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FEMA Fire Management Assistance Granted For Little Valley Fire

OAKLAND, Calif. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to assist the State of Nevada to combat the Little Valley Fire burning in Washoe County.

On October 14, 2016, the State of Nevada submitted a request for a Fire Management Assistance Declaration for the Little Valley Fire burning in Washoe County. At the time of the request, the fire was immediately threatening 150 homes in and around the community of West Washoe Valley. Mandatory evacuations were taking place for approximately 200 people. The fire, which also started on October 14, has burned in excess of total 700 acres of state and private land.

The Acting Regional Administrator, FEMA Region IX, determined that the Little Valley Fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. The State’s request was immediately approved on October 14, 2016.

Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs) provide federal funding for up to 75% of eligible firefighting costs. The Disaster Relief Fund provides funding for FMAGs through FEMA to assist in fighting fires which threaten to cause major disasters. Eligible costs covered by FMAGs can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; tools; materials; supplies and mobilization; and demobilization activities.

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 Fire Management Assistance Granted For Little Valley Fire

Sixty Days Later: Signs of Recovery as Work Continues

BATON ROUGE, La. – Sixty days have passed since torrential rains caused historic flooding in Louisiana. The August storms dumped an estimated seven trillion gallons of rainwater across southern Louisiana—more than four times the amount of water contained in Lake Pontchartrain.

Even before the flood waters subsided, members of federal, state, and voluntary agencies quickly responded to provide disaster assistance. Signs of recovery are visible as disaster assistance funds and other forms of relief continue to reach survivors.

Assistance to Individuals

To date, more than 150,000 individuals and families have registered for FEMA disaster assistance. Survivors can register with FEMA by going online to DisasterAssistance.gov, calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362, or downloading the FEMA mobile app.

Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) specialists continue to visit affected neighborhoods to help survivors register for assistance.
These specialists have met face-to-face with more than 117,000 individuals and registered more than 4,000 applicants.

Survivors have also had the option to visit Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) for registration and other assistance from representatives of FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and other organizations. More than 58,000 survivors have been assisted by DRC staffers.
Survivors can locate a DRC near them by going online to fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers, calling the FEMA helpline, or downloading the FEMA mobile app.

Survivors have been given more than $695 million in disaster assistance through FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program.

Of that number, more than $558 million in housing assistance has gone to helping survivors find temporary housing solutions and rebuild their homes. This money has contributed to a variety of beneficial programs, including:
Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA), which allows eligible survivors to stay in hotel rooms billed directly to FEMA. Currently, 2,503 applicants are taking advantage of TSA.
Rental Assistance, which allows eligible survivors to receive funding to pay for temporary rental housing. More than $120 million in rental assistance has been approved.
Manufactured Housing Units (MHUs), specialized housing units that serve as a last-resort option for survivors who cannot find other viable housing solutions. To date, 448 applicants are licensed in to MHUs.

An additional $136 million was given out for Other Needs Assistance, which helps survivors cover the costs of necessary items and services such as transportation, medical and dental expenses, clothing and funeral costs.

Public Assistance

More than $187 million in disaster assistance has been awarded by FEMA’s Public Assistance program for flood-related costs such as:

emergency response operations;
road reconstruction;
police vehicles; and
debris removal

The Public Assistance program is helping the state of Louisiana and local jurisdictions to fund debris removal operations. The flooding generated an estimated 4 million cubic yards of debris; to date, 88 percent of that has been removed.

SBA Assistance

The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than 12,500 low-interest disaster loans totaling $916 million. While these loans cannot duplicate benefits from insurance or other federal aid, they are available to businesses, private nonprofits, homeowners and renters.

NFIP Claims

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid out $776 million on more than 29,000 claims. FEMA recommends homeowners and renters invest in flood insurance; residents do not have to live in a floodplain to be eligible for flood insurance and its benefits.

USDA Assistance

To date, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has given out more than $48 million through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). Regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households received another $30 million in disaster-related benefits.

