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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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FEMA Corps ‘Raced the Wave’ in Cannon Beach

SAIPAN – Concrete poles are being installed around Saipan, in a joint mutual aid effort between the Guam Power Authority (GPA) and the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC). These poles will assist in power restoration for the island and will be more resilient and disaster resistant.

The 90 concrete poles arrived on Saturday August 22nd and through today, most were installed throughout the island, including along the feeder to the airport. An additional 110 concrete poles are scheduled to be delivered within the next few days which will continue to support the overall power authority restoration capabilities.

GPA has provided the poles to CUC, and are working together to install them on Saipan as part of a mutual aid program. FEMA is assisting in the transport of these poles, which falls under Category F of FEMA’s Public Assistance program. This includes the permanent restoration and repair of utilities for water treatment and delivery systems; power generation facilities and distribution facilities; sewage collection and treatment facilities; and communications.

“Saipan is well under way to recovery” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Stephen M. DeBlasio Sr., “The installation of these concrete poles as well as additional treated wood utility poles is a clear sign of recovery and the ongoing partnership of the whole community.”

This is a great Mitigation effort here on the island provided through Mutual Aid between the GPA and Saipan CUC, and the FEMA Public Assistance Program.

FEMA also mission assigned power experts from the United State Army Core of Engineers (USACE) 249th Prime Power Battalion Delta team to assist CNMI in installing the hardwire and electrical wiring on the utility poles.

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 Non-Profit (PNP) organizations. The PA Program also encourages protection of these damaged facilities from future events by providing assistance for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery process.

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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Concrete Utility Poles Installed on Saipan

NEW YORK – With the obligation of more than $982 million to New York University’s Langone Medical Center along with many other projects, disaster assistance funding from FEMA’s Public Assistance program to help rebuild New York after Hurricane Sandy now exceeds $3.8 billion.

FEMA Public Assistance is supporting the restoration of New York’s storm-damaged infrastructure by funding projects to renovate schools, refurbish hospitals, restore parks and repair public transportation systems. FEMA Public Assistance provides grants to state and local governments and eligible nonprofit organizations.

The award to NYU Langone was one of the first utilizing the Public Assistance Alternative Procedures Pilot Program for Permanent Work, authorized by the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act and signed into law by President Obama in January 2013. The program is a new way to fund disaster recovery by expediting funding for Public Assistance projects and providing flexibility in the use of funding for recovery.

The $982,472,017 will be used to restore damaged buildings at the NYU Langone Medical Center and for mitigation measures designed to protect it from future storms.

Other awards include:

•  Almost $216 million for the New York Health and Hospitals Corporation for emergency and protective measures as well as repairs and restoration to facilities;

•  Nearly $43 million to the New York School Construction Authority to renovate classrooms and repair school buildings; and

•  Approximately $11.4 million for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for repair, replacement and hazard mitigation of damaged elements of the transportation system.

Additional funding is expected for an array of projects throughout the affected areas.

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

The Sandy Recovery Office supports disaster recovery operations for New Jersey and New York from field offices in Eatontown, N.J. and Forest Hills, N.Y., coordinating all federal agency funding designated for Hurricane Sandy long-term recovery operations in both states.

For more information, visit http://www.fema.gov/sandy-recovery-office

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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FEMA Public Assistance Tops $3.8 Billion

National campaign encourages public to practice specific preparedness actions

WASHINGTON – The growing impact of disasters underscores the need for a new approach to preparing our communities. Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) unveiled America’s PrepareAthon! SM, a nationwide, community-based campaign for action to increase emergency preparedness and resilience.

The strategy and structure for America’s PrepareAthon! isbased on new social science research conducted by FEMA and presented in Preparedness in America: Research Insights to Increase Individual, Organizational, and Community Action, also released today.

“The Preparedness in America study is an extensive analysis of national household data on preparedness,” stated FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “Motivating families to prepare is an ongoing challenge. The study highlights the benefit of whole community collaboration to increase preparedness.”

Findings from the report include:

• The simple act of talking about preparedness with others has a very strong positive relationship with preparedness behaviors such as having a plan, knowing about alerts and warnings, and participating in trainings or drills, yet less than half of the respondents report talking about preparedness in the previous two years.

