FEMA Continues Outreach on Rebuilding Safer and Stronger

NEW YORK – New Yorkers beginning the rebuilding process will have more opportunities to receive technical information on improvements to protect their homes from future storms.

Beginning Tuesday, Dec. 18, mitigation specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be at four new area locations to offer guidance on how to build back safer and stronger in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.  

Residents can get advice on safe cleanup measures, repair and building techniques, as well learn more about flood insurance. This information is available to the public and provided at no cost. 

FEMA advisors will be available at Home Depot and Lowe’s stores at the following locations:

Bronx County – Home Depot 
600 Exterior St, Bronx 10451 

Kings County – Home Depot
579 Gateway Dr. Brooklyn 11239

Nassau County – Lowe’s 
90 Price Pkwy, Farmingdale 11735 

Suffolk County – Home Depot
1550 Old Country Rd, Riverhead 11901

Hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 18, through Saturday, Dec. 22, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 23.
Every dollar spent on mitigation now saves four times that amount in repairs from the next disaster concluded a Penn State University-led research team in 2006.  

More information on ways to protect your property from disasters to come is available at: www.fema.gov. Click on “Plan, Prepare and Mitigate.”

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

Originally posted here – 

FEMA Continues Outreach on Rebuilding Safer and Stronger

FEMA Rebuilding Experts Will Offer Free Advice at Home Depots

NEW YORK – People whose property was damaged or destroyed in Hurricane Sandy and are ready to start rebuilding can get advice from experts. Specialists who are knowledgeable in all facets of cleanup and building safer and smarter to avoid future losses will be dispensing guidance free of charge, compliments of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FEMA experts will staff tables at Home Depot stores in Nassau County at 86 Jericho Turnpike, Jericho; in Suffolk County at 202 Airport Plaza Blvd, Farmingdale; in Kings County at 5700 Avenue U, Brooklyn; in Queens County at 75-09 Woodhaven Blvd, Glendale; and in Bronx County at 1806 East Gun Hill Road, the Bronx.

Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, Dec. 8, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9.

Advice and direction on flood cleanup, flood-insurance matters, and repair and rebuilding will be available to all, not just to customers who are registered with FEMA.

These “mitigation” experts will be able to talk about elevating electrical services and appliances; installing sewer back-flow valves; removing and replacing drywall and insulation; channeling water away from foundations; and repairing with water-resistant materials.

For every dollar spent on mitigation, FEMA officials say, nearly four times as much is saved when another disaster like Sandy hits.

More information on ways to protect your property from disasters to come is available at: www.fema.gov. 

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

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FEMA Rebuilding Experts Will Offer Free Advice at Home Depots

FEMA Public Assistance Extended in Nine New York Counties Hit By Hurricane Sandy

ALBANY, NY – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today has extended federal disaster aid in nine New York counties to include supplemental funding for infrastructure repairs in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

Eligible applicants in the counties of Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester can now apply for FEMA Public Assistance (PA) reimbursement for repairs to roads and bridges, water control facilities, buildings and equipment, utilities, parks and recreational facilities and other facilities.

The nine counties already had been designated for FEMA Public Assistance funding for debris removal and emergency protective measures.

“The additional federal infrastructure funding is intended to help New York’s hard-hit communities recover from the devastation left by Hurricane Sandy,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Michael F. Byrne.
 
Supplementary funding under the PA program goes to the state and its agencies, local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations.
 
 Under the program, the federal share of a project’s expenses typically cannot be less than 75 percent of eligible costs. The state forwards the federal funds to the eligible local governments or organizations that incurred costs.

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FEMA Public Assistance Extended in Nine New York Counties Hit By Hurricane Sandy

New York Residents Urged to Register for Federal Disaster Assistance

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York residents affected by Hurricane Sandy may now call or go online to register for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), state and federal officials announced today.
 
“Registering is an important way to help get you on the path to a variety of recovery programs,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Michael F. Byrne. “We’re urging people with hurricane-related damages in federally declared disaster areas to apply as soon as possible.”
 
The major federal disaster declaration, signed by President Obama Oct. 30, offers Individual Assistance in the counties of Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester.

Disaster survivors have several ways to apply.

Individuals can call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- and hearing-impaired. If you use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362.

Another option is to register online at www.disasterassistance.gov  or via web-enabled phone or tablet at m.fema.gov.
The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EDT, seven days a week until further notice.

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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New York Residents Urged to Register for Federal Disaster Assistance

Steps to Applying for FEMA Assistance

<ALBANY, NY –- New Yorkers recovering from the impact of Hurricane Sandy in nine counties can now register for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The major federal disaster declaration, signed by President Obama Oct. 30, offers Individual Assistance in the counties of Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester. Residents from these counties are eligible to register.

Assistance for losses sustained anytime after the storm, which began on Oct. 27 and continuing, may include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help recover from the effects of the disaster.

Even those with insurance may be eligible for help from FEMA if their insurance policy does not cover all their needs.

This is how the process works:

Step 1: Register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. There are several ways to register:

  • Apply online anytime at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov”>www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
  • Call 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY at 800-462-7585. Those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS) may call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice. Multilingual operators are available to assist with the application process.
  • By smartphone or tablet, use m.fema.gov, or for devices with the Android operating system, a FEMA App can be downloaded at market.android.com/details?id=gov.fema.mobile.android.
  • When applying for aid, you will receive a nine-digit registration number that can be used for reference when corresponding with FEMA.

It is helpful to have the following information handy:

  • Current telephone number;
  • Address at the time of the disaster and current address;
  • Social Security number, if available;
  • A general list of damages and losses;
  • If insured, the name of insurance company, agent and policy number; and Bank routing number for any direct deposit.

Step 2: Receive a property inspection.

Within a few days after registering, eligible applicants will be telephoned to make an appointment to have their damaged property inspected. The inspectors, who are FEMA contractors and carry identification badges, visit to make a record of damage. They do not make a determination regarding assistance. There is no cost for the inspection.

Step 3: All applicants will receive a letter from FEMA regarding the status of their requests for federal assistance. Some will also receive an application for a low-interest disaster recovery loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Anyone who has questions about the letter from FEMA should call the helpline (800-621-3362 or TTY, 800-462-7585).

Those who receive an application packet from the SBA should complete and submit the forms. No one is required to accept a loan but submitting the application may open the door to additional FEMA grants.

Taken from:

Steps to Applying for FEMA Assistance

President Declares Major Disaster for New York

Contact: FEMA Region II News Desk
571-405-1882

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of New York and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Sandy beginning on October 27, 2012, and continuing.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Richmond, Suffolk, and Queens counties.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.        

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, for Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Richmond, Suffolk, and Queens counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Michael F. Byrne has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.  Byrne said damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated county can begin applying for assistance starting tomorrow by registering online at http://www.disasterassistance.gov, by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EDT seven days a week until further notice. 

Follow FEMA online at blog.fema.gov, 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. 

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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President Declares Major Disaster for New York