AmeriCorps Assistance

Members of AmeriCorps have assessed nearly 400 flood-damaged homes and performed muck-and-gut operations on 339 of those homes, removing nearly 15,000 cubic yards of debris.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance

Nearly 700 applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance were approved for more than $595,000. This assistance goes directly to survivors who lost their jobs due to the flooding.

Crisis Counseling

More than 1,400 households have taken advantage of disaster-related crisis counseling, meeting with counselors in shelters, DRCs and via community outreach.
Grant funding has also been requested for the Crisis Counseling Regular Services Program, which would allow survivors to receive crisis counseling for the nine months following the disaster declaration.

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Sixty Days Later: Signs of Recovery as Work Continues

Hurricane Matthew Unified Response Efforts Underway

Hurricane Matthew Unified Response Efforts Underway

FEMA and the Federal Family Coordinating with Partners to Support Impacted Communities

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its federal partners continue to mobilize resources and personnel to support state, local and tribal efforts in the southeast U.S. as the possibility of dangerous conditions and flooding continues in some areas.

At the direction of President Obama, FEMA is leading the federal government’s effort to provide assistance and support in preparation and response to Hurricane Matthew. The President declared emergencies in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, making federal assistance available to mobilize equipment and resources necessary to prepare for and respond to Hurricane Matthew in the anticipated impacted areas. These pre-disaster emergency declarations make available direct federal assistance to save lives and protect property.

As of this morning, more than 680 FEMA staff are deployed to impacted states in support of response and recovery efforts for Hurricane Matthew and thousands more remain on alert to support recovery efforts, as needed. This includes six Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams (DSAT) deployed to help federal, state, local and tribal partners gather detailed information on the affected communities during the critical days and weeks following this storm. DSAT teams address immediate and emerging needs of disaster survivors including: on-the-spot needs assessments, requests for disability related accommodations and access to partners offering survivor services.

Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMAT) are positioned in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. IMAT teams support preparation and anticipated response activities, and ensure that there are no unmet needs. Additionally, FEMA has ten Urban Search & Rescue teams on the ground to support any search and rescue efforts. Two teams are in Florida, four teams are in South Carolina, three teams are in Georgia, and one team is in North Carolina.

FEMA has made available more than 1,427,000 meals, more than 958,000 liters of water, and more than 48,000 blankets for state, tribal, and local officials to distribute to individuals. These points of distribution are centralized locations established by state or local officials where supplies are delivered.

A breakdown by state:

Florida: More than 71,000 meals; 341,000 liters of water;

Georgia: More than 535,000 meals, 617,000 liters of water; 17,000 blankets;

North Carolina: More than 570,000 meals; 26,000 blankets; and,

South Carolina: More than 250,000 meals; 4,500 blankets.

The National Business Emergency Operations Center is activated in the NRCC and is coordinating with potentially affected states to work with private sector companies, preparing for landfall and coordinating on evacuation orders, potential transportation impacts, and access/re-entry permits ahead of the storm.

Ongoing Support and Preparedness Efforts:

The U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance teams are deployed to Haiti, Jamaica and the Bahamas and are working with local authorities to coordinate relief efforts. Updates on the status operations throughout the Caribbean are available on travel.state.gov and on individual Embassy websites. U.S. citizens traveling and residing abroad are encouraged to enroll their travel plans on the agency’s website, travel.state.gov, using the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), and to read the Country Specific Information also found on the site.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) deployed a Team Leader and Assistant Team Leader to FEMA Region IV. Two Assistant Team Leaders and one Power Subject Matter Expert have been deployed to the FEMA National Response Coordination Center (NRCC). Also, USACE deployed Team Leaders to FEMA Incident Management Assistance Teams in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. The USACE deployed Emergency Power assets, including Planning & Response Teams (PRT) and Emergency Command & Control Vehicles (ECCV), to Florida and North Carolina. Two companies from the 249th Engineer Battalion and four Temporary Emergency Power PRTs are coordinating response requirements under a FEMA pre-declaration for Emergency Power.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) encourages those whose application, petition or immigration status may be impacted by Hurricane Matthew to call the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 800-375-5283 (TDD for the deaf and hard of hearing: 800-767-1833) to learn how to request certain types of relief. For more information, visit www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/special-situations.

