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Holiday Hours Posted for DRCs; SBA to Open Loan Center in Hays County

AUSTIN, Texas – Holiday hours for Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) have been announced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In addition, the DRC in Hays County will transition to a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC).

Representatives from the SBA will be available at the DLOC to meet individually with residents and business owners to answer their questions, explain SBA’s disaster loan program, help them complete their applications and close their approved disaster loans.

The Hays County DRC located at the Hays County Government Center, 712 S. Stagecoach Trail, San Marcos, will close at 6 p.m., Dec. 30, and will reopen as an SBA DLOC on Jan. 4. Hours of operation at the DLOC will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday.

All State/FEMA DRCs in Texas will be closed Dec. 23 to Dec. 27 and Jan. 1 to Jan. 3 for the Christmas and New Year holidays, respectively. All DRCs will close for the day at 2 p.m., Dec. 31.

Visiting a DRC is not required to register for FEMA assistance. Survivors with questions regarding the application or the appeals process, or who decide to register for assistance after a DRC closes can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by phone (voice, 711 or relay service) at 800-621-3362. (TTY users should call 800-462-7585.) The toll-free lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, which will remain open throughout the holiday. Multilingual operators are available.

Specialists from the State of Texas, FEMA, SBA, nongovernmental organizations and the local community are available at DRCs to answer questions and provide information on the types of assistance available to homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage as a result of the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding from Oct. 22 to Oct. 31.

Active DRCs in eight Texas counties are listed here:

Caldwell County
Allen Bates River Park
Intersection of FM 1979 and Fannin St.
Martindale, TX 78655

Cameron County
Bob Clark Social Service Center
9901 California Rd.
Brownsville, TX 7

Harris County
Denver Harbor
Multi-Service Center
6402 Market St.
Houston, TX 77020

Hays County
Hays County Government Center
712 S. Stagecoach Trail
San Marcos, TX 78666
(Closing at 6 p.m. Dec. 30. Reopens as an SBA Loan Center at 9 a.m. Jan. 4)

Navarro County
Navarro Center Mall
800 N. Main St.
Corsicana, TX 75110

Hidalgo County
Porter P. Doss Memorial Library
515 South Kansas Ave.
Weslaco, TX 78596

Travis County
Elroy Community Library
13512 FM 812
Del Valle, TX 78617

Dove Springs Recreation Center
5801 Ainez Drive
Austin, TX 78744

Willacy County
Willacy County EMS
693 South 7th St.
Raymondville, TX 78580

All DRCs have the same normal hours of operation:

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday – Friday
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday
Closed Sunday
All DRCs will close at 2 p.m. on Dec. 31 and will be closed for the holidays Dec. 23 to Dec. 27 and Jan. 1 to Jan.3

For more information on Texas recovery, visit the disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4245, Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website, https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.

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All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

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.

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover 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. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

Visit www.fema.gov/texas-disaster-mitigation for publications and reference material on rebuilding and repairing safer and stronger.

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Holiday Hours Posted for DRCs; SBA to Open Loan Center in Hays County

Help Remains Available After Disaster Recovery Center Closes in Charleston

COLUMBIA, S.C. – One disaster recovery center will close Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 6 p.m.:

Bees Landing Recreation Center, 1580 Ashley Gardens Blvd. in Charleston

Applicants in Charleston may still visit other recovery centers to ask disaster assistance questions. They can locate their closest center by visiting asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm.

Two other disaster recovery centers remain open in the Charleston area. They are:

Department of Public Works, 5800 Casper Padgett Way, North Charleston
Berkeley Electric Co-op, 3351 Maybank Highway, Johns Island (Closed Saturdays)

Representatives from the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Small Business Administration and other agencies are at centers to answer questions about disaster assistance and low-interest loans.

Many services available at disaster recovery centers are also available by calling the FEMA helpline. Applicants can get help by calling 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585; those who use 711/VRS can call 800-621-3362. Lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice. The helplines will be closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Survivors can use the helpline to:

Register for federal assistance. Households should register only once.
Ask questions about FEMA decision letters.
Learn how to appeal FEMA decision letters. All applicants may appeal.
Inquire about the status of a registration.
Provide change of address, telephone and bank account numbers and insurance information to avoid disaster assistance processing delays.
Receive information about FEMA home inspections.
Get questions answered about federal disaster assistance and the application process.

Applicants should have their nine-digit FEMA registration number and zip code if they want to discuss their application.

For the latest information on South Carolina flood recovery operations, visit scemd.org and fema.gov/disaster/4241.

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Help Remains Available After Disaster Recovery Center Closes in Charleston

FEMA Awards $1.1 Million to Arkansas for 2012 Christmas Day Storm

DENTON, Texas – More than $1.1 million is being awarded to the state of Arkansas by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to reimburse Saline County for debris removal costs from a 2012 Christmas Day winter storm.

The FEMA grant was approved after it was determined that the project for removing debris, including hanging limbs in the county required additional funding. The federal share of the $1,100,760 is 75 percent of the project’s total of $1,467,681. FEMA awards funding for projects directly to the state of Arkansas; the state then forwards the grant to the eligible applicant.

