Survivors Can Take Steps Now to Rebuild

BATON ROUGE, La. – Hurricane Isaac survivors repairing their homes with an eye toward avoiding damage from future storms can take several steps now to rebuild stronger and safer.

Property owners who wish to speed up the rebuilding process do not have to wait for a complete Substantial Damage Inspection, say mitigation experts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Property owners can provide the local permitting official with a copy of an estimate from a licensed contractor to repair the structure, and a copy of a pre-disaster market value appraisal. With these documents, they can apply for a permit to make needed repairs.

“Storm survivors are anxious to get on with repairs, and we encourage them to do so,” said Patricia McArthur, Hazard Mitigation Branch Director for FEMA’s Hurricane Isaac mission in Louisiana. “The rebuilding phase of any disaster is an ideal time to plan ways to prevent or limit future damage.”    
     
One source of funds for eligible homeowners who have flood insurance and whose homes were determined to be substantially damaged may be Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage. ICC provides up to $30,000 of insurance coverage for the increased cost of compliance with their community’s floodplain management ordinance.

FEMA assistance for individuals may include grants to help pay for temporary housing and emergency home repairs to make a home habitable. Survivors could also be eligible for grants for serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

FEMA may also assist survivors whose insurance settlements have been delayed longer than 30 days from the time they filed their claims. Any help awarded by FEMA is considered an advance and must be repaid once an insurance settlement is received. The current maximum is $31,400.

To apply for an advance, people with delayed settlements should write a letter to FEMA explaining the situation. Homeowners should include documentation from their insurance companies proving their claim was filed. If they filed by telephone, they should include their claim number, the date they applied, and estimated time before they expect to receive the settlement.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow FEMA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.
 

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Survivors Can Take Steps Now to Rebuild

Disaster Recovery Center Reopens Monday in Chalmette

BATON ROUGE, La. —  A State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Center will reopen Monday, Oct. 22,  in St. Bernard Parish to assist homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained uninsured or underinsured damage to their home or personal property as a result of Hurricane Isaac.

Specialists from the state of Louisiana, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are on hand to answer questions and provide information on the types of assistance available to survivors.

The center is reopening at the same location, although in the parking lot:

3220 Jean Lafitte Blvd.
Chalmette, LA 70043

Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday until further notice. Closed Sunday.

Survivors may register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. They may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585.  Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

SBA offers federal low-interest disaster loans to residents and businesses. After registering with FEMA, visit any Disaster Recovery Center where SBA representatives will answer questions, explain the application process and help each resident or business owner apply to SBA. For SBA information or to apply online, visit www.sba.gov or call 1-800-659-2955. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may call 1-800-877-8339.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit online at www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

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Disaster Recovery Center Reopens Monday in Chalmette

Disaster Recovery Center Opens Monday in New Roads

BATON ROUGE, La. —  A State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Center will open Monday, Oct. 22, in Pointe Coupee Parish to assist homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained uninsured or underinsured damage to their home or personal property as a result of Hurricane Isaac.

Specialists from the state of Louisiana, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are on hand to answer questions and provide information on the types of assistance available to survivors.

The center opens at 11 a.m. on Monday. Regular hours thereafter will be Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice. Closed Sunday.

Scott Civic Center
1200 Major Pkwy.
New Roads, LA 70760

Survivors may register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. They may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585.  Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

SBA offers federal low-interest disaster loans to residents and businesses. After registering with FEMA, visit any Disaster Recovery Center where SBA representatives will answer questions, explain the application process and help each resident or business owner apply to SBA. For SBA information or to apply online, visit www.sba.gov or call 1-800-659-2955. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may call 1-800-877-8339.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit online at www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

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Disaster Recovery Center Opens Monday in New Roads

Mississippi Damage from Isaac Being Identified for Repair

CLINTON, Miss. – The rebuilding of Mississippi public infrastructure in the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac is underway, with more than $55 million in damage identified as potentially eligible for federal assistance.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are assisting local governments and certain non-profits in the 48 designated counties and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians with identifying eligible projects, and requesting funding through FEMA’s Public Assistance program. There are 12 teams helping to develop project worksheets on each project to be repaired.

