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Los Estafadores Intentan Aprovecharse De Los Sobrevivientes Del Desastre

TRENTON, N.J. – Los fraudes y estafas son males conocidos que aparecen luego de cualquier desastre. Con métodos viejos y modernos, los estafadores buscan obtener información muy importante o aprovecharse de los sobrevivientes ocupados en su recuperación.

Los residentes de New Jersey deben mantenerse alerta. Algunos de los fraudes más comunes luego de un desastre incluyen:

Estafas por reparaciones en la vivienda

Contratistas para la mejora de viviendas no registrados pueden llevarse el dinero de los sobrevivientes, dejando, en su huida, reparaciones inconclusas y viviendas inseguras. Antes de contratar a un contratista, el sobreviviente debe informarse con la oficina del Departamento de Defensa al Consumidor de New Jersey, llamando al número 800-242-5846, para asegurarse de que el contratista está registrado. También debe solicitar la póliza de seguro de responsabilidad civil del contratista y verificar que sea válida. Todos los contratos deben realizarse por escrito y revisarse antes de firmarlos. Tampoco se debe pagar el total de las reparaciones antes de que los trabajos sean concluidos.

Se debe notificar al departamento de policía local sobre las sospechas de fraude.

Aumento ilegal de precios

Los aumentos excesivos de precios son ilegales. Infórmese con la oficina del Departamento de Defensa al Consumidor de New Jersey en el sitio www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov o llame al número 800-242-5846 si sospecha que los precios son demasiado altos.

Robo de identidad

Algunas personas pueden hacerse pasar por empleados de la Agencia Federal para el Manejo de Emergencias (FEMA, Federal Emergency Management Agency) u otras organizaciones gubernamentales, como la Agencia Federal para el Desarrollo de la Pequeña Empresa (SBA, U.S. Small Business Administration), o servicios públicos. Los estafadores, que estén yendo de puerta en puerta por las viviendas dañadas, por teléfono o por Internet, pueden intentar obtener información personal como el número de Seguro Social o números de cuentas bancarias.

Recuerde:

Una playera o chaqueta de FEMA o SBA no es prueba suficiente de la afiliación de alguien con estas agencias. Todo el personal autorizado de FEMA y SBA tienen una identificación oficial laminada y con foto que deben llevar de forma visible todo el tiempo;
Los individuos pueden inscribirse para recibir asistencia y realizar un seguimiento de sus solicitudes anteriores en línea en el sitio DisasterAssistance.gov/espanol o a través de un dispositivo móvil que permita el acceso a Internet en el sitio m.FEMA.gov/esp. Por teléfono o a través de las líneas 711/VRS, llamando al 800-621-3362 o TTY 800-462-7585;
Para las llamadas de seguimiento, un representante de FEMA sólo pedirá los últimos cuatro dígitos del número de Seguro Social del solicitante.

Sobornos o pagos falsos

Los impostores pueden requerir alguna forma de pago por servicios o sobornos – algo que FEMA, SBA o el empleado de una agencia federal nunca requerirá. Los inspectores de vivienda contratados por FEMA evalúan los daños pero no estiman los costos. FEMA no contrata o recomienda contratistas específicos para reparar las viviendas o recomienda reparaciones.

Los estafadores pueden presentarse como especialistas en seguros o gestores que declaran que pueden convencer a FEMA para aumentar la ayuda de las reparaciones en la vivienda o convencer al seguro de pagar un acuerdo más alto. Los estafadores le piden al solicitante o persona asegurada que firmen un contrato donde establecen que les pagarán un porcentaje del pago incrementado. La esencia del fraude consiste en llevarse un porcentaje del subsidio por daños o acuerdo con el seguro que se les proporcionaría normalmente a los sobrevivientes. FEMA siempre negocia directamente con cada solicitante y siempre está dispuesta a considerar una apelación y enviar a otro inspector a revisar los daños en la propiedad dañada o las pérdidas declaradas.

Fraudes de caridad

Antes de realizar una donación, las personas deben investigar a las organizaciones para asegurarse de que están registradas para recaudar fondos en New Jersey. También deben preguntar cómo se va a utilizar el dinero recaudado.

Para más preguntas, los residentes de New Jersey pueden ponerse en contacto con la oficina del Departamento de Defensa al Consumidor de New Jersey en el sitio www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov o llamando al 800-242-5846.

