Include Your Pets in Disaster Preparedness Planning

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Many pets were left behind to fend for themselves during the wildfires in California’s Calaveras and Lake counties resulting in serious injuries, death or disappearance.

This occurred because the fire came so fast many survivors had no time to save the animals.

“Pets are members of the family. You wouldn’t want to leave a family member behind during a disaster would you?” said Deputy State Coordinating Officer Charles Rabamad. “Having a plan and emergency kit for your pets is just as important as having them for your mother, father, sister or brother.”

With predictions of more severe weather and flooding this winter due to El Niño now is a good time to develop both a family and pet emergency plan. Here are some tips on what to include in your pet plan:

  • If your pet doesn’t have a microchip, ask your veterinarian about the possibility. Make sure your pet’s tags are up-to-date and fastened to its collar. If possible, attach the address and/or phone number of your evacuation site. If your pet gets lost, its tag is its ticket home.
  • Make sure your pet’s immunizations are current and keep a copy of the veterinary records with you.
  • Take a photo of your pet and keep it with you for identification purposes.
  • Make a pet emergency kit. You should have enough pet food, bottled water and medications for three days. Also, pack cat litter and pan, manual can opener, food dishes, leash and collar, brush, blankets, a first aid kit and other supplies. A full list of items to include can be found online at www.Ready.Gov. Information also is available at www.Cal-cares,com and www.CDFA.ca.gov.
  • If you plan to shelter in place, identify a safe area of your home where you can all stay together. Put all emergency supplies in that room ahead of time, including your pet’s crate and supplies.

Include Your Pets in Emergency Planning

  • Consider checking with your local animal control agency or emergency management office now to determine if a pet-friendly shelter is available in your area. Make a list of boarding facilities and veterinary offices that might be able to shelter animals in disaster emergencies.
  • Make a buddy system with your friends or neighbors as a back-up emergency plan if you cannot care for your animals yourself. The buddy system will assure that someone is available to care for or evacuate your pets if you are unable to do so.

Those with larger animals such as horses, cattle, sheep, goats or pigs should also plan for these animals by:

  • Ensuring all animals have some form of identification.
  • Evacuating animals whenever possible. Map out primary and secondary routes in advance.
  • Making sure vehicles and trailers for transporting animals as well as experienced handlers and drivers are available.
  • Ensuring destinations have food, water, veterinary care and handling equipment.

Survivors can register for FEMA assistance online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362; TTY 800-462-7585; 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362. Registration continues through Nov. 23.

For more information on California’s wildfire recovery, visit: caloes.ca.gov or fema.gov/disaster/4240 and follow us on Twitter @femaregion9 or @CAL_OES and facebook.com/CaliforniaOES and at Facebook.com/FEMA. For more information on preparing your pets for a disaster go to www.Ready.Gov.   The state program CARES also provides information on animal care and control in the event of a disaster or emergency. Find the agency online at www.cal-cares.com.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who are referred to SBA for a disaster loan must apply to be eligible for additional FEMA assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

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Include Your Pets in Disaster Preparedness Planning

FEMA Mitigation Advisers Offer Guidance to Flood Survivors in Kershaw, Richland Counties

COLUMBIA, S.C. – As South Carolinians rebuild and repair after the recent historic floods, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local home improvement stores have teamed up to provide free information, tips and literature on making homes stronger and safer.

FEMA mitigation specialists will be on hand in Kershaw and Richland counties to answer questions and offer home improvement tips to prevent and lessen damage from future disasters. Most of the information is geared towards do-it-yourself work and general contractors.

Advisers will be available at two locations through Nov. 24. Hours and locations are as follows:

  • Lowe’s located at 11 Bay Lane in Camden (Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Monday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Tuesday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
  • Lowe’s located at 1051 Sams Crossing Drive in Columbia (Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Monday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Tuesday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Mitigation teams will also have free reference booklets in English and Spanish on protecting your home from flood damage. More information about strengthening property can be found at fema.gov/what-mitigation.

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FEMA Mitigation Advisers Offer Guidance to Flood Survivors in Kershaw, Richland Counties

FEMA Mitigation Advisers Offer Guidance to Flood Survivors in Florence, Georgetown Counties

COLUMBIA, S.C. – As South Carolinians rebuild and repair after the recent historic floods, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local home improvement stores have teamed up to provide free information, tips and literature on making homes stronger and safer.

FEMA mitigation specialists will be on hand in Florence and Georgetown counties to answer questions and offer home improvement tips to prevent and lessen damage from future disasters. Most of the information is geared towards do-it-yourself work and general contractors.

Advisers will be available at two locations through Nov. 24. Hours and locations are as follows:

  • Home Depot located at 12262 Highway 17 Bypass in Murrells Inlet (Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Monday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Tuesday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
  • Lowe’s located at 1701 Freedom Blvd. in Florence (Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Monday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Tuesday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Mitigation teams will also have free reference booklets in English and Spanish on protecting your home from flood damage. More information about strengthening property can be found at fema.gov/what-mitigation.