The U.S. Coast Guard continues to assess and advise the status of ports along the storm’s path. Advisories are being issued for northern locations in Georgia and South Carolina.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has deployed more than 450 AmeriCorps members, including FEMA Corps, to areas affected by Hurricane Matthew. These deployments include 54 teams of FEMA Corps members – 425 AmeriCorps members in total – that have been pre-staged to support FEMA’s response to affected states. An additional 45 AmeriCorps members are supporting shelter and emergency operations in Florida and South Carolina. CNCS is coordinating with local partners in each state, including governor-appointed state service commissions and voluntary organizations, to support state Emergency Operations and volunteer response efforts.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has disaster resource information as well as food safety, livestock and pet guidance is available at www.usda.gov. USDA Foods’ inventories have been requested from all potentially impacted state agencies, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) staff is prepared to respond to any state requests for disaster SNAP and/or other SNAP-related needs.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) established an Incident Support Base at Fort Bragg in coordination with FEMA to preposition commodities and resources close to the potentially affect areas. The U.S. Northern Command deployed Defense Coordinating Elements to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. These service members are providing DOD regional subject matter expertise, validate requirements, and conduct liaison efforts in support of response operations.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is conducting daily coordination calls with industry, impacted states and the leadership of the Electricity Sub-Sector Coordinating Council to discuss preparations for the storm and plans for timely restoration. As the preparation and response efforts for electric power change as the storm shifts, updates for each state can be viewed at here.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has almost 700 personnel pre-positioned and more than 450 on alert ready to support communities with medical, veterinary or fatality management needs from the storm’s impact. Personnel include members of the National Disaster Medical System, the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response staff, and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and they form eight Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, two National Veterinary Response Teams, a Public Health Service Rapid Deployment Force team, a disaster mortuary assessment personnel and an Incident Response Coordination Team. Information from HHS agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about protecting health before and after disasters can be found on www.phe.gov/hurricanematthew.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), in coordination with FEMA’s Office on Disability Integration and Coordination and FEMA’s Office for Equal Rights, issued a notice reminding its recipients of federal financial assistance who are engaged in emergency management to ensure that individuals and communities affected by disasters do not face unlawful discrimination in the provision of federally assisted services to disaster survivors. Additionally, CRCL issued a memo to impacted states regarding immigration enforcement activities. This memo notifies the public that there will be no immigration enforcement initiatives associated with evacuations or sheltering related to the hurricane, including the use of checkpoints for immigration enforcement purposes in impacted areas during an evacuation. This memo can be found here.

The U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs is coordinating with tribes in potentially affected areas as needed.

The U.S. Department of Interior’s National Park Service is continuing to monitor and evaluate conditions at their parks as the storm moves further north. With more than a dozen national parks closed, each is assessing the ability to re-open to the public. Anyone planning to visit a park in the impacted states is encouraged to verify a park’s open status on its website.

The U.S. Department of Interior’s United States Geological Survey (USGS) is preparing to collect the 393 surge sensors and gages deployed in advance of Hurricane Matthew along the East Coast to provide data that will assist water managers in determining the peak and duration of storm surge. This includes Storm Surge Sensors (190), Wave Sensors (79), Barometric Pressure Sensors (92), and Rapid Deployment Gage’s (32). The information supports disaster recovery efforts and critical weather forecasts for the National Weather Service and FEMA. The information collected will be distributed live on the USGS website to help federal and state officials gauge the extent and the storm’s damage as it passes through each area. This is the largest deployment of surge sensors by the USGS and surpasses the total deployments for Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy.

