Sayreville, New Jersey—From Flood-Prone Neighborhood To Greenspace

TRENTON, N.J. — As recovery from Superstorm Sandy continues in New Jersey, one major improvement project is the conversion of a destroyed residential neighborhood in the Borough of Sayreville to a permanent greenspace.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $29 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding for the voluntary acquisition and demolition of approximately 129 residential properties in Sayreville. 

The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management is managing the grant, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Blue Acres Program will implement the project and work directly with homeowners.

All of the homes in the project neighborhood are located in a National Flood Insurance Program Special Flood Hazard Area. This hazard designation indicates the structures are highly vulnerable to flooding. 

In addition, many of the homes are on the National Flood Insurance Program’s severe repetitive loss and repetitive loss list of residential structures with excessive flood loss.

Acquisition of these repetitive loss properties removes them from the risk of flooding and reduces the impact on the National Flood Insurance Program and on both Federal and State disaster assistance funding.

“By acquiring and removing these homes, FEMA is diminishing the borough’s vulnerability to natural disasters and removing residents from a potentially dangerous area,” said Gracia Szczech, FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer for New Jersey.

“This funding will go a long way to help the affected families move on with their lives.”

Once the homes are acquired and demolished, further construction will not be allowed on the properties.The land will be restricted to open space in perpetuity. Sayreville has accepted responsibility for all maintenance and upkeep of the land. 

The use of federal funds to purchase these properties allows families to relocate to safer areas.

Under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, the state solicits project proposals from local jurisdictions then prioritizes the projects for approval by FEMA. 

The project grant was awarded and funded by FEMA.  The total project cost is $39,274,060, the Federal share $29,455,545. 

The remainder of the cost of the project will come from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acre/Blue Acre Program. 

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration.

The grants help to 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 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is authorized under Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.

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

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.  

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

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Sayreville, New Jersey—From Flood-Prone Neighborhood To Greenspace

After 6 months, N.Y. communities make progress in recovery from Sandy

NEW YORK – In the six months since Hurricane Sandy made landfall on Oct. 29, 2012, significant progress has been made in New York’s recovery.

Nearly all of the debris is gone. Many survivors have returned to their homes and repaired or replaced damaged or destroyed personal property. Businesses are reopening.

Many public schools, libraries, community centers and other institutions have reopened, including New York University Langone Medical Center, Bellevue Hospital and Coney Island Hospital.

In February, the Federal Emergency Management Agency released advisory flood-risk data to help homeowners, business owners and public facilities plan for future flood events. Bellevue Hospital is among the facilities that are already using the Advisory Base Flood Elevation data to protect themselves from future flooding.

“New York has made tremendous progress in the six months since Sandy,” said Michael F. Byrne, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer for Hurricane Sandy operations.  “But the work is not done. We are working with our state and local partners to apply mitigation measures to ensure that New York is better able to withstand future storms.”

The whole community is involved in the recovery effort, including local, state, federal and tribal, the private sector and voluntary and faith-based organizations.

So far, more than $6.6 billion has been provided in disaster assistance to individuals and families, low-interest disaster loans, flood-insurance claims payments and funding for debris removal, repair or replacement of public facilities and reimbursement for emergency expenses.

FEMA has approved more than $959 million for individuals and households in New York to help eligible survivors with home repairs, temporary rental costs and other uninsured hurricane-related losses.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved low-interest disaster loans totaling more than $1.4 billion for nearly 22,000 homeowners, renters and businesses.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid nearly $3.4 billion in claims to 56,766 policyholders.

Debris removal, essential to rebuilding neighborhoods, is nearly 95 percent complete. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local and state agencies have cleaned up nearly 5.7 million of the estimated 6 million cubic yards of debris.

FEMA has approved more than $848 million in Public Assistance grants to reimburse state, tribal and local governments and eligible private nonprofits for costs related to emergency response, debris removal and repairing or rebuilding damaged public facilities, among other expenses.

These grants include more than $114 million to New York University Langone Medical Center for temporary repairs, patient evacuation and other emergency-related expenses; $5.1 million to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection to repair or reconstruct 16 pump stations; and $3.8 million to Long Beach Public Schools for repairs to the district’s elementary, middle and high schools.

