FRANKFORT, Ky – Kentuckians recovering and rebuilding from recent storms and flooding are urged to watch for and report any suspicious activity or potential fraud.

Even as government agencies and charitable groups continue to provide disaster assistance, scam artists and other criminals may attempt to prey on vulnerable survivors, including the disabled and elderly. The most common post-disaster fraud practices include phony housing inspectors, fraudulent building contractors or repair service providers, taking money before work is performed, shoddy work, identity theft, bank account or credit card phishing, price gouging, bogus pleas for disaster donations, and fake offers of state or federal aid.

Scam attempts can be made over the phone, by mail, email, or in person. Con artists are creative and resourceful, so survivors are encouraged to remain alert, ask questions and require identification when someone claims to be an official or represent a government agency.

Survivors should also keep in mind that state and federal workers never ask for or accept money, and always carry identification badges with a photograph. No fee required to apply for or to get disaster assistance from FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) or the Commonwealth. Additionally, no state or federal government disaster assistance agency will call to ask for your financial account information; unless you place a call to the agency yourself, you should not provide personal information over the phone.

Those who suspect fraud can call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 (toll free). For more information, contact the Commonwealth of Kentucky Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection at 1-888-432-9257.

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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.

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).

For more information on Kentucky’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or http://kyem.ky.gov.

On Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/KYEmergencyManagement. To receive Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/kyempio or www.twitter.com/femaregion4.

 

 

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Kentucky Storm and Flood Survivors Urged to Beware of Frauds and Scams

AUSTIN, Texas – If you are among the thousands of Texans who filed insurance claims for damage related to the May 4 to June 22 storms, you may be eligible for additional state-federal assistance. The key is to register with FEMA before the Aug. 27 deadline. Filing a claim under FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program is different than registering for a FEMA disaster assistance grant.

FEMA may be able to help you with uninsured or underinsured losses or if your insurance settlement is delayed. Be sure to document your situation and gather insurance company documents that can be included when you talk with FEMA after registering.

Have you received the maximum settlement from your insurance and still have unmet disaster-related needs?  You may be eligible for a grant.

For example, if you have exhausted the maximum settlement from your insurance for Additional Living Expenses (ALE for loss of use) and still need help from FEMA with temporary housing, you should document your need and assemble paperwork that shows use of ALE from insurance.

While FEMA cannot duplicate benefits covered by your insurance or other sources, you may also be eligible for emergency home repairs, disaster-related medical, dental and funeral costs and other disaster-related expenses.

Has a decision on your insurance settlement been delayed longer than 30 days from the time you filed your claim? Be sure to let FEMA know and have ready any documents from your insurance company to show that you filed a claim. If the claim was filed over the telephone, include the claim number, date applied, and an estimate of how long it will take for you to receive your settlement. Any help from FEMA would be considered an advance and would have to be repaid to FEMA when your insurance settlement is received.

You can apply for FEMA assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362 toll free from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) daily until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.

Disaster assistance applicants who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY should call 800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

Applying for an SBA low-interest disaster loan is part of federal disaster assistance. Many people who apply to FEMA are automatically referred for a low-interest disaster assistance loan. Survivors should complete SBA loan applications so they can be considered for all available disaster assistance.

For more information on Texas recovery, visit the disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4223, Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6, and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website, 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.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

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Texans Who Filed Insurance Claims for May-June Storm Damage Should Register With FEMA

AUSTIN, Texas – A Mobile Registration Intake Center (MRIC) has opened in Taylor, Texas, to serve homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage as a result of the ongoing severe storms and flooding.

Specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are there to answer questions and provide information on the types of assistance available to survivors.

Location and dates of operation

City Hall
400 Porter Street
Taylor, TX 76574
9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily until further notice

People who had storm damage in Bastrop, Blanco, Caldwell, Denton, Eastland, Fort Bend, Gaines, Guadalupe, Harris, Hays, Henderson, Hidalgo, Johnson, Milam, Montague, Navarro, Rusk, Smith, Travis, Van Zandt, Wichita, Williamson and Wise counties can register for FEMA assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or call 800-621-3362 toll free from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.

Disaster assistance applicants who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY should call 800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call   800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

Flood survivors statewide should call and report their damage to give the state and FEMA a better idea of the assistance that is needed in undesignated counties.

Assistance for eligible survivors can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and for other serious disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses or funeral and burial costs. Low-interest disaster loans from SBA also may be available to cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

Eligible survivors should register with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but under-insured applicants may receive help after their insurance claims have been settled.

 

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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.  Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion6.

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.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

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Mobile Registration Intake Center Opens in Williamson County for Texas Flood Survivors

Application Deadline for Federal Disaster Assistance Related to the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Lava Flow is April 2

Applicant Briefings Scheduled for March

 

HONOLULU – State, county and certain private, non-profit organizations who suffered losses such as debris removal and damage to infrastructure due to the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō lava flow are encouraged to submit an application for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Public Assistance program no later than April 2, 2015.

 

To determine eligibility, applicants must first submit requests for Public Assistance through the state within 30 calendar days from the date of the disaster declaration in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations. The March 4, 2015 amendment to President Obama’s major disaster declaration (Nov. 3, 2014) adds debris management and permanent work to repair infrastructure as categories of eligible work under FEMA’s Public Assistance program.

 

For additional information or guidance on how to submit a completed application, e-mail HI-EMA at AskCivilDefense@scd.hawaii.gov.

