Learn Rebuilding Techniques at Stores in Milford, New Haven and Orange

Learn Rebuilding Techniques at Stores in Milford, New Haven and Orange

Main Content

Release date:

December 4, 2012

Release Number:

038

WINDSOR, Conn. – Outreach teams from FEMA will be at Lowe’s home improvement stores in Milford, New Haven and Orange this weekend to explain techniques that may reduce potential damage to homes, businesses and property from future flooding.

Mitigation specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will offer “how-to” information for retrofitting buildings and elevating utilities. Specialists can also provide clean up tips for removing mold and mildew from a storm-damaged home.

FEMA teams will be at the following locations from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8, and Sunday, Dec. 9:

 

  • Lowe’s – 311 Old Gate Lane, Milford, CT 06460
  • Lowe’s – 115 Foxon Blvd., New Haven, CT 06513
  • Lowe’s – 50 Boston Post Road, Orange, CT 06477

 

Information will include instructions on how to:

 

  • Relocate circuit breaker panels, outlets and switches above potential floodwaters;
  • Move washer and dryer hookups to a higher floor;
  • Elevate furnaces and water heaters; and
  • Prevent sewer backups with a backflow valve.

 

More information on ways to protect your home from future disasters is available at www.fema.gov/safer-stronger-protected-homes-communities.

Last Updated:

December 4, 2012 – 14:50

State or Region:

Connecticut

Related Disaster:

Connecticut Hurricane Sandy

Credit:

Learn Rebuilding Techniques at Stores in Milford, New Haven and Orange

Businesses, Nonprofit Organizations Get Smart About Low-Interest Disaster Loans

WINDSOR, Conn. — Businesses and nonprofit organizations are discovering a low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration is a smart business decision.

Disaster loans provide funding for private sector recovery and are being used to:

 

  • Repair or replace buildings and business assets, such as equipment and inventory;
  • Meet payroll and lease obligations during business downtime caused by the disaster;
  • Refinance existing liens; and
  • Make improvements to protect against future damage.

“Disaster loans from the SBA are the major source of federal disaster recovery assistance,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Albert Lewis of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “The interest rates are low—as low as 4 percent for businesses and 3 percent for nonprofits.”

SBA offers businesses and nonprofits two types of disaster loans: a Physical Disaster Loan and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan.

Physical Disaster Loans are used to repair or replace damaged buildings and business assets. Economic Injury Disaster Loans help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, aquaculture businesses and most private nonprofits meet financial obligations that they cannot meet because of the disaster.

Business owners may also be eligible to refinance existing liens or mortgages.

Applications from the SBA are mailed to most survivors who register for assistance with FEMA. No one is obligated to accept a loan if offered.

SBA low-interest disaster loans for businesses have several advantages:

 

  • SBA requires no collateral for physical loans less than $14,000 or economic injury loans less than $5,000. SBA requires the borrower to pledge as collateral only what is available, plus satisfactory credit and the ability to repay.

 

  • Applicants don’t have to wait for insurance settlements to obtain loans.

 

  • Loans are written for a length of time appropriate to the type of loan, but SBA may make adjustments in the length to lower the monthly payments.

 

  • SBA offers mitigation loans to help pay for improvements to reduce potential for future damage. These mitigation funds are available for up to 20 percent of the total amount of disaster damage.

 

  • SBA never charges an application fee or points for its disaster loans.

By law, SBA business loans cannot exceed $2 million.  If a business is a major employer, SBA may waive the limit.

The deadline to file for a Physical Damage Disaster Loan is Dec. 31. The deadline for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan is July 31, 2013.

No one is obligated to accept a loan if approved. SBA gives applicants six months to decide whether to accept a loan.

SBA has opened a Business Recovery Center in Fairfield County at the Fairfield County SCORE office, 111 East Ave., Norwalk, CT  06851. The center is staffed from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. 

The SBA offers online an application through its Electronic Loan Application site at https://DisasterLoan.SBA.gov/ela. Survivors can call the SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, or visit the SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/sandy.

 

Originally posted here: 

Businesses, Nonprofit Organizations Get Smart About Low-Interest Disaster Loans

How to Replace Documents Lost in a Disaster

How to Replace Documents Lost in a Disaster

Main Content

Release date:

December 4, 2012

Release Number:

NR-073

NEW YORK – One of the dire consequences of any disaster for many people is the loss of important documents. Often, such documents are needed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state emergency services in order to process assistance applications for those who suffered losses or damage to their homes and belongings.