More than 21,000 families were able to remain in their storm-damaged homes while repairs were made because of the Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power program, operated by local governments and funded by FEMA.

Because of a shortage of rental housing, 5,933 individuals and families have been housed temporarily in hotel rooms under the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program

Six months after the storm, nearly 1,500 FEMA personnel are on the job in New York, including nearly 400 local residents hired to help with recovery operations.

Storm survivors continue to receive face-to-face help in the recovery process at disaster recovery centers. To date, there have been more than 181,000 visits to the centers.

Early in the disaster, Federal Disaster Recovery Coordination commenced when more than a dozen federal agencies deployed to New York under the National Disaster Recovery Framework. Their mission was to coordinate with one another and to collaborate with state and local officials and hundreds of stakeholders on a comprehensive, whole community recovery strategy for the state of New York.

Scheduled for release this summer, the Recovery Support Strategy focuses on how the federal government can help build back New York better, stronger and smarter. In addition to extensive input from local and national energy, housing, transportation, infrastructure, health, human services, economic, and environmental experts, the strategy reflects successful practices from other major disasters.

The document also incorporates guidance on effective uses for billions of dollars in Sandy supplemental funds approved by Congress and President Obama early this year. Federal Disaster Recovery Coordination in New York will be ongoing.

For more on Hurricane Sandy recovery in New York, visit www.FEMA.gov/SandyNY.

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After 6 months, N.Y. communities make progress in recovery from Sandy

Local Groups Making Long-Term Commitment to Louisiana’s Recovery

BATON ROUGE, La. – As Louisianians continue to recover from Hurricane Isaac, some of their needs may go beyond the scope of assistance from the state or the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). That’s when community-based long-term recovery groups can help, providing what hurricane survivors most often need: money, materials and manpower.

With support and guidance from FEMA and the state, long-term recovery groups are working vigorously in 15 parishes. Formed from a multiple-parish network of nonprofits, voluntary agencies, and faith- and community-based organizations, these recovery groups are assessing the longer-term needs of individual hurricane survivors and connecting them to assistance.

Some of the groups were in place even before Hurricane Katrina while others formed after that storm. They were all able to act after Hurricane Isaac and will continue to do so for months or even years. Other parishes have groups that are under development or forming now.

“Long-term recovery groups are an integral part of the whole-community approach to recovery,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of FEMA. “The volunteers who make up these groups are working hard to take Hurricane Isaac survivors through the last steps in their recovery.”

Staff and volunteers from some of the groups are helping clear debris that remains at hurricane-damaged homes, while others are recruiting volunteers and staff.  Some groups have programs to help survivors pay utility bills or obtain help with everyday necessities such as clothing, appliances and furniture.

Specific efforts include:

  • The Benevolent Rural Alliance for Cultural and Environmental Strategies (BRACES) operates in eight parishes. One of the group’s initiatives is a veterans’ building and repair assistance program.
  • Northshore Disaster Recovery in St. Tammany Parish is repairing hurricane-damaged homes, funded, in part, with money raised from fundraising efforts in other states.
  • A new long-term committee has formed in St. John Parish where many of the members themselves sustained damage and loss in the August storm. Subcommittees include volunteer and donation coordination and construction and clean up.
  • The South Louisiana Long-Term Recovery Committee (SOLA) has been active since 1993 and is currently operating in Lafourche, St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes. Among SOLA’s efforts is the revitalization in St. Mary Parish of the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster group, which has not been active for seven years.
  • Formed in the weeks following Hurricane Katrina, the Committee for Plaquemines Recovery (CPR) is made up of local nonprofit and faith-based groups. CPR, with technical assistance from FEMA, is training local churches on how to perform case management. CPR and the parish government have a memorandum of understanding that designates CPR as the primary point of contact for voluntary organizations and nonprofits for response and recovery after a disaster.

In each case, Voluntary Agency Liaisons (VALs) from FEMA and the state helped to organize the groups, and VALs continue to support them by, for example, providing training for services such as case management.