The Department of Justice has 500 federal law enforcement officers from across the country on standby and ready to deploy, as required.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) activated the Regional Emergency Operations Center in Atlanta, Georgia and has deployed liaisons to the FEMA Regional Response Coordination Center in Atlanta, and the Florida State Emergency Operation Center in Tallahassee. All EPA regional programs have contacted their state counterparts and offered technical assistance concerning waste and debris disposal, water infrastructure, and fuel waiver issues. The Agency has received a mission assignment to support the State of Florida for oil and hazardous substance assessments in the coastal areas of the state, and are assembling teams to deploy from the Atlanta regional office.

The Federal Aviation Administration worked closely with airports and the air carriers that serve the affected area to prepare and is ready to restore air traffic control service in support of recovery efforts. At FAA facilities in the hurricane’s path, fuel tanks were topped off for air traffic control equipment, radars immobilized and other navigation facilities so they could withstand high wind speeds. The FAA is also warning drone operators to stay clear of hurricane rescue and response aircraft to preserve the safety of first-responders.

The Federal Communications Commission is monitoring the status of communications networks and is prepared to work with affected providers to support restoration efforts as necessary.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) divisions in the southern region have been instructed to contact permitting agencies & commercial motor vehicle law enforcement agencies in their states to prepare for either emergency waivers from permits, or to be prepared to expedite permit issuance to support relief transportation efforts.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) deployed staff to Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina to support FEMA efforts to establish Joint Field Offices (JFO) and Disaster Response Centers (DRC). GSA assessment teams are standing by to survey potential damage to federal facilities and will ensure any necessary repairs are undertaken quickly.

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) activated its Unaccompanied Minors Registry (UMR). Family members can go to here or call 1-800-THE-LOST to find unaccompanied children who may have been separated from parents or caregivers because of the floods, by entering basic information and/or a photo.

The National Guard continues to move north following the storm’s path. More than 9,000 National Guard personnel from nine states (AL, FL, GA, LA, MD, MS, NC, SC, TN) are conducting search and rescue, security, infrastructure assessment, route clearance, and communications in support of hurricane recovery efforts. The National Guard provides support to civil authority of the state under direction of the governor.

The American Red Cross is supporting a massive shelter operation in the affected areas. More than 18,000 people stayed the night in 183 Red Cross and community evacuation shelters in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The Red Cross has more than 2,200 trained disaster workers on the ground in addition to 95 pre-positioned response vehicles and 94 trailer loads filled water, ready-to-eat meals, shelter and kitchen supplies, cleaning supplies and comfort kits, insect repellant, gloves, masks, shovels, rakes, coolers and more. For Hurricane Matthew shelter locations, visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-768-8048. The American Red Cross has an urgent need for blood and platelet donations as Hurricane Matthew has forced the cancellation of many blood drives. If you’re in an unaffected area, please give blood or platelets, so we can continue to help patients in need. Go to redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is coordinating with affected state Departments of Transportation in anticipation of requests for Emergency Relief funds to repair highways and bridges that get damaged by the storm. FHWA has deployed about a dozen personnel from division offices to assist with the storm response. Bridge and road inspectors will make damage assessments once the storm has passed.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) is operating its SafeStor program on the M/V Cape Decision in Charleston, South Carolina, as shelter for local emergency vehicles in the region. A total of seven agencies, including the Charleston Sheriff’s Department, have a total of 53 emergency service vehicles loaded on the Cape Decision’s massive cargo hold to weather out the passage of Hurricane Mathew. MARAD’s SafeStor program provides safe shelter for emergency equipment and personnel and allows affected areas to be up and running as soon as possible in order.

The Department of Treasury’s Internal Revenue Service (IRS) advises taxpayers to prepare in advance of Hurricane Matthew and stands ready to help after the storm. IRS will monitor the storm’s impact as the October 17 tax filing deadline approaches for those in the impacted areas who filed an extension to file their 2015 tax returns. The latest guidance available here.