• The survey data indicated that the workplace, schools, and volunteering are effective channels for preparedness outreach. People who were encouraged by their employer to have a plan or to participate in training were 76 percent and 86 percent more likely to take these actions, respectively.

• The data identified show clear differences in how people think about different hazards: respondents believed preparing for a natural hazard is helpful, but believed terrorist acts, hazardous materials accidents, and disease outbreaks were less likely and that preparedness would not be as helpful.

America’s PrepareAthon! providesa national focus for millions of individuals, organizations, and communities to take action to improve their level of preparedness. Twice a year—in the spring and fall—schools and universities, faith-based organizations, businesses, and civic organizations across the country will organize community days of action to discuss, practice, and train for relevant hazards. The campaign will feature preparedness materials on hazards such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, extreme heat, earthquakes, wildfires, hazardous materials and severe winter weather.

The goal of the campaign is to increase the number of people who: understand the hazards most relevant to their community; know the corresponding protective actions, mitigation measures and community plans; practice actions that increase their preparedness; and contribute to whole community preparedness planning. America’s PrepareAthon! provides a consistent and coordinated communication and outreach strategy around the national vision for resilience for the general public while establishing a platform for interagency and public-private partner coordination for preparedness and resilience metrics.

Like most great American successes, building a more resilient Nation will depend on the whole community working together to increase resilience by household, by community, and through partnerships between communities, businesses, and state, local, tribal, territorial and federal agencies. To date, the following national organizations have pledged their commitment to America’s PrepareAthon!: The American Red Cross, the International Association of Emergency Managers, Target, the Corporation for National and Community Service, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, and the Resilient Communities for America.

For more information about America’s PrepareAthon!, please visit www.fema.gov/prepareathon or email FEMA-Prepareathon@fema.dhs.gov. Join the twitter discussion @PrepareAthon.

 

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New Grassroots Campaign to Increase Community Preparedness

NEW YORK CITY — Since Hurricane Sandy struck New York, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved nearly $669 million in Public Assistance (PA) grants to reimburse state, tribal, local governments and eligible private nonprofits for some of the costs of emergency response, debris removal and repairing or rebuilding damaged public facilities. More than 180 grants have been approved so far. Here are some of the reimbursements:

Emergency work expenses

  • $114 million to the New York University Langone Medical Center for patient evacuation, repairs and emergency restoration of critical services and facilities
  • $106 million to NYPD for personnel overtime and materials used for emergency protective measures
  • $103 million to the New York Health and Hospitals Corporation for emergency cleanup, temporary utilities repairs and temporary provision of emergency room services
  • $14 million to Nassau County Waste Water for taking immediate protective measures to continue operations of the water treatment system
  • $1,600 to the Mattituck Park District for material to prevent further erosion to a sidewalk

Permanent work expenses

  • $263,000 to the State University of New York (SUNY) for repairs, such as replacing concrete drainages and restoring campus lawns
  • $39,000 to the Richmond Fire Department to replace equipment that was damaged during emergency protective measures
  • $27,000 to Suffolk County Community College to repair or replace various damaged school buildings and grounds features

Debris removal

  • $34 million to Nassau County Public Works
  • $24 million to the City of Long Beach
  • $223,000 to the Hudson River Park Trust for the cleanup of an oil spill and debris
  • $197,000 to the Town of Lewisboro
  • $112,000 to the Town of Shelter Island

FEMA’s Public Assistance program reimburses state, tribal, local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations 75 percent of eligible costs of emergency and permanent work. The remaining 25 percent is provided by non-federal funds. The state forwards the federal funds to the eligible local governments or organizations that incurred costs.

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

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.

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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FEMA Public Assistance in New York: By the Numbers

NEW YORK ­­­­– Getting local businesses back up and running is a key part of a community’s recovery after a disaster. Several of FEMA’s federal, state, local and private sector partners have programs in place to support New York businesses after Hurricane Sandy:

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has low-interest loans available for businesses and most private nonprofits for up to $2 million dollars for physical property losses. Small businesses and most private nonprofits can also apply for economic injury loans for up to

$2 million. Interested businesses can apply at any of the State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers, SBA Business Recovery Centers, online at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela or contact the SBA at 800-659-2955.

