FEMA Provides Checklist for Rebuilding

FEMA Provides Checklist for Rebuilding

Main Content

Release date:

January 10, 2013

Release Number:

NR-132

NEW YORK – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has developed a checklist to help Hurricane Sandy survivors rebuild smarter, stronger and safer so their homes are protected in future storms.

“We want survivors to plan for the future, to ensure their homes and communities are stronger when the next storm hits,” said Michael F. Byrne, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer.

The checklist can be downloaded at www.fema.gov/SandyNY.

Here are some of the key points on the checklist:

  • Know your risk. Review local flood maps to understand the property’s flood risk.
  • Develop a plan to protect the property and reduce the impact of flooding. 
  • Finalize the plan. Contact local building officials before rebuilding, renovating or retrofitting. Make sure plans meet local and state government requirements.
  • Get insurance. The National Flood Insurance Program helps cover costly losses associated with flooding. Visit www.floodsmart.gov.

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.

Last Updated:

January 10, 2013 – 16:29

State or Region:

New York

Related Disaster:

New York Hurricane Sandy

More here – 

FEMA Provides Checklist for Rebuilding

Help for Renters Who Lost Personal Property in Hurricane Sandy

TRENTON, N.J. — Renters who need to repair or replace essential items lost in Hurricane Sandy can get help from the Small Business Administration.

Many survivors are learning that their insurance is not enough to cover all of their losses. Only 43 percent of renters have insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Survivors may qualify for long-term, low-interest SBA loans to repair or replace personal property  items such as clothing, furniture, cars, or appliances damaged or destroyed in the disaster. The deadline to return a disaster loan application is Jan. 30.

Money is available for necessary expenses and serious needs caused by Hurricane Sandy that are not covered by insurance or other programs. Items such as textbooks and computers used for education, professional tools, household furnishings, disaster-related medical, dental, or funeral costs and storm damage to vehicles may qualify for FEMA grants. Renters must return their SBA loan application to be considered for these grants.

Survivors may apply online using the electronic loan application via SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoan.sba.gov/ela. For additional information, contact an SBA disaster assistance customer service center by calling 800-659-2955 or TTY 800-877-8339, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or visiting sba.gov. SBA customer service representatives are available at all disaster recovery centers throughout the state. Centers can be found online at fema.gov/DRC.

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.

SBA’s Disaster Assistance Program provides long term, low-interest loans to homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes. For more information, visit www.sba.gov. All SBA’s program and services are provided on a nondiscriminatory basis.

Link:

Help for Renters Who Lost Personal Property in Hurricane Sandy

Insured Storm Survivors May Be Eligible for Disaster Assistance

WINDSOR, Conn. — Disaster officials offered hope today to property owners and renters coming up short on insurance settlements for damage due to Hurricane Sandy.

Insured disaster survivors must file claims with their insurers, because Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance does not duplicate insurance benefits. However, survivors who do not register for FEMA assistance before the Jan. 28 deadline may discover too late that their insurance payout leaves them uninsured or underinsured for certain items.

Insurance policies may not take into account changes in costs for labor and materials. Policyholders might have reduced coverage to save money during a down economy and find themselves uninsured for some losses.

“Apply for disaster assistance and keep in touch with FEMA on the outcome of your insurance settlement,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Albert Lewis. “A first notice that benefits aren’t available due to insurance could be changed with new information. But if you haven’t registered, that option goes away.”

Examples of cases where insurance may be lacking include the category insurers call Additional Living Expenses, which may not be covered for temporary housing, such as in flood insurance policies. Other uninsured items could be disaster-related medical or dental expenses, vehicle losses, essential tools for workers, or lost computers and books owned by students.

Residents registered for assistance also become eligible to apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. A FEMA registration number is a requirement for individuals to seek SBA disaster loans of up to $200,000 for physical damage losses and up to $40,000 for contents. However, businesses may apply for disaster loans without first applying for FEMA assistance.

Survivors can register online anytime day or night at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or with a smartphone or other Web-enabled device at m.fema.gov. Survivors can also register by phone anytime by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362. The TTY number is 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available at the close of the English message.

Registering for disaster assistance with other agencies or organizations does not register survivors for FEMA disaster assistance. Having FEMA flood insurance does not register policyholders for disaster assistance, nor does it disqualify anyone from applying for assistance. Flood insurance claims are handled separately.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362. For TTY, call 800-462-7585.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private, nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and covers the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

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.

Read the article – 

Insured Storm Survivors May Be Eligible for Disaster Assistance

FEMA Registration Open to All Storm Survivors, Helps Speed Recovery

WINDSOR, Conn. — Registering for FEMA disaster assistance won’t take money away from another disaster survivor, federal officials said today.

Federal Emergency Management Agency grants are available to all who qualify for them. But many Connecticut residents who suffered damage from Hurricane Sandy haven’t registered. Reasons vary, but some people mistakenly believe that accepting help somehow reduces the amount of money available to qualified registrants.