“VALs prepare the recovery groups to help survivors rebuild their lives,” said Mark Davis, supervisor of FEMA’s VAL group in Louisiana. “Their work makes a community whole again, one household, one neighborhood at a time.”

Survivors who wish to contact a long-term recovery group and are not already connected with an agency in their community may visit Louisiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster at www.lavoad.org or contact their parish officials.

Following is a list of groups and the locations they are serving:

Long-Term Recovery Group

Parish/City Served

Benevolent Rural Alliance for Cultural and Environmental Strategies (BRACES)

 

St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington, Livingston, West Feliciana, East Feliciana, St. John and St. Helena

Committee for Plaquemines Recovery

Plaquemines

Crescent Alliance Recovery Effort

Orleans

Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

Livingston, Tangipahoa, St. Helena, St. Tammany, West Feliciana, East Feliciana, and Washington

Jefferson Disaster Recovery Committee

Jefferson

Madisonville Relief Effort

City of Madisonville

Northshore Disaster Recovery Inc.

St. Tammany

St. John Parish Long-Term Recovery Group

St. John

South Louisiana Long-Term Recovery Committee

Lafourche, St. Mary, Terrebonne, and Town of Grand Isle

St. Bernard Resource Committee

St. Bernard

Washington Emergency Recovery Cadre

Washington

 

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.

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). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

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, the R6 Hurricane Preparedness website at www.fema.gov/about/regions/regionvi/updates.shtm and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

Originally posted here – 

Local Groups Making Long-Term Commitment to Louisiana’s Recovery

Rebuilding Stronger, Safer, Smarter

TRENTON, N.J. — Before you hang any drywall or put your utilities back in the basement, make sure you’re practicing safe and smart rebuilding methods and following local building codes. It’s your house and you want to get back into it as quickly as possible. But, repairing or rebuilding a storm-damaged home takes thought and requires a lot more than your last do-it-yourself project.

First step:  Check with your local government about permit requirements.

Then, make sure that you do not have any asbestos issues on the property. If you suspect you do,go to www.state.nj.us/dep/dshw/rrtp/asbestos.htm to view the “Guidance Document for the Management of Asbestos-Containing Material (ACM).” The document comes from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. 

As you rebuild, consider making changes that will make your home better prepared to withstand the next disaster. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maintains an extensive online library, including bi-lingual and multimedia resources that describe measures you can take to reduce future risks.

For rebuilding information, go to http://www.fema.gov/building-science. FEMA Building Science Resources to Assist with Reconstruction After Hurricane Sandy is an overview of available publications and is found at http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=6651. Other publications of interest are:

FEMA also has videos on YouTube: “What is Mitigation?” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=057ZkeoFyc4, and “Virginia Mitigation Best Practices – Elevating a Home” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpUEz_GIw4.  

For one-on-one assistance, visit the nearest Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) to speak with a Hazard Mitigation specialist.  DRC locations change frequently. The closest open offices can be found online at http://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm. An alternative is to go to www.fema.gov and search for DRC locator.

The decision to rebuild stronger, safer and smarter may save your life and property in a future 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 FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema. 

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

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Rebuilding Stronger, Safer, Smarter

Approved Funds for New York State Hurricane Sandy Survivors Tops $700 Million

Approved Funds for New York State Hurricane Sandy Survivors Tops $700 Million

Main Content

Release date:

November 28, 2012

Release Number:

NR-059

NEW YORK — Since Hurricane Sandy struck New York, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $703 million to help individuals and families recover from the disaster.

FEMA is reaching out to all 13 designated counties, focusing on the hardest hit areas of New York state. Assistance to the hardest-hit areas includes:

  • Bronx $1.7 million
  • Kings $149.5 million
  • Nassau $234.8 million
  • New York  $9.5 million
  • Queens  $179.4 million
  • Richmond $73.9 million
  • Suffolk  $51.1 million

FEMA provides the following snapshot of the disaster-recovery effort as of November 28:

  • More than 236,000 New Yorkers have contacted FEMA for information or registered for assistance with FEMA and more than $703 million has been approved. More than 120,000 people have applied through the online application site at www.disasterassistance.gov, or on their smart phone at m.fema.gov.
     