NYC Economic Development Corporation established a Hurricane Sandy Emergency Loan Fund to support NYC small businesses with their recovery and clean-up efforts. This loan program will provide $10 million in low-interest loans to businesses, ranging from

$5,000 – $25,000 for each loan. Funds can be used to replace or repair damaged assets, or to make up for working capital losses incurred due to business interruption. For additional details and information on how to apply, businesses should visit: http://www.nybdc.com/HurricaneSandySmallBusinessReliefFund.html.

Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency’s Emergency Sales Tax Relief Program gives an exemption of State and County Sales Tax of 8.625 percent to small businesses in Suffolk County on purchases up to $100,000 for building materials or replacing damaged equipment.  Businesses can visit: www.suffolkIDA.org or call 631-853-4802 for additional information or to fill out an application.

National Grid Hurricane Sandy Relief Program provides grants up to $250,000 to National Grid commercial, industrial or multi-family residential gas customers that were impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Eligible customers can use program funds for energy infrastructure repairs or replacement, rehabilitation of buildings, and costs associated with replacement of machinery or equipment necessary for the operation of the businesses. Funding consideration will be based on documented financial need and impact to the community. To determine eligibility and for additional information, customers should contact National Grid at 855-496-9359.

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

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Several Resources Available to Help Business Owners Recover from Sandy

BATON ROUGE, La. – Dozens of AmeriCorps and FEMA Corps members are doing double duty in response to Hurricane Isaac— helping Louisiana survivors with their recovery efforts and assisting their communities plan for future disasters.

Along with scores of local voluntary agencies, some AmeriCorps teams were in Louisiana before Hurricane Isaac struck, and other members have arrived regularly in the eight weeks since the storm. The newest group is from FEMA Corps, a program in which young adults serve alongside FEMA’s existing workforce to perform a variety of disaster response, recovery and mitigation tasks.

“FEMA relies on volunteer-based organizations and the service groups like AmeriCorps and now FEMA Corps to provide critical help for survivors,” said Gerard M. Stolar, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer. “These folks are getting right into the communities affected by Isaac and helping them with their recovery effort.”

The FEMA Corps members are working with FEMA specialists in the Joint Field Office in Baton Rouge and across southern Louisiana. Some of them have been integrated into operations at Disaster Recovery Centers, where they have met with survivors and helped connect them to resources and information. Others are helping compile Project Worksheets, which document applicant costs for Public Assistance reimbursements.

FEMA Corps members also have been working in the southern parishes to learn how to assess homes for private property debris removal. Still others have joined Community Relations teams, going door-to-door to meet survivors and provide information about FEMA registration.

Meanwhile, some AmeriCorps members are in St. John Parish where they are managing local volunteers and assisting in setting up a long-term recovery group for the area. The teams also are helping the parish begin tracking volunteer hours which can be used to offset the local cost share required in some FEMA grants. In Plaquemines, St. John and St. Tammany, AmeriCorps has helped set up Volunteer Reception Centers (VRCs).

Other members are assisting the Louisiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster with a temporary roof repair pilot project in eight parishes. They are helping collect data about the efforts of voluntary agencies to provide temporary roof repairs and tarps to damaged homes.

“I think these projects can be very helpful tools for future disasters,” said AmeriCorps St. Louis Team Leader, Abby Simons, whose teams are working on the roofing pilot project and the VRCs. “Knowing that we’re helping increase the effectiveness of local community groups now – and maybe influencing others years down the road ¬– is worthwhile service.”

AmeriCorps is one of dozens of agencies FEMA has partnered with to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters like Hurricane Isaac. A national service program, AmeriCorps offers real-world experience in public service in exchange for low pay, long hours, sparse lodging, student loan forgiveness and the rewards of helping people in need.

AmeriCorps, through its parent agency the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), has deployed more than 300 members to Hurricane Isaac-affected areas since the beginning of the storm.

Some 35 AmeriCorps members assisted with earlier evacuations from St. Charles Parish and supporting a call center to provide information to survivors. In New Orleans, AmeriCorps members have been at a call center, a shelter and in the neighborhoods helping with damage assessment, debris removal and home repair.

Others have been in Baton Rouge, assisting with shelter operations and the Louisiana 2-1-1 call center and yet another team was in Hahnville in St. Charles Parish helping collect and distribute donated items to survivors.

FEMA Corps is the result of a new, innovative partnership between FEMA and CNCS. The program aims to enhance the nation’s ability to assist disaster survivors while expanding career opportunities for young people.

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.