 “Through our Public Assistance program, we partner with the state and local governments to identify facilities with eligible damages,” said Terry Quarles, FEMA federal coordinating officer. “Our goal is to assist them in getting the funds to restore critical infrastructure within the state.”

FEMA assigns public assistance coordinators who work with applicants in evaluating damages and determining estimated costs of repair. 

“The Public Assistance program is a very important part of helping our state, local governments and private nonprofits recover,” said State Coordinating Officer Bill Brown. “The faster we get them back on their feet, the faster our residents will also be able to recover from a disaster.”

Public Assistance projects are categorized as small projects, with costs less than $64,200, and large projects, with costs above that threshold. There are 479 small projects identified in Mississippi, and 79 large projects, according to federal officials.

For approved projects, FEMA will pay 75 percent of eligible costs. The state and the applicant are responsible for 25 percent.

Only damage that occurred as a result of the storm is eligible for reimbursement.

Public Assistance projects may include debris removal, emergency response, and repair or replacement of damaged culverts, roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure.

Certain private nonprofits may also receive Public Assistance funding if they provide services of a public nature, such as hospitals, utilities and schools, but they are responsible for the full 25 percent
cost share.

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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.

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Mississippi Damage from Isaac Being Identified for Repair

FEMA to Evaluate Readiness of Pennsylvania

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency will evaluate a Biennial Emergency Preparedness Exercise at the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station.  The exercise will take place during the week of October 22nd to assess the ability of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to respond to an emergency at the nuclear facility.

“These drills are held every other year to evaluate government’s ability to protect public health and safety,” said Robert Welch, Acting Regional Administrator for FEMA Region III.  “We will assess state and local emergency response capabilities within the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone of the nuclear facility.”

Within 90 days, FEMA will send its evaluation to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for use in licensing decisions.  The final report will be available to the public approximately 120 days after the exercise.

FEMA will present preliminary findings of the exercise in a public meeting at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 26th, at the East Mountain Business Center, 1190 East Mountain Blvd., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702.  Scheduled speakers include representatives from FEMA, NRC, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

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. FEMA Region III’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.  Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts are available at http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary and www.youtube.com/fema. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion3.

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FEMA to Evaluate Readiness of Pennsylvania

Less Than 1,000 FEMA Housing Units Still Occupied In Ward County

MINOT, N.D. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that an important milestone has been reached, as the number of temporary housing units still occupied has fallen below 1,000. 

“This is yet another step in the recovery process,” said Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator Dan Alexander of FEMA. “It’s a demonstration that people are returning home and moving forward in their recovery.”

As of October 16, there are still 996 units occupied in Ward County.  Of those, 345 are located on private property, 144 are located at five commercial home parks in Minot and Burlington, and the remaining 507 are at two housing sites developed by FEMA – Virgil Workman Village just outside of Minot and De Sour Valley Heights in Burlington. 

“We continue to work closely with those still residing in FEMA housing, and with our recovery partners, including the city of Minot, to find long-term housing solutions,” said Alexander. “Our mission is to serve as a short-term bridge until sufficient housing can be re-established in the community.”

FEMA’s housing mission was extended through June 24, 2013.  At the peak of the operation, more than 2,000 units were occupied.  In addition to the temporary housing mission, FEMA has provided more than $90 million in financial assistance to individuals and households impacted by Souris Valley flooding.

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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Less Than 1,000 FEMA Housing Units Still Occupied In Ward County

Disaster Recovery Center Opens Wednesday in St. Martin Parish

BATON ROUGE, La. —  A State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Center will open Wednesday in St. Martin Parish to assist homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained uninsured or underinsured damage to their home or personal property as a result of Hurricane Isaac.

Specialists from the state of Louisiana, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are on hand to answer questions and provide information on the types of assistance available to survivors.