La misión de FEMA es apoyar a los ciudadanos y a las agencias de primera respuesta para garantizar que trabajemos juntos como nación para desarrollar, mantener y mejorar nuestra capacidad de prepararnos, protegernos, y recuperarnos de los peligros, responder ante ellos y mitigarlos.

Siga a FEMA en línea en www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, y www.youtube.com/fema. También, siga las actividades de administrador Craig Fugate en www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

Los enlaces a redes sociales se proporcionan solamente a manera de referencia. FEMA no endosa ninguna página de Internet, compañía o aplicación no gubernamental.

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Los Estafadores Intentan Aprovecharse De Los Sobrevivientes Del Desastre

FEMA Urges Prompt Return of SBA Disaster Loan Application

NEW YORK – Survivors of Hurricane Sandy, who received a loan application from the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA), should take the time to fill it out and return it promptly. This includes homeowners, renters, business owners, and non-profit organizations that have called the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to register for disaster assistance.

“SBA is our partner in disaster recovery. If you received an application from the SBA, whether you are a business, homeowner or renter, you need to return the application.” said Michael F. Byrne, coordinating officer for the federal recovery operations in the affected area. “Filling out the application is a necessary step to being considered for other forms of assistance.”

An SBA disaster loan can help homeowners, renters and businesses cover any repair or rebuilding costs not covered by private insurance or cover disaster-related damage costs that exceed the initial estimate. Homeowners can receive loans of up to $200,000 to repair or replace their primary residences. Homeowners and renters may also borrow up to $40,000 to replace damaged or destroyed personal property including vehicles.

“The SBA has approved more than $96 million in Disaster Assistance Loans in the state of New York with almost $89 million for homeowners and renters,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East in Atlanta. “We are pleased to be able to get these loans approved so residents and businesses in the disaster area can start to rebuild and resume their normal lives.”

Businesses and private nonprofits can apply for loans of up to $2 million. Interest rates for businesses are as low as 4 percent to cover physical damage and economic injury caused by the disaster. For private nonprofits, interest rates are as low as 3 percent and for homeowners and renters the rates are as low as 1.688 percent with terms as long as 30 years.

SBA customer service representatives are available to issue or accept low-interest disaster loan applications and answer questions at all New York State/FEMA disaster recovery centers and 19 SBA business recovery centers. To find the nearest disaster recovery center, check out the disaster recovery center locator at www.FEMA.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or, with a tablet or smartphone, go to m.fema.gov.

Help also can be obtained by calling FEMA’s toll-free helpline at 800-621-3362. Lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice, and assistance is offered in most languages. You may also text “DRC” and your Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA). For example, if you lived in Staten Island, you would text: “DRC 10301.” Individuals can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. Applicants who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) can call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day seven days a week until further notice.

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

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

Originally posted here:

FEMA Urges Prompt Return of SBA Disaster Loan Application

Connecticut Disaster Recovery Centers Hours Change, Old Saybrook DRC Closing

WINDSOR, Conn. — Hours for all Connecticut Disaster Recovery Centers change beginning Saturday, Dec. 8. The center in Old Saybrook will close at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8. The schedule is as follows:

Now through Friday, Dec.7, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 8, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

After the Old Saybrook Disaster Recovery Center closes and beginning Dec. 10, hours for the remaining centers will be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Centers are closed on Sundays.

Disaster Recovery Center locations are:

Housatonic Community College

900 Lafayette Blvd.

Bridgeport, CT 06604

Western Greenwich Civic Center

Room 203

449 Pemberwick Road

Greenwich, CT 06381

Department of Police Services

Conference Room

6 Custom Drive

Old Saybrook, CT 06475

(Closes Dec. 8)

Senior Center

100 Mona Terrace

Fairfield, CT 06824

Simon Lake Elementary School (former)

65 Devonshire Rd.

Milford, CT 06460

Homeowners or renters who suffered damages in counties designated for federal individual disaster assistance can visit any of the centers.

The deadline to register is Dec. 31. Survivors can register online anytime day or night at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or with a smartphone or other Web-enabled device at m.fema.gov. Survivors can also register by phone anytime by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362. The TTY number is 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Wait for the English message to finish to reach multilingual operators.