If papers are gone – like birth certificates, Social Security cards, drivers’ licenses, tax records, etc. – New York state and FEMA are advising residents on how to recover them:

  • Birth certificates: If you were born within the confines of the five boroughs of New York City, visit or write to the Office of Vital Records, 125 Worth Street, Room 133, New York, N.Y. 10013. (A photo ID is required both by mail and in person.) The office advises the fastest way to get records is online at www.nyc.gov/vitalrecords. The phone number is (212) 788-4520.
  • If you were born in New York state outside of New York City, log onto www.vitalchek.com  or phone 877-854-4481. This will connect you to a company called VitalChek, which is contracted with the state to handle credit-card orders. There are modest fees involved.
     
  • Drivers’ licenses: Visit any New York Department of Motor Vehicles office. To find an office nearby, log onto www.dmv.ny.gov/index.htm and click on “Replace License or ID.”
     
  • Social Security cards: Call the U.S. Social Security office at 800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST. For TTY users the number is 800-325-0778, or log onto www.ssa.gov/ssnumber for more information.
     
  • Federal tax records: Call the Internal Revenue Service at 800-829-1040, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST, or log onto www.irs.gov.
     
  • New York state tax records: For copies of returns, log onto www.tax.ny.gov/help/contact/how_to_reach.htm. Click on “Get a copy of my return” and fill in the application. You can also apply for a tax-filing and payment extension for those directly affected by Hurricane Sandy at this site.
     
  • For copies of your utility bills, bank records, insurance policies, mortgage payments and the like, call the appropriate firm and speak to a customer-service representative.

To prevent further loss of vital documents, place the originals or copies in a sealable plastic bag or other watertight container and secure that container where it is best protected and can easily be located. It is also a good idea to make copies of vital and important documents and mail them to a friend or relative you can trust to keep them safe and retrievable.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4085, http://twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

Last Updated:

December 4, 2012 – 14:05

State or Region:

New York

Related Disaster:

New York Hurricane Sandy

See original article:

How to Replace Documents Lost in a Disaster

FEMA Awards $1.8 Million for Community Safe Room in Mission, Texas

DENTON, Texas — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded $1.8 million to the state of Texas for construction of a community safe room in the city of Mission in Hidalgo County, Texas.

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) will pay 75 percent, or $1.8 million, of the $2.4 million total for the project, which is being built under the Texas Safe Shelter Initiative.

The concrete dome shaped safe room will also serve as multi-purpose community center in partnership with the LaJoya Independent School District. It will be 20,000 square feet in size and will provide protection from storms and tornadoes for the people of Hidalgo County, including those with access and functional needs. 

The federal share of the funds for the project come from the agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). HMGP provides grants to states, and tribal and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures that reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.

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.

View original:  

FEMA Awards $1.8 Million for Community Safe Room in Mission, Texas

New Hours at 13 Disaster Recovery Centers

NEW YORK – Thirteen Disaster Recovery Centers have changed their hours as they continue to assist survivors of Hurricane Sandy in New York.

Disaster Recovery Centers are one-stop shops for eligible storm survivors to get face-to-face assistance as quickly as possible.

The State of New York and the Federal Emergency Management Agency closely monitor visitor traffic at all New York Disaster Recovery Centers. When traffic slows at a certain time, a center may change its hours accordingly. 

In addition to the 13 sites with new hours, about 20 more Disaster Recovery Centers remain open throughout New York to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Anyone who sustained damage in counties designated for federal individual disaster assistance can visit any of the centers. 

To find the nearest Disaster 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.

Help also can be obtained by calling FEMA’s toll-free helpline at 800-621-3362. Lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice, and assistance is offered in most languages. Individuals may register for help online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. 

If you have a speech disability or hearing impairment and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

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

Since they opened last month, the 13 Disaster Recovery Center locations with new hours have cumulatively provided information and help to more than 24,000 Hurricane Sandy survivors.

Their locations and new hours are:
Fort Tilden Park
415 State Road
Breezy Point, NY 11697
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon-Sun

Mount Loretto CYO
6581 Hylan Blvd.
Staten Island, NY 10309
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon-Sun

Ikea
1 Beard St.
Brooklyn, NY 11231
Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mon-Sun

Holy Family R.C. Church
9719 Flatlands Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11236
8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon-Sun

Community Church of the Nazarene
1414 Central Ave.
Far Rockaway, NY 11691
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon-Sun

Coffey Park
85 Richards St.
Brooklyn, NY 11231
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon-Sun

Gerritsen Beach Little League Field
2901 Gerritsen Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11229
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon-Sun

American Legion
209 Cross Bay Blvd.
Broad Channel, NY 11693
Hours: 8 a.m.to 6 p.m. Mon-Sun