The center is open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 17 and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 18 through Oct. 31, closed Sundays, at:

3257 Hwy 70
Morgan City, LA 70380 (in parking lot)

Survivors may register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. They may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585.  Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

SBA offers federal low-interest disaster loans to residents and businesses. After registering with FEMA, visit any Disaster Recovery Center where SBA representatives will answer questions, explain the application process and help each resident or business owner apply to SBA. For SBA information or to apply online, visit www.sba.gov or call 1-800-659-2955. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may call 1-800-877-8339.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit online at www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

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Disaster Recovery Center Opens Wednesday in St. Martin Parish

Disaster Recovery Center in Noble Changes Hours

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will  continue to provide application assistance to those impacted by the Aug. 3-14 wildfire in Cleveland County at the recovery center in Noble; however, the hours of operation will change beginning Friday, Oct.12.

The Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at Twelve Corners Baptist Church, 15601 E. Etowah Road will open and close one hour later to accommodate the needs of the applicants. The new hours are: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday – Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The center will officially close Saturday, Oct. 20.

To date, 132 Cleveland County residents have visited the center to register for assistance, update their information or to speak with representatives from OEM, FEMA and SBA who provided recovery information, answered questions about available programs and assisted with applications.

As of close of business Oct. 10, FEMA provided nearly $1.4 million in grants to help Cleveland County residents recover from the wildfire. Assistance is available to help with temporary housing, emergency home repairs or other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other sources.

Visiting a center is not required to be considered for assistance. It is provided to assist those who would like help in filling out forms, checking the status of their claim and even registering. It also provides an opportunity to speak face-to-face with representatives from OEM, FEMA, SBA and others.

There are several ways for homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and nonprofit organizations to register for FEMA’s disaster assistance or check the status of a registration. They include registering online at www.disasterassistance.gov, using web-enabled phones at m.fema.gov or the FEMA app, or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585. If using 711 Relay or Video Relay Services, call 1-800-621-3362. FEMA phone lines are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT seven days a week; multilingual operators are available.

To apply for an SBA disaster loan:  After registering with FEMA, go online to SBA’s secure site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela; call 1-800-659-2955 or TTY 1-800-877-8339; or visit the DRC in Noble.  For more information on SBA disaster assistance, go to www.sba.gov.

The deadline to apply for federal assistance from FEMA and the SBA is Nov. 21. Anyone receiving an SBA loan package will need to return it as soon as possible.

For more information on Oklahoma disaster recovery, click on www.fema.gov/disaster/4078 or www.oem.ok.gov.

Follow OEM on Twitter and Facebook at twitter.com/okem and www.facebook.com/oklahomadepartmentofemergencymanagement.

FEMA tweets about the Oklahoma disaster are at twitter.com/femaregion6. Additional FEMA online resources include blog.fema.gov, www.facebook.com/fema  and www.youtube.com/fema.

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Disaster Recovery Center in Noble Changes Hours

FEMA Advisers to Offer Home Repair Tips in Three Parishes

BATON ROUGE, La. – Survivors who are rebuilding after Hurricane Isaac can receive a free consultation with hazard mitigation advisers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at home improvement centers in Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes starting Friday.

Survivors can also meet with advisers at the Louisiana Gumbo Festival in Lafourche Parish located at Chackbay Fairgrounds, 326 Hwy 304 in Thibodaux, on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The advisers can offer tips and techniques on how to protect homes from future disaster-related damage and other measures to make homes stronger and safer; they also offer advice on topics such as:

  • emergency preparedness
  • roof repair
  • rebuilding flooded homes
  • home elevation
  • flood insurance
  • mold and mildew cleanup

Most of the information and free publications provided are geared for do-it-yourself work and general contractors. The mitigation stations are open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Oct. 12 in St. Tammany parish and the city of Marrero. The Gretna location will open Oct.14. All four mitigation stations will remain open through Oct. 28.