To date, FEMA has awarded more than $8.5 million to Arkansas for the Dec. 25-26, 2012 storm that received a presidential declaration on Jan. 29, 2013. The majority of the public assistance funding was for emergency work totaling more than $6.3 million, while the remaining $2.1 million paid for permanent work.

The mission of FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program is to provide assistance to state, tribal and local governments, and certain types of private nonprofit organizations so that communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies declared by the president.

Through the PA Program, FEMA provides supplemental federal disaster grant assistance for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities and the facilities of certain private nonprofit (PNP) organizations.

Learn more about FEMA’s Public Assistance program online www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit.

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FEMA Awards $1.1 Million to Arkansas for 2012 Christmas Day Storm

FEMA Pitches In To Collect Toys For Vermont Children

WILLISTON, Vt. – As the Federal Emergency Management Agency wraps up its mission in Vermont, its personnel are trying to leave behind some holiday cheer for the state’s less fortunate children.

As part of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, staffers at FEMA’s Joint Field Office in Williston have collected new toys to be distributed on Christmas to area children.

“Some FEMA staffers have been in Vermont since before Tropical Storm Irene,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mark Landry, the head of FEMA’s Vermont operations. “This state has been their home away from home, and the way its people have welcomed us it only seems right to give back in this way.”

This is the second holiday season that FEMA has participated in the Toys for Tots Program, which collects new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distributes those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community.

The toys collected by the roughly 30 FEMA staffers in Williston will be delivered to Toys R Us in Williston, which is the collection point for the local campaign.

“It’s always fun to see the box fill up as people bring in their toys, and then to see folks taking a peek at what’s on top and playing with some toys,” said Robin Anderson, a FEMA staffer from Kenmore, Washington who organized the collection. “It really brings out the kid in all of us, and gets everyone in the spirit of the season, which is all about giving.”

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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.

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FEMA Pitches In To Collect Toys For Vermont Children

FEMA Souris Valley Housing Mission Comes to a Close

MINOT, N.D. – After 27 months, the FEMA temporary housing mission in the Souris Valley came to a close yesterday. In the aftermath of the 2011 Souris River flooding, FEMA brought in more than 2,000 manufactured homes to address the severe housing shortage in the region. In the past month, the final few remaining households have been securing permanent housing.

To address the housing needs of the Souris Valley, FEMA established three group housing complexes, encompassing more than 800 individual sites. Those sites were De Sour Valley Heights on the outskirts of Burlington, Recovery Village northeast of Minot and Virgil Workman Village on the east end of Minot. In addition, five manufactured housing parks were also utilized and more than 1,100 manufactured housing units were placed on private property.

All families were placed into housing units by Christmas 2011 – a remarkable accomplishment considering the shortage of contractors available and the inhospitable weather that North Dakota can experience. From that point, residents returned to permanent housing at a rate of approximately 100 per month, with more in the summer months and fewer in the winter time when construction slows.

The diligent efforts of FEMA housing staff have assisted residents in both finding available rental housing as well as completing a highly successful housing unit sales program – which resulted in 265 units being sold to residents for permanent housing.

Helping 2,000 households return to a permanent housing situation has been a collaborative effort that has resulted in the successful completion of this housing mission. The Bank of North Dakota Rebuilders Loan Program has provided low-interest loans to assist residents with the purchase of a unit from FEMA. The Minot Housing Authority has worked closely with FEMA housing residents to find available public housing options. And Hope Village provided critical volunteer labor and donated resources to help homeowners make repairs to their damaged homes.

In addition to managing the temporary housing program, FEMA has provided more than $90 million to Souris Valley residents to make repairs to flood damaged properties or to pay rent while unable to live in a flood-damaged home. Statewide, FEMA has provided more than $400 million in disaster assistance to individuals and governmental jurisdictions as a result of 2011 flooding.

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FEMA Souris Valley Housing Mission Comes to a Close

SBA Loan Center to Offer Services in Milford

WINDSOR, Conn. — A U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Outreach Center will replace the FEMA-state Disaster Recovery Center at the former Simon Lake Elementary School, 65 Devonshire Road, Milford, CT, 06460.

The FEMA Disaster Recovery Center’s final hours will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday, Dec. 21, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 22.

FEMA will still be available to help residents recover from Sandy. The FEMA helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-621-3362, to register for assistance, ask questions about an application or update contact information so FEMA knows how to reach you. For TTY, call 800-462-7585.

The SBA center will open in the same location at 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 24. Hours for the SBA Center are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Homeowners, business owners and renters who had damage from Hurricane Sandy in one of the Connecticut counties designated for Individual Assistance should register for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

If an applicant receives an application for a low-interest disaster loan from SBA as part of the registration package from FEMA, it is important this application be completed and returned. No survivor is required to take out an SBA loan, but completion of the SBA application may make the applicant eligible for further FEMA assistance.

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 or ask questions 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.