Veterans Affairs facilities from Florida through South Carolina are implementing their emergency preparedness plans which includes closing many clinics and suspending non-emergency care services in medical centers. For up-to-date information about VA facilities, visit here.

The National Weather Service expects Matthew to continue to move along the coast and be near the coast of North Carolina by tonight. Areas as far north as southern Virginia may experience high winds and dangerous flooding. Meanwhile, some residents in Florida and Georgia are beginning to return to their communities and face different risks from downed trees, power lines, and standing water. FEMA has advised residents to listen to local officials and follow all suggested safety measures in their area.

For additional info, imagery, graphics and b-roll, see our Hurricane Matthew web page: http://www.fema.gov/hurricane-matthew.

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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.

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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Hurricane Matthew Unified Response Efforts Underway

President Obama Signs Emergency Declaration for North Carolina

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal emergency aid has been made available to the State of North Carolina to supplement state, tribal, and local response efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Matthew beginning on October 4, 2016, and continuing.

The President’s action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts that have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Alamance, Anson, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Caswell, Chatham, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Davidson, Davie, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Franklin, Gates, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Sampson, Scotland, Stokes, Surry, Tyrrell, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilson, and Yadkin.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to provide emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program at 75 percent federal funding. Elizabeth Turner has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal response operations in the affected area. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further evaluation.

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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President Obama Signs Emergency Declaration for North Carolina

Federal Family and Partners Support States and Tribes Responding to Hurricane Matthew

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) along with other federal agencies, state, tribal, and local governments, the private sector, and voluntary agencies’ response efforts continue as Hurricane Matthew affects the East Coast.

At the direction of the President, FEMA is leading the federal government’s effort to provide assistance and support in preparation and response to Hurricane Matthew. Currently, FEMA has a Regional Response Coordination Center activated in Atlanta, as well as the National Response Coordination Center at FEMA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., to help coordinate any requests for assistance from states and tribes potentially affected by Hurricane Matthew. These centers bring together partners from the federal family to closely coordinate federal resources that may be requested from the affected state and tribal governments.

The President declared emergencies in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, making federal assistance available to mobilize equipment and resources necessary to prepare for and respond to Hurricane Matthew in the anticipated impacted areas. These pre-disaster emergency declarations make available direct federal assistance to save lives and protect property. Evacuation and shelter-in-place warnings along coastal counties in these states remain in effect. FEMA continues to encourage residents to heed the directions of your state, tribal and local officials in your area.

FEMA deployed ten Urban Search & Rescue task force teams to Florida and Georgia to support search and rescue missions. Additional teams from around the country are ready to deploy to affected states and tribes as necessary. FEMA Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMAT) are on the ground in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. These teams are in place to support preparation and anticipated response activities, and ensure there are no unmet needs. Incident Support Bases (ISB) are staffed and operational in Albany, Georgia and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. ISBs are established to pre-position commodities and resources closer to potentially affected areas. As of this morning, there were more than 476,000 liters of water, more than 536,000 meals, more than 25,000 blankets, and more than 20,000 cots at the ISBs in Ft. Bragg and Albany, Georgia. Additional supplies continue to arrive from FEMA’s distribution centers around the country.

Ongoing Support and Preparedness Efforts:

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) established an Incident Support Base at Fort Bragg in coordination with FEMA to preposition commodities and resources close to the potentially affect areas. The U.S. Northern Command deployed Defense Coordinating Elements to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. These service members will provide DOD regional subject matter expertise, validate requirements, and conduct liaison efforts in support of response operations.

The U.S. Coast Guard continues to assess and advise the status of ports in Florida along the storm’s path. Advisories are being issued for additional northern locations in Georgia and South Carolina.