Jefferson Parish
Home Depot
62 Westbank Expressway
Gretna, LA 70345

Jefferson Parish
Home Depot
4600 Lapalco Blvd.
Marrero, LA 70072

St. Tammany Parish
Home Depot
40 Park Place Drive
Covington, LA 70433

St. Tammany Parish
Home Depot
874 I- 10 Service Road
Slidell, LA  70461

Survivors can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smartphone at m.fema.gov. They may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow FEMA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

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FEMA Advisers to Offer Home Repair Tips in Three Parishes

FEMA Announces 2012 Individual and Community Preparedness Award Winners

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced the recipients of the 2012 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards. These Awards recognize the innovative practices and achievements of individuals, Citizen Corps Councils, and non-profit, faith-based, and private sector organizations working throughout the nation to make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to manage any disaster or emergency event.

“It has been shown time and time again that after a disaster, the very first responders are our neighbors,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “The award recipients promote preparedness across America’s communities – the bedrock of our national resiliency. I commend each and every one of the awardees for their service and innovation. They serve as a model for communities everywhere.”

Each applicant demonstrated their ability to engage the Whole Community through partnerships, achievements, and activities that took place from January 2011 to June 2012. For example, the American Red Cross Gateway to the Golden State Region chapter trained more than 16,000 individuals in lifesaving skills, such as disaster preparedness, CPR, and basic first aid, and developed a cadre of more than 200 bilingual volunteers.  The Texas State Citizen Corps Program trained Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers who were integrated into the response to the Bastrop Complex Fire last fall and North Texas tornadoes earlier this year.

Other awardees participated in emergency planning activities and established creative methods to address the needs of their communities. For example, North Dakota State University developed two Smartphone applications, one to address the needs of individuals and families affected by local flooding and one with information for residents stranded during a winter storm.

The Second Annual John D. Solomon Preparedness Award is being  presented to Florida’s Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE)  for collaborative work as a team of nearly 500 disaster preparedness and response organizations, engaging in efforts that reach the business community, children and youth, under-served populations, faith-based organizations, first responders, and individuals with access and functional needs, and more. The John D. Solomon Preparedness Award is named for the late creator of the groundbreaking blog, In Case of Emergency, Read Blog: A Citizen’s Eye View Of Public Preparedness. John’s body of work was striking in its reporting, analysis, engagement and impact, in preparing the public, informing professionals, and effecting change in the public and private sectors. Administrator Fugate once stated that he “set the standard for what it meant to be part of our nation’s emergency management team.”

All winners will be invited, as FEMA’s honored guests, to a community roundtable event in Washington, D.C. During the roundtable the honorees will share their innovative and successful approaches to community preparedness with emergency management leadership.

FEMA congratulates the following awardees:

Outstanding State Citizen Corps Council Initiatives

  • Texas Citizen Corps (TX)

Outstanding Local Citizen Corps Council Initiatives

  • New York City Citizen Corps Council (NY)

Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Initiatives

  • CERT Program and Volunteers, City of Newport Beach (CA)

Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness

  • Chinatown Community Development Center (CA)

Preparing the Whole Community

  • American Red Cross Gateway to the Golden State (CA)

Promising Partnerships

  • Partners in Preparedness (NY)

Awareness to Action

  • American Red Cross of the Poconos (PA)

Innovative Use of Technology

  • North Dakota State University Agriculture Communication (ND)

Volunteer Integration

  • West Pierce County Fire and Rescue CERT Program (WA)

Community Preparedness Heroes

  • Michael Parker (CA)
  • Mohamed Ali (WA)
  • Scott Ellis (NJ)

Second Annual Recipient of the John D. Solomon Preparedness Award

  • Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE) (FL)

The award winners were selected by a panel of leaders representing the Whole Community, including the National Emergency Management Association, the International Association of Emergency Managers, Target, the American Red Cross and FEMA. 

For a description of the award categories, please see the Application Guide.

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.

Originally posted here – 

FEMA Announces 2012 Individual and Community Preparedness Award Winners

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