  • 34 Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) are open in the affected areas. These include mobile sites as well as fixed sites, and to date more than 59,000 survivors have been assisted at DRCs in New York.
     
  • 655 inspectors in the field have completed nearly 142,000 home inspections.
     
  • 1,018 Community Relations (CR) specialists are strategically positioned throughout the affected communities, going door-to-door explaining the types of disaster assistance available and how to register. More teams continue to arrive daily.
     
  • 7 fixed feeding sites are being operated by the New York City Office of Emergency Management.      
     
  • 1 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs), 1 Rapid Deployment Force (RDF), 2 Prescription Medication Task Force Team (PMTFT) and 1 National Veterinary Response Team (NVRT) from the Department of Health and Human Services remain deployed in New York.
     
  • 13 New York counties are designated for both individual and public assistance. Theses are Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.
     
  • The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved nearly $42 million in disaster loans to homeowners, renters and businesses. The SBA has staff members at 19 Business Recovery Centers in the New York area to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance.
     
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has assessed 740 regulated facilities such as landfills, power plants and chemical facilities for impacts from Hurricane Sandy.

Individuals can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smart phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362. Multilingual telephone operators are available to help non-English-speaking survivors register for disaster aid and to get their questions answered.

Those with a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; for 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.  

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

Last Updated:

November 28, 2012 – 16:54

State or Region:

New York

Related Disaster:

New York Hurricane Sandy

Continue at source – 

Approved Funds for New York State Hurricane Sandy Survivors Tops $700 Million

More than $690 Million Approved for New York State Hurricane Sandy Survivors

More than $690 Million Approved for New York State Hurricane Sandy Survivors

Main Content

Release date:

November 27, 2012

Release Number:

NR-056

NEW YORK — Since Hurricane Sandy struck New York, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $690 million to help individuals and families recover from the disaster.
FEMA is reaching out to all 13 designated counties, focusing on the hardest hit areas of New York State. Assistance to the hardest-hit areas includes:

  • Bronx $1.7 million
  • Kings $146.5 million
  • Nassau $231.7 million
  • New York $9.1 million
  • Queens $176.6 million
  • Richmond  $72.9 million
  • Suffolk $50.3 million

FEMA provides the following snapshot of the disaster recovery effort as of November 27:

  • More than 234,000 New Yorkers have contacted FEMA for information or registered for assistance with FEMA and more than $690 million has been approved. More than 119,000 people have applied through the online application site at www.disasterassistance.gov, or on their smart phone at m.fema.gov.
     
  • 34 Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) are open in the affected areas. These include mobile sites as well as fixed sites, and to date nearly 57,000 survivors have been assisted at DRCs in New York.
     
  • 750 inspectors in the field have completed more than 139,000 home inspections.
     
  • 1,065 Community Relations (CR) specialists are strategically positioned throughout affected communities, going door-to-door explaining the types of disaster assistance available and how to register. More teams continue to arrive daily.
     
  • 7 fixed feeding sites are being operated by the New York City Office of Emergency Management.   
     
  • 2 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs), 1 Rapid Deployment Force (RDF), 2 Prescription Medication Task Force Team (PMTFT) and 1 National Veterinary Response Team (NVRT) from the Department of Health and Human Services remain deployed in New York.
     
  • 13 New York counties are designated for both individual and public assistance, including: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.
     
  • The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $38.8 million in disaster loans to homeowners, renters and businesses. The SBA has staff members at 18 Business Recovery Centers in the New York area to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance.
     
  • The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has staff members at 16 Disaster Recovery Centers in the New York area to provide information on available housing and HUD programs.
     
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has 30 On-Scene Coordinators deployed in New York who are responsible for monitoring or directing responses to all oil spills and hazardous substance releases reported to the federal government.

Individuals can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smart phone at m.fema.gov.  Applicants may also call 800-621-3362. Multilingual telephone operators are available to help non-English-speaking survivors register for disaster aid and to get their questions answered.

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. 