Registering for disaster assistance with other agencies or organizations does not register survivors for FEMA disaster assistance. Having FEMA flood insurance does not register policyholders for disaster assistance; flood insurance claims are handled separately.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362. For TTY, call 800-462-7585.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and covers the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

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.

Connecticut Disaster Recovery Centers Hours Change, Old Saybrook DRC Closing

Over $42 Million In Disaster Loans Approved In New Jersey, SBA Urges Submission Of Applications Before December 31 Deadline

TRENTON, N.J. — The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved over $42.3 million in disaster assistance loans for 653 New Jersey residents and businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy. The deadline to apply for physical damage is December 31, 2012. Those affected by the disaster are encouraged to apply now and may apply for disaster loans electronically from SBA’s website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

Applicants do not have to wait for insurance to be settled before applying. No one is obligated to take a loan if it is offered, but if you don’t accept a loan, you may not be eligible for FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance. However, it is important for businesses and residents to maximize their recovery resources and take time to submit their SBA disaster applications before the December 31 deadline.

SBA offers the following types of low-interest, long-term loans to cover uninsured losses:

Home Disaster Loans: to homeowners to repair disaster-damaged real estate and replace damaged contents. Renters are also eligible for their contents loss.

Business Physical Disaster Loans: to businesses to repair disaster-damaged property and repair/replace damaged business contents including inventory, machinery and equipment. Businesses of any size are eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, etc., are also eligible.

Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster.

Interest rates are as low as 1.688 percent for homeowners and renters, 3 percent for non-profit organizations and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical damage is December 31, 2012. The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 31, 2013.

SBA customer service representatives are available at all Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) throughout the state and at the ten Business Recovery Centers (BRCs) in Atlantic City, Hackensack, Cape May, Newark, Jersey City, Piscataway, Lincroft, Manahawkin, Paterson and Plainfield.

SBA’s partners including counselors with the New Jersey Small Business Development Center (NJSBDC), SCORE, SBA Women’s Business Center and SBA’s Veteran’s Business Outreach Center are available to help business owners prepare needed financial information at no charge.

Details on the locations of Centers and the loan application process can be obtained by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, TTY 800-877-8339 or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

Loan applications can be downloaded from www.sba.gov. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Businesses of any size can learn about disaster business loans available from the Small Business Administration in this two minute video: SBA Disaster Business Loans.

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.

For more information about the SBA’s Disaster Loan Program, visit our website at www.sba.gov.

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Over $42 Million In Disaster Loans Approved In New Jersey, SBA Urges Submission Of Applications Before December 31 Deadline

Federal Disaster Assistance Is for Connecticut Renters, Too

WINDSOR, Conn. — Renters in Connecticut counties whose homes and property were damaged by Hurricane Sandy may be eligible for federal disaster assistance.

“Sandy did not discriminate between homeowners and renters,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Albert Lewis. “We’re here to help everyone who is eligible for assistance, and that definitely includes renters.”

Renters who were displaced from their homes by the storm may be eligible for a FEMA grant to help them pay rent for temporary housing. These rental grants are for a 30-day period, subject to assistance review, until renters’ previous homes are again habitable or they find another home.

There is a free referral service to help applicants find safe, replacement rental property.

Go to: http://go.usa.gov/gKve.

Both renters and homeowners may also be eligible for Other Needs Assistance, designed to help survivors with uninsured or underinsured necessary expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster.

Eligibility for these grants is determined through completing and returning the U.S. Small Business Administration application that many applicants receive after registering for disaster assistance. There is no requirement to take out a loan.

Grants can be used for:

Disaster-related medical and dental expenses;
Replacement or repair of necessary personal property lost or damaged in the disaster, such as room furnishings or appliances, and tools and equipment required by the self-employed for their jobs;
Primary vehicles and approved second vehicles damaged by the disaster; and
Disaster-related funeral and burial expenses.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and covers the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

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Federal Disaster Assistance Is for Connecticut Renters, Too

Businesses, Nonprofit Organizations Get Smart About Low-Interest Disaster Loans

WINDSOR, Conn. — Businesses and nonprofit organizations are discovering a low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration is a smart business decision.

Disaster loans provide funding for private sector recovery and are being used to:

Repair or replace buildings and business assets, such as equipment and inventory;
Meet payroll and lease obligations during business downtime caused by the disaster;
Refinance existing liens; and
Make improvements to protect against future damage.