Originally posted here:  

FEMA Mitigation Advisers Offer Guidance to Flood Survivors in Florence, Georgetown Counties

Keep Your Important Documents Safe from a Disaster

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Fumbling through files for important papers can be frustrating. But when an emergency strikes, trying to gather up all those documents can be downright frightening.

There is a way around all the late-minute hassle, but it will take some time and a way to organize and contain them so that you can grab and go when a disaster strikes. And, with predictions of more severe weather and flooding this winter due to El Nino, now is a good time to organize your papers.

Container options can range from a fireproof lock box or safe, a safety deposit box or something as simple as a three-ring binder with plastic sleeves into which you can insert the documents.

The list of documents and records you will want to have is long, but will be invaluable after you have evacuated your home. You will need access to some of these items sooner than others, but all are important enough to include in your “must have” list:

  • Vital Records: Driver’s licenses, birth certificates, adoption papers, Social Security cards, passports, citizenship papers (such as a “green card” or naturalization documents), marriage license, divorce decrees, child custody papers, current military ID, military discharge (DD Form 214), medical and vaccination records for pets along with current photos and ID chip numbers in case you are separated.
  • Insurance Policies: Homeowners, renters, flood, earthquake, auto, life, health, disability, long-term care; have at least the policy number and insurance company contact information for each type of coverage.

Keep Your Important Documents Safe from a Disaster

  • Property Records: Real estate deeds of trust and mortgage documents (at least the two-page settlement statement provided by the title company showing the actual cost of the house and purchase expenses); rental agreement or lease; auto/boat/RV registration and titles; video, photos or a list of household inventory.
  • Medical Information: Immunization and other medical records, prescription information (drug name and dosage), health insurance identification cards, physician names and phone numbers, powers-of-attorney for health care, and living wills.
  • Estate planning documents: Wills, trusts, funeral instructions, powers-of-attorney, attorney names and phone numbers.
  • Financial records: First two pages of your previous year’s federal and state tax returns, stock and bond certificates, investment records, brokerage and retirement account information, credit card, checking and savings account numbers, contact information for credit unions, banks, financial institutions, credit card companies and financial advisers.
  • Other: Personal address book, a letter with instructions for family or friends (for use in a situation where you’re not present), backups of important computer files, a list of usernames and passwords for online accounts, a key to your safe deposit box, a recent photograph, fingerprints and dental records for each member of the household (some police stations and nonprofits fingerprint children free);, account and contact information for utilities and other services (you may have to provide a new billing address or cancel certain services), a list of important documents and where originals and copies are located.

Those who don’t have the time or ability to gather all of these documents should focus on the most important and most difficult to replace.

In addition, take time now to think about the priceless personal items you would want to protect from danger or take with you if you had to suddenly evacuate your home.

The first step is to take an inventory of your household valuables. Those who wish more complete checklists or guidance on collecting and safeguarding this important information, go to www.ready.gov/financialpreparedness.

If you have lost documents in the Butte or Valley fires, go to www.fema.gov/disaster/4240 to learn how to replace them.

Survivors can register for FEMA assistance online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362; TTY 800-462-7585; 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362. Registration ends Nov. 23.

 

Keep Your Important Documents Safe from a Disaster

For more information on California’s wildfire recovery, visit: caloes.ca.gov or fema.gov/disaster/4240 and follow us on Twitter @Cal_OES and @femaregion9 and at Facebook.com/California OES and Facebook.com/FEMA.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who are referred to SBA for a disaster loan must apply to be eligible for additional FEMA assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

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Source article: 

Keep Your Important Documents Safe from a Disaster

FEMA Mitigation Advisers Offer Guidance to Flood Survivors in Richland County

COLUMBIA, S.C. – As South Carolinians rebuild and repair after the recent historic floods, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local home improvement stores have teamed up to provide free information, tips and literature on making homes stronger and safer.

FEMA mitigation specialists will be on hand in Richland County to answer questions and offer home improvement tips to prevent and lessen damage from future disasters. Most of the information is geared towards do-it-yourself work and general contractors.

Advisers will be available at two locations through Nov. 17. Hours and locations are as follows:

  • Home Depot located at 5200 Fernandina Road in Columbia (Thursday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Monday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Tuesday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
  • Lowe’s located at 7420 Garners Ferry Road in Columbia (Thursday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Monday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Tuesday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Mitigation teams will also have free reference booklets in English and Spanish on protecting your home from flood damage. More information about strengthening property can be found at fema.gov/what-mitigation.