Thousands of National Guard soldiers and airmen are activated for state duty to assist with hurricane response preparation and plans for recovery. These guardsmen will be available to conduct operations including evacuations, search and rescue, engineering missions, aerial sling-load drops, distribution and supply of water, meals, cots, tarps, sandbags, and security and shelter support.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has eight Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, two National Veterinary Response Teams, a Public Health System Deployment Force team, disaster mortuary assessment personnel and an Incident Response Coordination Team. In addition, the department is promoting health related preparedness actions during disasters and evacuations. HHS’s website, www.phe.gov/hurricanematthew, provides public health and medical information for emergency preparedness, response and recovery from across the department and shares resources for state health department and emergency management websites. Center for Disease Control (CDC) is also featuring a hurricane page on www.cdc.gov.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) deployed hundreds of storm surge sensors and rapid deployment gages, including approximately 80 sensors along Florida’s east coast to provide data that will assist water managers in determining the peak and duration of storm surge as it approaches Florida. The information supports disaster recovery efforts and critical weather forecasts for the National Weather Service and FEMA. The information collected will be distributed live on the USGS Flood Viewer to help federal and state officials gauge the extent and the storm’s damage as it passes through each area.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) deployed staff to the FEMA NRCC and Regional Response Coordination Center to support the IMAT teams in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. In addition, liaisons are deployed to monitor and inspect USACE-operated dams. Non-federal dams are being inspected at the request of state partners.

The American Red Cross (ARC) is supporting a massive shelter operation in the affected areas. More than 27,000 people stayed the night in nearly 200 Red Cross and community emergency evacuation shelters in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. The Red Cross has also prepositioned workers, shelter supplies, ready-to-eat meals, clean-up and comfort kits to support the response efforts. For Hurricane Matthew shelter locations visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-768-8048. The American Red Cross has a tool called Safe and Well to keep track of friends and loved ones during and after the storm.

The U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs is coordinating with tribes in potentially affected areas as needed.

The U.S. Department of Interior’s National Park Service is continuing to monitor and evaluate conditions at their parks as the storm moves further north. Each national park is assessing the ability to open to the public. Anyone planning to visit a park in the impacted states is encouraged to verify a park’s open status on its website.

The United States Agency for International Development’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance teams are deployed to Haiti, Jamaica and the Bahamas and are working with local authorities to coordinate relief efforts. Updates on the status operations throughout the Caribbean are available on travel.state.gov and on individual Embassy websites. U.S. citizens traveling and residing abroad are encouraged to enroll their travel plans on the agency’s website, travel.state.gov using the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), and to read the Country Specific Information also found on the site.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) liaisons are in close contact with nuclear plants in the storm’s expected path. The NRC activated its regional incident response center in Atlanta and deployed regional-based inspectors to three plants on NRC-licensed facilities in potentially affected areas.

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) activated its Unaccompanied Minors Registry (UMR). Family members can go to //umr.missingkids.org or call 1-800-THE-LOST to find unaccompanied children who may have been separated from parents or caregivers because of the floods, by entering basic information and/or a photo.

For additional info, imagery, graphics and b-roll, see our Hurricane Matthew web page:
http://www.fema.gov/hurricane-matthew

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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.

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Federal Family and Partners Support States and Tribes Responding to Hurricane Matthew

President Obama Signs Emergency Declaration for Georgia

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal emergency aid has been made available to the State of Georgia to supplement state, tribal, and local response efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Matthew beginning on October 4, 2016, and continuing.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to provide emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program at 75 percent federal funding.

Warren J. Riley has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal response operations in the affected area.

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

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President Obama Signs Emergency Declaration for Georgia

President Obama Signs Emergency Declaration for South Carolina

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal emergency aid has been made available to the State of South Carolina to supplement state, tribal, and local response efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Matthew beginning on October 4, 2016, and continuing.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to provide emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program at 75 percent federal funding.

W. Michael Moore has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal response operations in the affected area.

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

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President Obama Signs Emergency Declaration for South Carolina

President Obama Signs Emergency Declaration for Florida

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal emergency aid has been made available to the State of Florida to supplement state, tribal, and local response efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Matthew beginning on October 3, 2016, and continuing.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to provide emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program at 75 percent federal funding.