The truth is, not registering could slow recovery of the community because federal dollars infuse money into the local economy when disaster survivors hire contractors, buy supplies and replace damaged property.

“People who are approved for assistance to repair their homes and replace damaged property put their assistance grant money into the local economy,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Albert Lewis. “We know this helps the whole community’s economic recovery.”

Finding out if the damage to your property qualifies your household for federal help is simple.

First, the damage must have happened in a county that has been declared eligible for FEMA Individual Assistance. In Connecticut, these are Fairfield, Middlesex, New Haven and New London counties, and the Mashantucket Pequot and the Mohegan Tribal Nations located within New London County.

 

Second, survivors can register online anytime day or night at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or with a smartphone or other Web-enabled device at m.fema.gov. Survivors can also register anytime by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362. The TTY number is 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Wait for the English message to finish to reach multilingual operators.

Registering for disaster assistance with other agencies or organizations does not register survivors for FEMA disaster assistance. Having FEMA flood insurance does not register policyholders for disaster assistance; flood insurance claims are handled separately.

It is important to note that you may be eligible for disaster assistance even if you have insurance. If insurance does not meet all your needs, FEMA assistance may be able to help with the difference.

FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program has two types of assistance, “Housing Needs” and “Other Needs Assistance,” which may be available to individuals and families whose property has uninsured or underinsured damage from the storm.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362. For TTY, call 800-462-7585.

The U.S. Small Business Administration  is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and covers the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

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 Registration Open to All Storm Survivors, Helps Speed Recovery

Three Weeks Left to Register for Disaster Assistance

NEW YORK – The Jan. 28 deadline is approaching for Hurricane Sandy survivors in 13 designated New York counties to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster assistance.

FEMA

Federal disaster assistance for individuals and families can include money for rental assistance, essential home repairs, personal property losses and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

Nearly 261,000 New Yorkers have contacted FEMA for help or information and more than $827 million in total individual assistance grants has been approved.

The deadline affects Sandy survivors living in counties designated for individual assistance: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.

Ways to register with FEMA:

  • Register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
  • Via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov.
  • Call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585.
  • For 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) call 800-621-3362.
  • The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day seven days a week until further notice.

The U.S. Small Business Administration

Survivors who have registered with FEMA and received a loan application from the SBA are urged to complete and return it. The information could lead to other FEMA help. No one is required to accept a loan.

SBA has approved more than $420 million in loans for homes and businesses.

The deadline to return the SBA application is Jan. 28, the same as the deadline for registering with FEMA.

SBA assistance includes:

  • Home Disaster Loans – Loans to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate or personal property. Renters are eligible for personal property losses, including automobiles.
  • Business Disaster Loans – Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property, including real estate, inventories, supplies, machinery and equipment. Businesses of any size may apply. Certain private, non-profit organizations may also be eligible.
  • Economic Injury Disaster Loans – Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, nonprofit organizations meet their ordinary financial obligations that cannot be met because of the disaster. The deadline for economic injury loan applications is July 31. 

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.

Continue reading here:  

Three Weeks Left to Register for Disaster Assistance

Assistance to New York State Sandy Survivors Tops $1.2 Billion

NEW YORK —More than $1.2 billion in federal disaster assistance has been approved for survivors of Hurricane Sandy in New York.

While there is still much work to be done, this money has contributed significantly to the recovery effort. FEMA’s priority is to get people back into their neighborhoods as soon as possible.

“This money will help families who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy start their recovery,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Michael F. Byrne. “Working with the SBA, FEMA is helping families get the money they need to repair their homes, find temporary housing and replace essential items lost in the storm.

FEMA continues to reach out to all 13 counties designated for Individual Assistance, focusing on the hardest-hit areas. Assistance to residents in affected counties includes:

  • Bronx                $2.2 million
  • Kings                 $180.7 million
  • Nassau               $269.2 million
  • New York         $12.2 million
  • Queens              $211.3 million
  • Richmond         $84.8 million
  • Suffolk              $61.4 million

FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration have approved more than $1.2 billion for Hurricane Sandy survivors. FEMA has approved nearly $827 million for individuals and households, including nearly $736 million for housing assistance and more than $91 million in assistance for other needs.

  • SBA has approved nearly $378 million in disaster loans to homeowners and renters and more than $25 million in disaster businesses loans. The SBA has staff members at every

FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Center and 19 Business Recovery Centers in the New York area to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance.

  • More than 260,000 New Yorkers have contacted FEMA for information or registered for assistance, including more than 141,000 who have applied through the online application site at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or on their smartphone at m.fema.gov.
  • 23 Disaster Recovery Centers are open in the affected areas. These include mobile sites as well as fixed sites, and to date more than 117,000 survivors have been assisted at Disaster Recovery Centers in New York.           
  • 58 inspectors are currently in the field. To date 169,031 home inspections have been completed, making a 99.4 percent completion rate.
  • 13 New York counties are designated for both Individual Assistance and Public Assistance. These are Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester. Greene County has been designated for Public Assistance only. 
  • Public Assistance funds are also flowing; so far, more than $323 million has been obligated to the state to help replenish dollars spent to protect New Yorkers before, during and after the storm. The FEMA PA program reimburses state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations 75 percent of costs for

disaster-related expenses associated with emergency protective measures, debris removal, and the repair and restoration of damaged infrastructure. In order to qualify, damage must be a direct result of Hurricane Sandy.