 

Federal and state disaster recovery officials will hold briefings for eligible applicants on these dates:

 

Thursday, March 19 at 9:00 am

Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency (formerly State Civil Defense)

Diamond Head Crater, Honolulu, HI 96816

Phone: (808) 733-4300

 

Friday, March 20 at 9:00 am

Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency

920 Ululani Street, Hilo, HI 96720

Phone: (808) 935-0031

 

 

For additional information on these applicant briefings, call the Hawai‘i Emergency Management

Agency at (808) 733-4300. Interested private non-profit organizations are encouraged to call prior to the briefings to receive a sample documentation packet.

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Application Deadline for Federal Disaster Assistance Related to the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Lava Flow is April 2

HONOLULU – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today approved a request from the State of Hawaii to amend the existing Public Assistance program for state, county, and certain private, non-profit entities with eligible costs from the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō lava flow. The amendment to President Obama’s Nov. 3, 2014 disaster declaration adds debris management and permanent work to repair infrastructure as categories of eligible work.

Eligible entities must submit requests for Public Assistance through the state within 30 calendar days from the date of the amendment in accordance with Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 206.202(c).

State, county, and certain private, non-profit entities that have suffered damages or have debris resulting from the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō lava flow are encouraged to submit an application through the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA), formerly known as State Civil Defense.

For additional information or to submit a completed application, e-mail HI-EMA at AskCivilDefense@scd.hawaii.gov.

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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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Additional Assistance Approved for Eligible Entities Affected by Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō lava flow

Tropical Storm Iselle Disaster Assistance Update

Main Content

Release date:

December 11, 2014

Release Number:

HI 4194 NR 03

HONOLULU – Three months after President Barack Obama approved supplemental federal aid to help local government agencies and eligible non-profit organizations recover from Tropical Storm Iselle, state and federal disaster recovery employees have:

  • Conducted a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment;

  • Held four Applicant Briefings on Hawaii Island, Maui, and Oahu;

  • Received requests for FEMA public assistance from16 applicants who were impacted during Tropical Storm Iselle, which affected the Hawaiian Islands Aug. 7-9, 2014;

  • Processed and gained approval for 42 projects ranging from repair and replacement of damaged public facilities, debris removal, and actions taken for emergency protective measures prior to Iselle’s landfall;

  • Conducted four meetings with state and local government and nonprofit organizations eligible to apply for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The purpose of the HMGP is to eliminate or reduce long-term risk to life and property from future hazards.

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA), formerly State Civil Defense, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continue to work together on recovery from Tropical Storm Iselle.

Last Updated:

December 12, 2014 – 14:31

State/Tribal Government or Region:

Related Disaster:

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Tropical Storm Iselle Disaster Assistance Update

Agencies Impacted by Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Lava Flow Reminded to Apply for Assistance No Later Than Dec. 3

HONOLULU – The deadline for state, county, and certain private, non-profit organizations with eligible costs for the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō lava flow to submit applications for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance program is Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014.

Eligible agencies must submit requests for Public Assistance through the state within 30 calendar days from the date of the disaster declaration in accordance with Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 206.202(c). President Obama signed a disaster declaration for the lava flow erupting from the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō vent of Kīlauea on Nov. 3, 2014.

State, county, and certain private, non-profit organizations that have already taken emergency protective measures, or are anticipating taking emergency protective measures, in response to the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō lava flow are encouraged to submit an application through the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA), formerly known as State Civil Defense.

For additional information or to submit a completed application, e-mail HI-EMA at AskCivilDefense@scd.hawaii.gov.

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Agencies Impacted by Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Lava Flow Reminded to Apply for Assistance No Later Than Dec. 3

WARWICK, R.I. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency is hiring a number of Rhode Islanders to assist in the state’s recovery efforts following Hurricane Sandy.

“It is FEMA policy, and the agency makes it a priority, to employ local residents,” explained FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer James N. Russo.  “It gives us an opportunity to tap into the skills and experience of people who live right here in the Ocean State.  Moreover, a paycheck makes it into the hands of some local, unemployed workers on a temporary basis.” 

FEMA is currently seeking up to 15 local employees, which will comprise 10 percent of the FEMA workforce, at its Joint Field Office in Warwick.  Civil engineering, administrative management, accounting, and charting and mapping are but a few of the skill sets being sought.

This is the second time in recent years FEMA has recruited locally in Rhode Island.  Many individuals were hired in 2010 when the agency helped the state recover from spring storms and flooding at that time.

Individuals interested in applying should register online at www.EmployRI.org.  The initiative is supported by EmployRI and the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.

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FEMA Hiring Locally to Help in Disaster Recovery

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisianians who sustained damage from Hurricane Isaac can now call the Disaster Legal Services hotline at 1-800-310-7029 for free legal assistance and counseling.

Through the hotline, volunteer lawyers can help eligible hurricane survivors with legal issues related to the hurricane. Volunteer lawyers can discuss insurance claims, landlord-tenant issues, consumer protection issues and the replacement of wills or other important documents that were lost or destroyed during the storm.

Callers should be prepared to discuss particular legal problems caused by the disaster and to provide a current contact phone number. To be eligible for this free legal assistance, they must reside in one of the 21 parishes designated for Individual Assistance under the federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Isaac. The parishes are Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne,  Washington and West Feliciana.

Disaster Legal Services is a federally funded program run under an agreement between the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division, Louisiana State Bar Association, the Louisiana Civil Justice Center and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The call center operates from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Voicemails are returned from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday. Legal assistance for Spanish-speaking callers is also available.

Hurricane survivors can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smartphone at m.fema.gov. They may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow FEMA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

Link: 

Hurricane Isaac Survivors ElIgible for Disaster Legal Services

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