Link to original: 

FEMA Mitigation Advisers Offer Guidance to Flood Survivors in Richland County

FEMA Mitigation Advisers Offer Guidance to Flood Survivors in Florence and Horry Counties

COLUMBIA, S.C. – As South Carolinians rebuild and repair after the recent historic floods, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local home improvement stores have teamed up to provide free information, tips and literature on making homes stronger and safer.

FEMA mitigation specialists will be on hand in Florence and Horry counties to answer questions and offer home improvement tips to prevent and lessen damage from future disasters. Most of the information is geared towards do-it-yourself work and general contractors.

Advisers will be available at two locations through Nov. 10. Hours and locations are as follows:

Florence County: Lowe’s located at 2301 David H. McLeod Blvd. in Florence (Thursday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Monday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Tuesday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Horry County: Lowe’s located at 1160 Seaboard St. in Myrtle Beach (Thursday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Monday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Tuesday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Mitigation teams will also have free reference booklets in English and Spanish on protecting your home from flood damage. More information about strengthening property can be found at fema.gov/what-mitigation.

Source article: 

FEMA Mitigation Advisers Offer Guidance to Flood Survivors in Florence and Horry Counties

FEMA Specialists Blanketed Fire Ravaged Areas of California with Help

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The day after President Obama issued a major disaster declaration in Calaveras and Lake counties, Calif., FEMA teams were already on the ground and fanned out providing information and helping survivors register for assistance from the disastrous wildfires.

Beginning Sept. 23, more than 61 Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) specialists divided into teams and went door-to-door, store-to-store and into high-traffic areas – wherever survivors might be. DSA specialists provided survivors with information, registered them for disaster assistance on the spot and also referred them to additional resources when needed.

This boots-on-the-ground technique allowed DSA team members to reach survivors in remote mountainous areas, and as a result, DSA specialists registered more than 45 percent of the 3,497 survivors who applied for assistance, a high mark for the FEMA DSA program.  

“I’m very proud of the dedicated DSA teams,” said Timothy Scranton, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer for the disaster. “DSA provides support to disaster survivors directly in the communities where they live and work. This is a value-added service we can bring after a disaster to expedite the recovery process.”

But these specialists do more than registration. They keep alert to conditions, needs and activity in affected areas and report their findings to the appropriate individuals.

“They become an extra pair of eyes and ears in determining where issues exist,” Scranton added.

At the height of this operation, DSA specialists worked in the two counties, handing out flyers, providing information to people displaced by the wildfires, and followed up with the survivors to check the status of their applications.

The fires wiped out phone service in many areas. DSA specialists allowed survivors to use their FEMA-issued cell phones to check their registration or make other important calls.

“It can be stressful not to be able to pick up the phone and make a call,” said Tony Nguyen, Disaster Survivor Assistance branch director. “Making our cell service available is another way to help survivors recover.”

DSA teams have provided disaster assistance information to survivors in Calaveras and Lake counties since Sept. 23. Here is a snapshot of their efforts:

  • Homes visited – 5,279
  • Survivor interactions – 6,370
  • Survivor registrations – 1,462
  • Referrals to other agencies such as American Red Cross and SBA– 1,209
  • Businesses visited – 600
  • Community locations where DSA help was provided – 165

Survivors can apply for FEMA assistance online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362; TTY 800-462-7585; 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362. The deadline for survivors to register is Nov. 23, 2015. 

For more information on California’s wildfire recovery, visit: caloes.ca.gov or http://beta.fema.gov/disaster/4240 and follow us on Twitter @femaregion9

and at Facebook.com/FEMA.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who are referred to SBA for a disaster loan must apply to be eligible for additional FEMA assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

 

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Link:  

FEMA Specialists Blanketed Fire Ravaged Areas of California with Help

FEMA Mitigation Advisers Offer Guidance to Flood Survivors in Horry County

COLUMBIA, S.C. – As South Carolinians rebuild and repair after the recent historic floods, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local home improvement stores have teamed up to provide free information, tips and literature on making homes stronger and safer.

FEMA mitigation specialists will be on hand in Horry County to answer questions and offer home improvement tips to prevent and lessen damage from future disasters. Most of the information is geared towards do-it-yourself work and general contractors.

Also on hand will be FEMA’s disaster survivor assistance teams to answer questions and provide guidance on available federal help.

Advisers will be available in Myrtle Beach today through Nov. 3. Hours and location are as follows:

Horry County: Lowe’s located at 8672 Highway 17 Bypass in Myrtle Beach (Thursday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Monday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Tuesday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Mitigation teams will also have free reference booklets in English and Spanish on protecting your home from flood damage. More information about strengthening property can be found at fema.gov/what-mitigation.

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FEMA Mitigation Advisers Offer Guidance to Flood Survivors in Horry County

FEMA Mitigation Advisers Offer Guidance to Flood Survivors in Charleston County

COLUMBIA, S.C. – As South Carolinians rebuild and repair after the recent historic floods, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local home improvement stores have teamed up to provide free information, tips and literature on making homes stronger and safer.