Individuals can register with FEMA online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov.  Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585.

Applicants who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) can call 800-621-3362.

The toll-free telephone numbers are operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until further notice.

Continue reading here:

Assistance to New York State Sandy Survivors Tops $1.2 Billion

FEMA Helpline Still Available to Assist Hurricane Sandy Survivors in Connecticut

WINDSOR, Conn. — FEMA’s registration Helpline is still available for Connecticut residents who suffered damage from Hurricane Sandy.

Although all FEMA-State Disaster Recovery Centers in Connecticut have closed, the Helpline remains available for survivors to register for federal disaster assistance. Sandy survivors who have already registered for aid can call to ask questions, update contact information or check the status of their applications.

Disaster survivors can call 800-621-3362 to register for assistance, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Those who use TTY can call 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators can be reached after the initial English message concludes.

The deadline to register with FEMA has been extended to Jan. 28.

Disaster survivors can register online anytime day or night at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or with a smartphone or other Web-enabled device at m.fema.gov.

Registering for disaster assistance with other agencies or organizations does not register survivors for FEMA disaster assistance. Having FEMA flood insurance does not register policyholders for disaster assistance; flood insurance claims are handled separately.

As of Dec. 28, 2012, more than 2,500 Connecticut residents have been approved for federal disaster assistance. FEMA offers financial help to survivors of federally-declared disasters to cover uninsured losses and critical expenses which cannot be covered by other means.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362. For TTY, call 800-462-7585.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and covers the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

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.

Taken from: 

FEMA Helpline Still Available to Assist Hurricane Sandy Survivors in Connecticut

Atlantic City Recovery Center Changes Locations

TRENTON, N.J. — The disaster recovery center in Atlantic City will change its location on Friday, Jan. 4.

The center located at the Atlantic City Convention Center will move to the following address:

Boardwalk Hall

2301 Boardwalk

Atlantic City, NJ  08401  

Center hours are 9 a.m. until 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday.   

Federal Emergency Management Agency staff are available at the center to provide clarification on letters, assist survivors with finding a temporary home if their primary residence was damaged or destroyed, check on the status of their application for assistance or refer survivors to other agencies that may provide additional help.

Also, survivors can consult with U.S. Small Business Administration customer service representatives about low-interest disaster loans to repair or rebuild their homes and FEMA mitigation specialists about cost-effective rebuilding and repair techniques to reduce property damages in future disasters.

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.

More here: 

Atlantic City Recovery Center Changes Locations

National Flood Insurance Program Probation for Port Vincent, Louisiana

DENTON, Texas- Efforts are ongoing by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist the village of Port Vincent, Louisiana hold on to its National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) status; a status that it is in jeopardy of losing if it does not correct current floodplain management violations.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) makes flood insurance available in communities where minimum local floodplain management standards are adopted and enforced. FEMA recently issued a letter to Port Vincent that establishes a deadline of March 1, 2013 for the village to correct certain violations and program deficiencies.

The deficiencies cited in the probation letter include the failure to manage floodplain development in accordance with the village’s floodplain program and a lack of adequate administrative procedures and record keeping.

While the village works to correct these violations, property owners will still be able to purchase and renew flood insurance coverage during the probationary period. However, a $50 surcharge will be added to any policy sold or renewed in the community for the next year beginning on March 1, 2013. There are currently 103 flood insurance policies in the village.

If the village fails to make progress by Sept. 1, 2013, it could be suspended from the program. The result of suspension is the loss of federally backed flood insurance in the community.  Residents in the village will not be able to purchase or renew their flood insurance policies after the suspension occurs.

Additionally, if a flood disaster occurs in a suspended community, most types of federal disaster assistance for structures within the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), including federal assistance to individuals and households is not available. Also, the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 prohibits federal agencies from making grants, loans, or guarantees for the acquisition or construction of structures located in a SFHA.

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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 us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

This article: 

National Flood Insurance Program Probation for Port Vincent, Louisiana

New Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Kings County on Thursday

 NEW YORK – The state of New York and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will open a new Disaster Recovery Center in Brooklyn at 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 3, to provide one-on-one, face-to-face help for Hurricane Sandy survivors. 

The center will be located at Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club, 3076 Emmons Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11235.

Normal operational hours for the Disaster Recovery Center are:

8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week until further notice

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

Two months after Hurricane Sandy struck, 22 Disaster Recovery Centers are open throughout New York. They have hosted more than 114,000 survivors of the severe weather. 

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

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

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

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

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New Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Kings County on Thursday

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