Provident Bank Park
1 Provident Bank Park Drive
Pomona, NY 10970
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday, Dec. 7

Borough Hall
10 Richmond Terrace
Staten Island, NY 10301
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon-Sun

Social Security Building
Gravesend
10 Bouck Court
Brooklyn, NY 11223
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon-Sun

Kia in Staten Island
1976 Hylan Blvd.
Staten Island, NY 10306
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon-Sun

St. Francis de Chantal
2962 Harding Ave.
Bronx, NY 10465
Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today
Then 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday, Dec. 7

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4085, http://twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

View the original here:  

New Hours at 13 Disaster Recovery Centers

Register With FEMA While Waiting for an Insurance Settlement

NEW YORK – Disaster assistance may cover damages that insurance doesn’t. That is why individuals affected by Hurricane Sandy are urged by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to apply for assistance even if they have insurance.

Apply for FEMA assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or by tablet or smartphone at m.fema.gov. Register by phone by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362). If you have a speech disability or hearing impairment and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.
 
Keep in mind that you need to file your insurance claim with your insurance company as soon as possible. Failure to file a claim may affect a policyholder’s eligibility for disaster assistance.

After filing a claim, if any of the following situations occur, FEMA may be able to provide some assistance:

Your insurance settlement is delayed.

  • “Delayed” means a decision on your insurance settlement has been delayed longer than 30 days from the time you filed the claim.
  • If a decision on your insurance settlement has been delayed, you will need to mail or fax a letter to FEMA explaining the circumstance. Mail or fax your letter to:
  • FEMA IHP
    National Processing Service Center
    PO Box 10055
    Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055

Fax: 1-800-827-8112

  • You should include documentation from the insurance company proving that you filed the claim.
  • If you filed your claim over the telephone, you should include the claim number, date when you applied, and the estimated time of how long it will take to receive your settlement.
  • If you receive FEMA assistance and you later find that your insurance will cover what your FEMA assistance was for, then you must return that money to FEMA because it is considered a duplicate benefit.

You have exhausted the Additional Living Expenses (ALE) provided by your insurance company.

  • If you have received the maximum settlement from your insurance for Additional Living Expenses and still need help with your disaster-related temporary housing need, mail or fax a letter to FEMA at the above address indicating why you continue to have a temporary housing need.
  • You will also need to provide documentation to prove use of ALE from insurance, and a permanent housing plan.

You have up to 12 months from the date of registration with FEMA to submit insurance information for review.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4085, http://twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog

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Register With FEMA While Waiting for an Insurance Settlement

Last Chance To Visit Four Disaster Recovery Centers

NEW YORK – Hurricane Sandy survivors have until Tuesday evening, Dec. 4, to visit four Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in Nassau and Suffolk counties.  

Cumulatively, the centers have provided one-on-one information and assistance to more than 4,370 storm survivors since they opened in early November.  Their locations and hours of operation are:

Nassau County

Nassau Community College
Student Union Building
1 Education Drive
Garden City, NY 11530
Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Tuesday, Dec. 4

New Cassel Community Center Garden
141 Garden St.
Westbury, NY 11590
Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Tuesday, Dec. 4

Suffolk County

H. Lee Dennison Building
100 Veterans Memorial Highway
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Tuesday, Dec. 4

Riverhead County Center
300 Center Drive
Riverhead, NY 11901
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Tuesday, Dec. 4

In addition to those centers, Hurricane Sandy survivors can visit any of about 30 other DRCs throughout New York.

The State of New York and Federal Emergency Management Agency closely monitor visitor traffic at all New York Disaster Recovery Centers. When traffic slows at a certain time, a center may change its hours or come under consideration for possible closure.  

Recovery centers are one-stop shops for eligible storm survivors to get face-to-face help as quickly as possible. More may become available as sites are identified and approved. Conditions at individual locations may vary and affect opening times.

To find the center nearest you, 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.

Other help is available from roughly 1,000 FEMA community relations personnel who are blanketing damaged neighborhoods door to door, delivering information vital to recovery and encouraging residents to register for assistance when needed. These personnel can help refer survivors to the proper resources for any unmet disaster needs, but they do not assess or document damage. FEMA inspectors will contact survivors directly after they have registered.

Help also can be obtained by calling FEMA’s toll-free helpline at 800-621-3362. Lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice, and assistance is offered in most languages. Individuals may register for help online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. 
If you have a speech disability or hearing impairment and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

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

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4085, http://twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

View the original here – 

Last Chance To Visit Four Disaster Recovery Centers

Hurricane Season Ends, but Preparedness is Year Round

Hurricane Season Ends, but Preparedness is Year Round

ATLANTA – Today marks the end of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season, but disasters aren’t limited to hurricanes or a specific time of year.  Emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere, and it’s important to be prepared year round.