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

Last Updated:

November 28, 2012 – 09:03

State or Region:

New York

Related Disaster:

New York Hurricane Sandy

Link to article:  

More than $690 Million Approved for New York State Hurricane Sandy Survivors

Disaster Assistance Tops $6 Million Lafourche Parish

BATON ROUGE, La. – Nearly three months since the Aug. 29 federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Isaac in Louisiana, more than $365 million in state and federal disaster assistance has been approved for the state. Disaster assistance for survivors in Lafourche Parish now totals $6,014,590.

Lafourche Parish by the Numbers

Number of survivors who registered for assistance with FEMA: 4,333

Amount of Housing Assistance approved: $3,333,080

Amount of Other Needs Assistance approved: $427,168

TOTAL Individual Assistance grants: $3,760,248

TOTAL Public Assistance obligations: $652,442

TOTAL U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans: $1,601,900

Timeline

Aug. 27 – President Obama issued an Emergency Declaration in Louisiana, in advance of Hurricane Isaac, for emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct federal assistance under the Public Assistance program.

Aug. 29 – President Obama issued a Federal Disaster Declaration for 35 parishes in Louisiana, including Lafourche. The declaration made Public Assistance (PA) funds available for reimbursement of  costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures (Categories A & B), including direct federal assistance. A total of 55 parishes are now designated for PA.

Aug. 29 – The federal disaster declaration also made all parishes in the state eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

Sept. 1 – An amendment designated four parishes in Louisiana, including Lafourche, eligible for Individual Assistance (IA). With subsequent amendments, IA is now available in 26 parishes: Allen, Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Morehouse, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.

Sept. 3 – FEMA, at the request of the state, activated the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which allowed eligible evacuees from Hurricane Isaac who could not return to their homes to stay in hotels or motels until more suitable housing accommodations were available. The program was extended four times. Of the 203 Lafourche residents eligible for TSA, 23 checked into hotels in the program.

Sept. 4 – A Disaster Recovery Center opened in Matthews, Lafourche Parish. Before the center closed on Oct. 3, a total of 498 people had visited the recovery center in the parish.

Sept. 12 – FEMA extended the PA program in 14 parishes, including Lafourche, to include supplemental funding for infrastructure repairs in the wake of Hurricane Isaac. Applicants in Lafourche are now eligible to apply for the full range of PA funding (Categories A-G).

Oct. 15 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard, in coordination with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, began removing barrels, drums and other potentially hazardous containers in six parishes, including Lafourche. The program is funded by FEMA and the state.

Survivors in Lafourche Parish affected by Hurricane Isaac can apply for disaster assistance until the Nov. 29 deadline. They may apply online at www.disasterassistance.gov, at m.fema.gov with a smartphone, or by phone at 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585. Survivors who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 800-621-3362.

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.

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). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

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.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of funding for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).

Credit – 

Disaster Assistance Tops $6 Million Lafourche Parish

Orphan Drum Removal to Begin in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La. – Barrels, drums and other potentially hazardous containers scattered on Louisiana’s coastal and inland areas after Hurricane Isaac will be collected and removed under a partnership funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the state of Louisiana.

Called “orphan drums,” the containers may contain chemicals, industrial products or unknown substances. Their owners are not identifiable.

Specialists from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard, in coordination with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, will begin inspecting six parishes where drums have been reported: Jefferson, Lafourche, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany and Terrebonne. Other parishes could be added to the mission if orphan drums are reported there. The mission is expected to last no more than 60 days.

“This is one way the state and federal government are ensuring the safety of Louisianians after the hurricane,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar. “Getting these containers picked up and properly disposed of is another step in the state’s recovery.”

Following hurricanes, orphan drums commonly are found scattered throughout the affected area. They may be in yards, fields and alongside roadways and coastlines. Orphan drums may be leaking unknown substances and contaminating local air, water and soil.

Anyone who discovers an orphan drum should report it to parish officials. Residents should not touch, move or open the containers as the contents may be under pressure.

Once a drum is retrieved, specialists will assess the containers to determine whether the contents are hazardous. Orphan drums containing hazardous materials will be shipped to hazardous waste facilities.