Originally posted here:

SBA Loan Center to Offer Services in Milford

Manhattan Disaster Recovery Center Opens Saturday

NEW YORK – The state of New York and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will open a new Disaster Recovery Center in Manhattan at 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, to provide

one-on-one, face-to-face help for Hurricane Sandy survivors.

The center will be located at Southbridge Towers, Store No. 10, 66 Frankfort St., New York,

NY 10038. It will be convenient not only for Manhattan residents, but also for storm survivors who live in other boroughs or counties and work in Manhattan.

Normal operational hours for the Disaster Recovery Center are:

8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday

9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday (Dec. 23 only)

Holiday hours for the center are:

8 a.m. to noon on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) and New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31)

The center will not open on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Individuals may visit the Manhattan center to obtain useful FEMA information and apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Seven weeks after Hurricane Sandy struck, more than 20 Disaster Recovery Centers remain open throughout New York. They have hosted about 105,000 survivors of the devastating storm.

To find the nearest recovery center, the following options are available: Text DRC and a Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA), and a text message will be sent back with the address. Also, check out the Disaster Recovery Center locator at www.FEMA.gov/disaster-recovery-centers.

Individuals can find a recovery center – and register for FEMA help – online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet by going to m.fema.gov or downloading the FEMA app. They may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. People who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) should call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

Hurricane Sandy survivors in New York have until Jan. 28, 2013 to register for federal disaster assistance, which can include money for rent, essential home repairs, personal property losses and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

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

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Manhattan Disaster Recovery Center Opens Saturday

Fairfield Disaster Recovery Center to Transition to SBA Loan Outreach Center

WINDSOR, Conn. — The FEMA-state Disaster Recovery Center in Fairfield closes Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 6 p.m., but FEMA will still be available to help residents recover from Sandy.

The FEMA helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-621-3362, to register for assistance, ask questions about an application or update contact information so FEMA knows how to reach you. For TTY, call 800-462-7585.

When FEMA’s Fairfield center closes, the U.S. Small Business Administration will open a Disaster Loan Outreach Center in the same location at the Senior Center, 100 Mona Terrace, Fairfield, CT 06824, on Thursday, Dec. 20.

Fairfield Disaster Loan Outreach Center hours of operation will be:

9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday (starting Dec. 20)

Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

If an applicant receives an application for a low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration, it is important this application be completed and returned. No survivor is required to take out an SBA loan, but completion of the SBA application may make the applicant eligible for further FEMA assistance.

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 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.

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 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.

Taken from –

Fairfield Disaster Recovery Center to Transition to SBA Loan Outreach Center

Fact Sheet: FEMA Public Assistance in the Souris Valley

Release Date: June 11, 2012
Release Number: 1981-AFS001

» More Information on North Dakota Flooding

» 2012 Region VIII News Releases

Overview

Of the nearly $235M in funding for 2011 flooding statewide, more than 80 million has been obligated in the Souris Valley.
Among the larger applicants are:
- Ward County $9.8 M
- City of Minot $7.2 M
- City of Burlington $1.6 M
- Minot Public Schools $46.7 M (more than 20% disaster total statewide)
- North Dakota State Fair $4 M
- Minot Park District $2.5M
- Additionally, $1.9 million has been provided in Bottineau County, $5.5 million in McHenry County and $1.2 million in Renville County.
Established three task forces to address high priority projects involving schools, critical facilities and debris removal.

Schools

Both Erik Ramstad and Lincoln schools were deemed eligible for replacement based on 50% repair justification; $25M Federal Share replacement funds for Ramstad and $5M for Lincoln.
Provided more than $8.4M to the schools for activities ranging from emergency protective measures to building repairs and temporary classrooms.
Approved and funded installation of temporary school facilities allowing classes to start within 10 days of the scheduled start date. This was accomplished through proactive evaluations and rapid resolution of environmental concerns in advance of applicant identified requirements.

Emergency Work

Removed over 69,000 tons of debris totaling over $2.6M through mission assignment to USACE.
Debris removal missions allowed for the accomplishment of private site housing of over 1,000 eligible applicants; 100% of eligible applicants housed before Christmas 2011.
Funded safety inspections of over 4,000 Minot buildings (including private residences).
Mission assigned OSHA to provide partnerships in mishap prevention and eliminating the need for compliance and enforcement inspections.
Mission assigned EPA to remove over 6,000 units of white goods, 80,000 small containers of HAZMAT, 15,000 gallons of gasoline, 215 lead-acid batteries and over 550 cubic yards of electronic waste (most of which was recycled).

Statewide

To date, 4438 projects have been obligated, with nearly $235 million in federal cost-share funds provided to the state of North Dakota.
To date more than $9 million in federal cost-share funds have been provided to state agencies for 2011 disaster response activities, including:
- North Dakota National Guard $5 M
- ND Dept. of Transportation $2.2 M
- ND Dept. of Emergency Services $1.1 M

Last Modified: Monday, 11-Jun-2012 10:01:48

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Fact Sheet: FEMA Public Assistance in the Souris Valley

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Fact Sheet: FEMA Public Assistance in the Souris Valley