“While today is the end of an active hurricane season, it serves as an important reminder of just how critical it is for all of us to be prepared so that we can protect our families, homes, businesses and communities from the potentially devastating effects of a disaster,” said Phil May, Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IV Administrator. “There are some simple steps we should all take, such as make a family communications plan and put together a disaster supplies kit, which will help keep us safe when we’re faced with an emergency.”

Emergencies can range from natural disasters such as flooding, tornadoes and hurricanes, to events such as power outages. Visit www.Ready.gov to learn about different hazards, and how to prepare for them.

Here are a few tips to help you get ready:

  • Most communities may be impacted by several types of hazards during a lifetime–be informed about the hazards that exist in your area.
  • When tailoring your family communications plan, consider working with others to create networks of neighbors, relatives, friends and co-workers who will assist each other in an emergency.
  • Among the items in your basic disaster supplies kit, include enough food for at least three days, and one gallon of water per person per day.
  • Since you can’t predict where you will be for disasters, it’s important to have plans and supplies for the locations you and your household go to regularly.
  • Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster, but standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding. To protect your property, consider getting flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program.
  • Check out opportunities to get involved  in programs and activities to make your family, home and community safer from risks and threats. 

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.

Link: 

Hurricane Season Ends, but Preparedness is Year Round

State, Local, Tribal Governments, Private Nonprofits Get 30 More Days to Request FEMA Public Assistance Grants

Deadlines extended to request reimbursement for debris removal, infrastructure repair and other costs

NEW YORK – Deadlines to apply for Public Assistance (PA) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been extended for 30 days. Counties, municipalities and certain non-profits that provide essential services of a governmental nature may qualify for PA funding to help reimburse eligible costs for rebuilding infrastructure such as bridges, roads and public utilities.

The deadline for Requests for Public Assistance (RPA) is now extended from the original deadline which was 30 days after each county was designated as part of President Barack Obama’s Hurricane Sandy New York disaster declaration.

The extended deadlines are now:

Dec. 29, 2012: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Richmond, Suffolk and Queens
Jan. 2, 2013: Rockland and Westchester
Jan. 12, 2013: Orange, Putnam, Sullivan and Ulster

Michael F. Byrne, FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer, granted the extension following a request from the New York State Office of Emergency Management. The PA program provides for the reimbursement of 75 percent of eligible costs.

In the request for an extension, the state cited the unprecedented impact of Hurricane Sandy and the tremendous increase in the number of organizations submitting RPAs, many of which have never been involved in the PA process.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4085, http://twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

Original article: 

State, Local, Tribal Governments, Private Nonprofits Get 30 More Days to Request FEMA Public Assistance Grants

Low-Interest Disaster Loans Fuel Connecticut Recovery

WINDSOR, Conn. – Hurricane Sandy survivors are putting low-interest disaster loans to good use.

The loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration are being used to:

• Make home repairs not covered by insurance;
• Replace clothing, appliances and vehicles;
• Make improvements to reduce the risk of future damage; and
• Refinance existing liens or mortgages on homes.

SBA loans are the major source of federal disaster recovery funding and may be available for other uses as well. For example, renters may be eligible for loans to cover some of their personal property losses, including vehicles. There are also loans for businesses and nonprofit organizations as well.

Applications from the SBA are mailed to most survivors who register for assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Returning the loan application is an important step in the recovery process because it may qualify the applicant for more FEMA grants. No one is obligated to accept a loan, if offered.

“Even the maximum amount FEMA is allowed to award won’t replace a home destroyed in a hurricane,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Albert Lewis. “Most disaster recovery is funded by low-interest loans from the SBA.”

SBA can lend homeowners up to $200,000 to repair or replace their home and up to $40,000 to repair or replace personal property.

Disaster loans have distinct advantages:
• Home loans are as low as 1.688 percent
• There are no points or application fees
• Loans are available before insurance settlements are made 
• SBA can write loans based on the cost of replacing the home today

The deadline to file for an SBA Home Disaster Loan is Dec. 31.

SBA offers online application through its Electronic Loan Application site at https://DisasterLoan.SBA.gov/ela. Survivors can call the SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, or visit the SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/sandy.

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 (SBA) 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.

 

 

Original post: 

Low-Interest Disaster Loans Fuel Connecticut Recovery

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