FEMA mitigation specialists will be on hand in Charleston County to answer questions and offer home improvement tips to prevent and lessen damage from future disasters. Most of the information is geared towards do-it-yourself work and general contractors.

Also on hand will be FEMA’s disaster survivor assistance teams to answer questions and provide guidance on available federal help.

Advisers will be available in James Island today through Nov. 3. Hours and location are as follows:

Charleston County: Lowe’s located at 770 Daniel Ellis Drive in James Island (Thursday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Monday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Tuesday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Mitigation teams will also have free reference booklets in English and Spanish on protecting your home from flood damage. More information about strengthening property can be found at fema.gov/what-mitigation.

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FEMA Mitigation Advisers Offer Guidance to Flood Survivors in Charleston County

Texas Panhandle Partnership Implements Regional Alert System

FEMA and the state of Texas are highlighting Texas communities that have taken steps to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property.

POTTER COUNTY, Texas – A multi-county initiative that began five years ago in the Texas panhandle provides residents an effective emergency alert system that helped save lives and property during the historic May 2015 floods.

The system, which has grown to include 150 counties, got its start in 2010 at the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission (PRPC). Funding was provided through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

“We found that only two of our 26 counties had any kind of mass notification capability,” said John Kiehl, regional services director of the PRPC. Established in 1969, the PRPC assists local governments in planning, developing and implementing programs designed to improve the general health, safety and welfare of the citizens in the Texas Panhandle.

“We discovered the other counties could not afford the cost of getting an alert system, much less maintain one,” said Kiehl, “but with help from FEMA and other partners, we were able to establish a reverse calling system to serve a wide array of emergency management purposes at a highly affordable cost.”

After considering different options, the PRPC decided to work with other jurisdictions that shared the need for mass notification. The result was the creation of the Alliance for Community Solutions (ACS), a group of stakeholders with a common interest in developing and implementing cost-effective, technology-based emergency management tools that benefit the group.

The PRPC applied for a grant from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to fund the project so that all counties in the region could affordably obtain and maintain notification capabilities.

“We submitted a proposal for a system that would serve the entire 26,000-square-mile region,” said Kiehl.

The PRPC received about $785,000 from FEMA toward the project cost of more than $1 million. Most of the balance came from donations from individuals and private foundations. HMGP funds were used to purchase licenses at a cost of $600 per license. Each jurisdiction contributed $200 toward the cost of its license.

“Initially, we had difficulty sending short message system (SMS) text messages. We’d send out the first 25 calls, which would go through without a problem,” said Kiehl. “But after that, they started bottlenecking and bouncing back. We went through a period of time where people were getting their severe weather alerts a day and a half after the storm had passed.”

The issue was resolved by installing a new smartphone application called Fully Connect. Because it bypasses cell phone service provider servers, Fully Connect lets local officials send messages more quickly and reliably.

Kiehl said the system has been improved beyond its original design with enhancements funded by the PRPC and other ACS members. In addition to the common suite of tools that can send alerts by text, voice and email, the PRPC has included an English-Spanish translation. Other ACS partners have added more language modules including French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and German to better serve their non-English speaking residents.

The PRPC is now working on the last major FEMA-funded improvement: integrating the PRPC system with the federal Integrated Public Alert Warning System (IPAWS). When that happens, there will be seven different ways for emergency managers and authorized users to send alerts and notices to residents when their safety is at risk.

In May 2015, historic storms swept through central and south Texas over Memorial Day weekend, dumping up to 10 inches of rain over parts of previously drought-stricken Texas.

Medina County, an ACS partner more than 500 miles from the Panhandle, had funded a system enhancement that connected the county’s flood gauges to the mass notification system. As the river rose, automated notices were sent to keep county responders and residents aware of the situation. The PRPC is now looking to take advantage of this enhancement in the Panhandle.

What the PRPC did in the region is now serving 150 other counties in Texas because they are all working with the same provider. Every enhancement put into the system by any one of the counties is available to all other counties and jurisdictions within those counties, at no additional cost.

“FEMA has invested a lot of money in this initiative and we wanted the return to be as great as possible,” said Kiehl. “One of the best outcomes of this project is the partnership that’s been forged through ACS.

“Together, we’ll continue to cost-effectively improve this system long after our HMGP project has been closed out,” Kiehl said. “And anytime an ACS partner adds a system enhancement, all ACS members will benefit from it.”

For additional information about the Texas Panhandle Partnership Regional Alert System, visit: Panhandle Regional Planning Commission.

To learn more about how cities and towns across Texas are building stronger, safer communities, visit Best Practice Stories | FEMA.gov.

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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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Texas Panhandle Partnership Implements Regional Alert System

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