Statewide Flooding Event Prompts Additional Damage Assessments

DENVER – The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have scheduled Preliminary Damage Assessments for several additional counties in Colorado as a result of the severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, landslides, and mudslides that occurred between May 4 and June 16, 2015.

Assessments are scheduled to begin Wednesday, July 29, in Boulder and Park Counties, Thursday, July 30, in Arapahoe and Denver Counties, and Tuesday, August 4 in Adams County.

The assessment teams are comprised of federal, state and local emergency management officials who will conduct verified damage assessments. The findings will be provided to Governor John Hickenlooper’s office for review. 

The damage assessments are not a guarantee of a federal disaster declaration for these counties, but will be used by the Governor to determine if the damages warrant their addition to the DR-4229 major disaster declaration.

On July 16, President Obama issued a disaster declaration for Baca, Elbert, El Paso, Fremont, Logan, Morgan, Pueblo, Saguache, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties, making state, county, and local governments, as well as certain non-profit organizations, eligible to receive reimbursement for repairing infrastructure damage caused by the storms, as well as the cost of responding to them.

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Colorado DHSEM’s mission is to provide leadership and support to Colorado communities to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond and recover from all-hazard events including acts of terrorism.

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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Statewide Flooding Event Prompts Additional Damage Assessments

Assured Your Recovery Is Insured? Have a Plan B

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – If you sustained damage from the Nov. 17 tornadoes and have submitted a claim to your insurance company, your insurance settlement may not cover all of your expenses. FEMA says disaster assistance may help cover expenses that arise later.

Apply for FEMA assistance and you may avoid unexpected, uncovered expenses, such as:

  • Your insurance settlement is delayed, but you need to relocate because your home is uninhabitable.
  • Damage in your home is not revealed until the spring when temperatures rise and contractors are able to conduct a more comprehensive inspection of your home’s structure.
  • You exhaust the additional living expenses provided by your insurance company and still need help with your disaster-related temporary housing.

Cover all your bases by applying for FEMA assistance today. It’s quick and easy. You can use any of three ways: online at DisasterAssistance.gov, on a smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov, or by phone at 800-621-FEMA (3362). People who are deaf or hard of hearing and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585.

Not registering with FEMA may disqualify you for assistance that could help with unexpected expenses. You have until Jan. 27, 2014 to register.

A few minutes now could equal peace of mind in the future.

For the latest information on Illinois’ recovery from the Nov. 17 storms, visit FEMA.gov/Disaster/4157. Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, facebook.com/fema and youtube.com/fema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. 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-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

NEWS DESK: 217-522-2080

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Assured Your Recovery Is Insured? Have a Plan B

Resolve To Rebuild Stronger, Safer, Smarter

NEW YORK – Most of us make New Year’s resolutions to look better, feel better or reach a long-term goal.

This year resolve to rebuild stronger, safer and smarter after Hurricane Sandy to save lives and property when the next weather disaster strikes.

Hazard mitigation is building smart, strong and safe to prevent future damage from severe weather. Smart building includes mitigating damage against floods, strong winds and even tornadoes.

Always contact a local building official before undertaking rebuilding, renovating or retrofitting to be sure your plans meet local and state government requirements. You also need the proper permits from your local municipality to avoid future problems.

Such simple mitigation measures as elevating electrical and heating systems and anchoring fuel storage tanks can provide a windfall of protection against severe weather. 

Mitigation can also include landscaping. For instance, sea oats and other grasses can provide soil stability against storm surge. Ask your landscaper what indigenous plants withstand severe weather and protect property. Professional tree pruning can save not only the tree but can minimize the damage caused by a tree in severe weather. 

Flooding

Just an inch of water can cause costly damage to your property.

The average annual U.S. flood losses in the past 10 years (2002-2011) were more than $2.9 billion.

Rebuilding smartly in a flood-prone area means preventing future damages from flooding such as elevating your structure above the base flood elevation or higher. Flood hazard maps show different zones of hazard which determines policy premiums. The lower the degree of risk, the lower the flood insurance premium.

By elevating your home above that potential flood elevation, you not only reduce the risk of flooding, you save on the cost of flood insurance. The FEMA’s NFIP policy can cover structures and personal property. You don’t have to live in a flood-prone area to buy FEMA’s flood insurance policy which is sold by most insurance agents.

To be eligible to buy FEMA’s flood insurance your community must participate in the National Flood Insurance Program. Check the Community Status Book to see if your community is already an NFIP partner. (http://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program/national-flood-insurance-program-community-status-book)

Wind

Wind will quickly damage vulnerable homes and buildings. The roof is most susceptible to wind. The type of roof is the first factor in limiting damage.

Whether with new construction or retrofitting an existing roof, build to ensure the connections between the roof and walls are strong enough to resist the “uplift” effect of high winds. When the roof lifts off it may collapse back down on the house.

Getting down to the foundation, many homes are built on concrete pads to which they are only slightly connected. Severe winds pull the walls right out of the foundation. To resist high winds, structures must be firmly connected to foundations.

Mitigation Dollars at Work

For New York damages caused by Hurricane Sandy, the U. S. Small Business Administration has provided $357 million to help homeowners, businesses and private non-profit organizations rebuild their properties damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Some funds have also been allocated for the mitigation of similar damages during future events.

More information about Resolving to Be Ready and Rebuilding Strong and Smart are available online:

  • Listo America –Ready.Gov

http://www.ready.gov/translations/spanish/america/beinformed/index.html

  • FEMA also has videos on YouTube: “What is Mitigation?”           

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=057ZkeoFyc4

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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Resolve To Rebuild Stronger, Safer, Smarter