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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Orphan Drum Removal to Begin in Louisiana

Mildew, Mold Likely in Flooded Homes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Mold in flood-damaged homes and other structures can cause health problems if it is not eliminated. People with asthma, allergies and other breathing conditions may be more sensitive to mold, and people with immune suppression are more susceptible to infections caused by mold, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Quick action can minimize the damage caused by mold and stop its spread. Do not wait for an inspector to begin cleanup. If possible, take pictures of the damage.

The CDC and the Environmental Protection Agency recommend the following steps:

  • Open windows and doors and use fans to dry out the building as quickly as possible. If possible, use wet vacuums to remove water and use dehumidifiers in closed spaces.
  • When working in an affected building, wear eye protection, latex or rubber gloves and a mask.
  • Remove baseboards and soaked drywall to a foot above the watermark and discard. Drain walls by drilling holes or pulling non-porous paneling away from the studs. Check the interior of walls for mold.
  • Remove porous items that have been wet for more than 48 hours and cannot be thoroughly cleaned and dried – carpeting and carpet padding, upholstery, wallpaper, drywall, floor and ceiling tiles, insulation, leather, wood, paper, food and clothing. If there is any doubt about whether the item has been affected by mold, discard it.
  • Hard, non-porous surfaces (metal, glass, solid wood, plastic, etc.) should be washed with non-ammonia detergent and hot water. Scrub rough surfaces like concrete. Disinfect all cleaned surfaces with a solution of water and bleach; rinse after 10 minutes. Never mix bleach with ammonia.

If the area to be cleaned exceeds 10 square feet or if assistance is required to complete cleanup, consult a professional contractor. For more information, go to http://epa.gov/mold/cleanupguidelines.html.

People who need help cleaning their homes can call the Florida Volunteer and Donation Hotline, which can connect survivors with a local volunteer agency. The number is 800-FL-HELP-1 (800-354-3571).

For more information on Florida’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or www.floridadisaster.org. On Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/FloridaSERT. To receive Twitter updates: www.twitter.com/FLSERT or www.twitter.com/femaregion4.

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 receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

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Source – 

Mildew, Mold Likely in Flooded Homes

FEMA Grants More Than $1.4 Million To Mississippi To Update Flood Maps And Flood Risk Data

ATLANTA – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that a grant of more than $1.4 million will be awarded to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality in support of its floodplain mapping program.

FEMA will provide $1,430,000 in federal funds toward projects to improve existing flood insurance rate maps and flood risk data, which will strengthen local communities’ ability to understand and communicate their flood risk and make informed decisions about flood risk reduction.

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality will update flood maps and develop a watershed report for the Lower Big Black Watershed including Holmes, Yazoo, Madison, Warren, Hinds and Claiborne counties.  Additionally, flood risk data will be developed for Lower Pearl, Big Sunflower and Mississippi Coastal watersheds including Lamar, Marion, Walthall, Pearl River, Hancock, Coahoma, Bolivar, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Leflore, Washington, Humphreys, Sharkey, Yazoo, Issaquena, Washington, Warren, Stone, Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties.  This funding will also help the following communities with topographic data collection and identifying areas at risk for flooding and solutions for reducing that risk: the  Middle Pearl-Strong and Lower Leaf watersheds including Madison, Leake, Scott, Hinds, Rankin, Copiah, Smith, Simpson, Jasper, Clarke, Jones, Wayne, Lamar, Forrest, Perry and Greene counties.

Flood maps and flood risk data are being updated for communities across the country with the ultimate goal of protecting property owners and the community from the risks associated with flooding. This is a collaborative process, during which FEMA works closely with states and local communities to incorporate the latest and most accurate information into flood risk products.

Flood risks can change over time due to factors such as construction and development, environmental changes, floodplain widening or shifting, and other natural or manmade changes—which is why it’s important that flood maps and flood risk data are updated periodically to reflect these changes. Additionally, the information developed for these projects will be more precise because the latest science available is applied in gathering flood risk data and creating flood maps.

Updated flood maps and flood risk data will ultimately assist local area governments in planning for future development and rebuilding efforts.

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 Grants More Than $1.4 Million To Mississippi To Update Flood Maps And Flood Risk Data

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