Terry L. Quarles has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal response operations in the affected area. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further evaluation.

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

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President Obama Signs Emergency Declaration for Florida

$1 Billion in Federal Disaster Assistance Helps Louisiana Disaster Survivors

BATON ROUGE, La. –Federal assistance to help Louisiana disaster survivors and communities surpassed $1 billion less than four weeks after the Aug. 14 disaster declaration.

These funds are a result of federal agencies working closely with their local, parish and state partners to identify and find solutions to help survivors and the state recover from the severe storms and floods that occurred Aug. 11-31.

To date, more than 63,000 Louisiana families are receiving assistance through one or more of the housing options available to them, including rental assistance, home repairs, hotel and motel stays, and other housing.

Financial disaster assistance comes in many forms. This includes reimbursing local and state agencies for expenses related to saving lives, helping displaced survivors stay close to their homes and in their communities, and providing them funds to help repair or rebuild.

Federal assistance includes funding from FEMA, payments from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and low interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). While there is still much work to be done, the funding contributes significantly to assisting survivors with their needs.

Here’s a rundown of how different federal agencies are helping Louisiana:

Providing housing solutions to survivors remains a top priority for FEMA. The agency approved grants of more than $505 million through the Individual Assistance program to help households temporarily pay for a place to stay and make repairs to make their homes safe, sanitary and secure. More than $95 million has helped households pay for disaster-related expenses like replacing essential household items and moving and storage costs.

Here are some other ways FEMA is helping Louisiana:

Twenty-six (26) Disaster Recovery Centers are open across affected parts of Louisiana where survivors can receive free face-to-face recovery help from state, federal and voluntary officials.
FEMA inspectors performed more than 114,000 home inspections. Nearly 95 percent of scheduled inspections have been completed.
Providing funds for disaster case managers from voluntary agencies to help survivors develop recovery plans, identify recovery resources and monitor goals.
Setting aside Disaster Unemployment Assistance funds to help people whose employment was affected by the disaster.

The SBA approved low-interest disaster loans of nearly $215 million to help businesses, private nonprofits, homeowners and renters recover from property losses and other damage from the severe storms and flooding. Loans have been approved for almost 2,900 homeowners, renters and businesses.

NFIP authorized and issued more than $274 million in payments so policyholders can repair and rebuild their flood-damaged property.

The USDA is providing support to the state through nutrition and farmer and rancher assistance. More than $56 million in Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits have gone to survivors to help them with groceries due to lost income or damage following the severe storms and floods. Also, more than $19 million in replacement benefits have been provided to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program households that lost food because of the disaster.

If you had severe storm or flood damage in Louisiana, you may still register for federal help by going online to disasterassistance.gov or by downloading and using the FEMA app. You may also call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use TTY, call 800-462-7585. If you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

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Link:

$1 Billion in Federal Disaster Assistance Helps Louisiana Disaster Survivors

FEMA Awards $105,968 Grant to the City of Mackinac Island to Support Emergency Services

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $105,968 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Mackinac Island, Michigan, for the purchase of a generator.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate the risk of loss of life and property,” said Andrew Velasquez III, regional administrator, FEMA Region V. “This project will ensure that emergency services can continue operations during power outages.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 65 percent of the $163,027 eligible project cost. The remaining 35 percent of the funds, $57,059, will be provided by the City of Mackinac Island.

“Hazard mitigation projects can potentially save lives and protect property,” said Capt. Chris A. Kelenske, Deputy State Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and commander of the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division. “I strongly encourage Michigan communities to apply for hazard mitigation grant dollars so they can become better prepared before the next emergency or disaster happens. A prepared Michigan is a resilient Michigan.”

Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at 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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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, 312-408-4455

Source:

FEMA Awards $105,968 Grant to the City of Mackinac Island to Support Emergency Services

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