“Disaster loans from the SBA are the major source of federal disaster recovery assistance,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Albert Lewis of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “The interest rates are low—as low as 4 percent for businesses and 3 percent for nonprofits.”

SBA offers businesses and nonprofits two types of disaster loans: a Physical Disaster Loan and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan.

Physical Disaster Loans are used to repair or replace damaged buildings and business assets. Economic Injury Disaster Loans help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, aquaculture businesses and most private nonprofits meet financial obligations that they cannot meet because of the disaster.

Business owners may also be eligible to refinance existing liens or mortgages.

Applications from the SBA are mailed to most survivors who register for assistance with FEMA. No one is obligated to accept a loan if offered.

SBA low-interest disaster loans for businesses have several advantages:

SBA requires no collateral for physical loans less than $14,000 or economic injury loans less than $5,000. SBA requires the borrower to pledge as collateral only what is available, plus satisfactory credit and the ability to repay.

Applicants don’t have to wait for insurance settlements to obtain loans.

Loans are written for a length of time appropriate to the type of loan, but SBA may make adjustments in the length to lower the monthly payments.

SBA offers mitigation loans to help pay for improvements to reduce potential for future damage. These mitigation funds are available for up to 20 percent of the total amount of disaster damage.

SBA never charges an application fee or points for its disaster loans.

By law, SBA business loans cannot exceed $2 million. If a business is a major employer, SBA may waive the limit.

The deadline to file for a Physical Damage Disaster Loan is Dec. 31. The deadline for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan is July 31, 2013.

No one is obligated to accept a loan if approved. SBA gives applicants six months to decide whether to accept a loan.

SBA has opened a Business Recovery Center in Fairfield County at the Fairfield County SCORE office, 111 East Ave., Norwalk, CT 06851. The center is staffed from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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

Originally posted here:

Businesses, Nonprofit Organizations Get Smart About Low-Interest Disaster Loans

Sandy Survivors: Ask Questions About Letters From Fema

Trenton, N.J. — Survivors who received letters from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after contacting FEMA for assistance should ask for help if they have questions.

FEMA sends every applicant a letter explaining the status of their application.

Sometimes a letter from FEMA indicates a status of ineligibility. This may simply mean that more information or documents are needed to better help FEMA process your application. Eligibility statuses can change when new information is provided. Survivors may need to:

Provide records that showed the damaged property was the primary residence at the time of the disaster.
Give their insurance or other documentation to FEMA.
Provide proof of ownership or residence.
Return the Small Business Administration disaster loan application.
Sign all essential documents.

FEMA cannot duplicate any aid that may have come from other government sources or insurance.

Answers to questions about the letter can be found by:

Visiting a Disaster Recovery Center. To find a center near you, use the online locator at www.fema.gov/drc. You may also text DRC and a ZIP code to 43362 (4FEMA) For example, if you lived in Atlantic City, you would text: DRC 08401.
Calling the FEMA Helpline by phone or 711/VRS at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 1-800-7585.
Reviewing the “Help After Disaster” guide mailed to each applicant. The information also is available online in many languages at http://www.fema.gov/help-after-disaster

Don’t be discouraged: read the letter, ask questions, and ask for help.

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

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

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Sandy Survivors: Ask Questions About Letters From Fema

Groton Disaster Recovery Center to Close

WINDSOR, Conn. – The FEMA-State Disaster Recovery Center at the Groton Senior Center, 102 Newtown Road, Groton, will close at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 5.

Help is still available for residents with damage from Hurricane Sandy. Register online or through the FEMA Helpline call center. The deadline to register is Dec. 31.

Survivors can register online anytime day or night at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or with a smartphone or other Web-enabled device at m.fema.gov. Survivors can also register by phone anytime by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362. The TTY number is 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Wait for the English message to

finish to reach the multilingual operators.

Homeowners or renters who suffered damages in counties designated for disaster assistance can visit any of the other Disaster Recovery Centers. For the location of the nearest center, go to: http://go.usa.gov/g2Td.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and covers the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

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Groton Disaster Recovery Center to Close

New Jersey Recovery: One Month Later

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More here –

New Jersey Recovery: One Month Later

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

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

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

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

Federal grants cover necessary expenses and serious needs, including:

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

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

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

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private, nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and covers the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

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

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