Sandy, FEMA’s Public Assistance program reimburses local, state and tribal governments and eligible private nonprofit organizations 90 percent of eligible costs for emergency and permanent work. So far, FEMA has awarded $2.4 billion in Public Assistance grants to eligible New York applicants.

Not included in this total is recent approval of $1.4 billion to Long Island Power Authority for repairs, restoration and hazard mitigation. FEMA and LIPA agreed on that amount in a pilot program, Public Assistance Alternate Procedures, in which grants are determined on the basis of fixed estimates, with applicants accepting responsibility for any actual costs that exceed the estimates. If actual costs are less than the fixed estimate amount, the applicant may use the excess funds for certain other purposes that mitigate damage from future disasters.[

To learn more about FEMA Public Assistance in New York, visit: fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit and dhses.ny.gov/oem/recovery.

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.

Read article here:  

FEMA awards Public Assistance grants for Sandy recovery projects

LINCROFT, N.J. — Frederick Ziegler promises his rebuilt house in Point Pleasant Beach will be just as spotless as he left his FEMA mobile home at Green Acres Manor in Howell Township.

Mr. Siegler poses for a picture in his homeMr. Frederick Ziegler Returns Home to Pt Pleasant BeachZiegler, a 78-year-old retired radio and electronics repairman who has been living in FEMA housing since Hurricane Sandy almost destroyed his house, is finally going home. Two feet of water flooded his home, causing his heating oil tank to rupture. Some oil mixed with the floodwaters and some seeped through the flooring into the subfloors, making cleanup difficult. It even got into the rain boots of the volunteers working to clean it up. (Kitty litter absorbed most of the oil inside the house.) Meanwhile, the oil tank filled up with salt water. The water damage in the home created mold that had to be removed. The cellulose insulation in the first floor walls collapsed below the water line, but that turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as the insulation sealed off the walls, preventing the oil from getting into them.

Mr. Siegler welcomes guests as he stands on his front stepsMr. Ziegler greets guests after returning home.After the storm, Ziegler moved in with his then-fiancée for the first four weeks, and then moved to his brother’s home in Point Pleasant Borough, not far from the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Bay Head. “It was right across from St. Paul’s Methodist Church, which was serving three meals a day (to survivors),” he recalled. He couldn’t remain at his brother’s because he developed health issues related to his brother’s cats, so he moved into a FEMA-provided mobile home in January 2013. “I like the trailer better,” he joked.

While he was living in the mobile home he could work on getting his home repaired. Calvary Chapel sent two groups of volunteers – one from Wisconsin and one from Boston – to tear out the walls and floors. A team of Mennonites from western Pennsylvania put down the new subfloor. Jersey Shore United outfitted the house with new appliances from Home Depot. Volunteers were helping Ziegler rebuild through the end of March 2014. FEMA paid for cleaning and sanitizing as well as the complete replacement of the home’s electrical system. FEMA also covered part of the cost of replacing the home’s plumbing.

Mr. Ziegler returns keys to the FEMA mobile homeMr. Ziegler returns the keys to his FEMA mobile home.Ziegler’s rebuilt home is not elevated – yet. Point Pleasant Beach had been classified as being in a Special Flood Hazard Area A-zone before Sandy hit. It was changed to a V-zone, then back to an A-zone in August 2013. Elevation is recommended, though not explicitly required, for homes in A-zones.

Ziegler is on the state’s Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation (RREM) program’s waiting list for elevation funding.

Ziegler credited FEMA with connecting him to Catholic Charities and the Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group, which helped him find the resources he needed to repair his home. He was both grateful and pleasantly surprised by how much overall assistance they offered. “I remember thinking, ‘Do they really want to help that (much)?’” he said. “But they’ve been great.”

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

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

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

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

Originally posted here:  

With Help from FEMA and Community, Sandy Survivor Returns Home

 Page 2 of 6 « 1  2  3  4  5 » ...  Last »