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AmeriCorps — and New FEMA Corps — Are Assisting Hurricane Isaac Recovery

BATON ROUGE, La. — Ninety-nine young adults from across the nation start serving Hurricane Isaac survivors in Louisiana today under their first post-graduate assignment with FEMA Corps, a new program aimed at enhancing the nation’s ability to assist disaster survivors while expanding career opportunities for young people.

FEMA Corps is an innovative partnership between two federal agencies that combines the disaster expertise of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with the service leadership of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and AmeriCorps.

The FEMA Corps members – ages 18 to 24 – will work alongside FEMA’s existing workforce in Louisiana in assisting citizens and communities impacted by Hurricane Isaac. Their assignments range from working directly with disaster survivors to supporting disaster recovery centers to sharing disaster response and mitigation information with the public.

“As new members of the whole community emergency management team, the work you do in the weeks to come will make a significant contribution to the recovery efforts of Hurricane Isaac survivors,” Mike Hall, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer, told the FEMA Corps members upon their arrival today at the State/FEMA Joint Field Office in Baton Rouge.  “Thank you for dedicating your skills and energies to the people who are still struggling to recover from the storm.”  

Established as a new unit within the existing AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), FEMA Corps engages young adults to provide ten months of full-time service on disaster response and recovery projects. FEMA Corps members in Louisiana received one month of AmeriCorps NCCC training at the AmeriCorps campus in Vicksburg, Miss., followed by FEMA position-specific training.

After completing 1,700 hours of service, each FEMA Corps member will receive a $5,550 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to pay for tuition or pay student loans.  Members will gain significant training and experience in disaster services that can serve as a pathway to employment in the emergency management profession.
To learn more about FEMA Corps or to apply (individuals aged 18-24), visit the AmeriCorps website at http://www.americorps.gov or FEMA’s website at www.fema.gov.

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.

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FEMA Corps Members Begin Work In Louisiana

FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Laurel County Closes Thursday 

Release Date: March 27, 2012
Release Number: 4057-033

» More Information on Kentucky Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding

FRANKFORT, Ky. — FEMA announces that the Disaster Recovery Center in Laurel County will close Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 6 p.m. but disaster assistance will be only a toll-free phone call away.

If you have questions after the Laurel County recovery center closes or have not registered for assistance, call 800-621-FEMA (3362) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time. Assistance is available in many languages. Those who are deaf, hard of hearing or who have a speech disability may use
TTY 800 – 462-7585.

The center is open from 9  a.m. to 6 p.m. through March 29 at the following address:
CD Ward Masonic Lodge   
201 School Street
East Bernstadt, KY 40729

Survivors can visit any disaster recovery center in Kentucky. They can find other centers by calling the FEMA helpline or by using the disaster recovery center locator at www.fema.gov/drclocator.

Disaster Recovery Centers continue to be in operation in the following locations:

Johnson County:
Paintsville Recreation Center
232 Preston Street
Paintsville, KY 41240

Kenton County:
Goshen Christian Church
1773 Bracht Piner Road
Morning View, KY 41063

Lawrence County:
Lawrence County Community Center
180 Bulldog Lane
Louisa, KY 41230

Magoffin County:
First Baptist Church
134 Dixie Avenue
Salyersville, KY 41465

Martin County:
Roy F. Collier Community Center
387 E. Main Street
Inez, KY 41224

Menifee County:
Menifee County Fire Station
44 McCausey Ridge Road
Frenchburg, KY 40322

Morgan County:
Kentucky Housing Corporation
1084 Highway 7
West Liberty, KY 41472

Pendleton County:
Butler Baptist Church
107 Peoples Street
Butler, KY 41006

Disaster Recovery Centers provide survivors a one-stop location to get information that helps them through the recovery process.

The first step for individuals and businesses toward obtaining recovery assistance is to register with FEMA:

  • By phone, call 800-621-FEMA (3362) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time. Assistance is available in many languages. Those who are deaf, hard of hearing or who have a speech disability may use TTY 800 – 462-7585.
  • By computer, go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
  • By smartphone or tablet, use m.fema.gov.

Survivors who have questions about their registration may call the FEMA helpline at the number listed above. Survivors who are having difficulty registering also may go to a recovery center for assistance.

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.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 27-Mar-2012 09:53:10

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FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Laurel County Closes Thursday