LINCROFT, N.J .— When the Panini Bay Waterfront Restaurant in Tuckerton was damaged by Superstorm Sandy, owner and chef Ivar Johnson had several critical decisions to make. Chief among them was how to maintain wheelchair access for customers with disabilities while elevating the remaining structure and adding additional mitigation features.

When Sandy struck, the first floor was flooded with a foot of water, ruining the floors and walls. Waves 10 to 15 feet high destroyed the windows and damaged the mechanical equipment and duct work built underneath the original floor. The ramp and stairs leading to the restaurant were also severely damaged.

The restaurant’s main floor was elevated onto 9-foot high pylons. A new seating area was built on a raised platform and the kitchen was relocated to the center of the building. A multilevel staircase was added.

But the main feature of the rebuilt Panini Bay is the enclosed wheelchair lift outside the restaurant that transports customers up to the entrance.

Mr. Johnson stands inside the wheelchair lift to demonstrate.Panini Bay Waterfront owner and chef Ivar Johnson demonstrates the wheelchair lift.“Better price,” Johnson said when asked why he decided to go with the wheelchair lift instead of a full elevator. “And it fits the architecture of the building.”

Tuckerton had recently passed an ordinance making its base flood elevation 11 feet, “and at the time, it was an additional 3 feet on top of that,” Johnson said. Though the ordinance forced Johnson to elevate the building, he said it also allowed him to rebuild with better materials and re-do elements, particularly the plumbing, that were built improperly the first time.

The lift cost $25,000. Two people, along with a rider using a wheelchair, can fit inside comfortably. The lift has a seat, a seat belt, and an emergency phone inside. The enclosure cost an additional $12,000 and completely surrounds the lift and its mechanics. It is made out of nearly 40 3x7s and measures 14 feet from top to bottom.

Johnson found the firm that designed the lift through an architect friend. Construction took six months to complete.  A short ramp leads from the ground to the chair lift. The restaurant had a wheelchair ramp before Sandy, but rebuilding it was not feasible given the height of the elevation.

“The lift gets plenty of use,” Johnson said.

Johnson admits the new design is not perfect. However, the new structure and elevation protect the restaurant, which sits on the Tuckerton Inlet, better from wind, salt water and storm surges, and the improved wheelchair access will serve the needs of the new restaurant for many years to come.

http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4086/updates/sandy-one-year-later
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

Link: 

Tuckerton Restaurant Rebuilds With Improved Disability Access

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Survivors in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties who sustained property damage as a result of the recent severe storms and flooding in Florida are urged to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as they may be eligible for disaster assistance.

Disaster survivors have several ways to apply:

  • By phone at 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.
  • Online at DisasterAssistance.gov any time day or night.
  • Via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov.

Assistance can include money for temporary housing and home repairs, and for other serious

disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses or funeral and burial costs. Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration may also be available to homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes to cover losses not fully compensated by insurance.

Survivors should register with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but under-insured applicants may receive help after their insurance claims have been settled.

Registering with FEMA is required for federal aid, even if the person has registered with another disaster-relief organization. Applicants will be asked for the following information:

  • Social Security number
  • Address of the damaged home or apartment
  • Description of the damage
  • Information about insurance coverage
  • A current contact telephone number
  • An address where they can receive mail
  • Bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit of funds.  

For more information on Florida disaster recovery, click fema.gov/disaster/4177. Visit the Florida Division of Emergency Management website at floridadisaster.org or Facebook page at facebook.com/FloridaSERT. 

 

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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.

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 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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Original article: 

Florida Panhandle Counties Now Eligible for Federal Disaster Assistance

CHICAGO –The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $676,740 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Saline County,Ill., for the acquisition and demolition of eight residential structures and one commercial structure located in the floodplain. Following demolition, these properties will be maintained as permanent open space in the community.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce the risk of loss of life and property,” said FEMA Region V Administrator Andrew Velasquez III. “The acquisition and demolition of these structures permanently removes them from the floodplain and greatly reduces the financial impact on individuals and the community when future flooding occurs in this area.

“Approval of this grant is good news for residents who have been hit by flooding many times in the past,” said Jonathon Monken, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. “The grant will enable them to move to higher ground and avoid future heartache and property losses.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the $902,320eligible project cost. The remaining 25 percent of the funds, $225,580, will be provided by Saline County.

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 twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

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See original article:

FEMA Awards $676,740 Grant to Saline County: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish 9 flood prone structures

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of Alabama and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding on April 28, 2014 and continuing.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Baldwin, Jefferson, Lee, and Limestone counties.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency work for damage from the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding in Baldwin, Jefferson, Lee, Limestone and Mobile counties.

Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Albert Lewis has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.  Lewis said that damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated area can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov.  Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

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.

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

Read original article:  

President Declares Disaster for Alabama

ARLINGTON, Wash. – As the search operation continues, the area where specialized canine search teams and Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Forces are seeking to recover SR530 Slide fatalities grows smaller. Considering the progress that has been accomplished, officials have made the decision to release California Task Force 7 (CA-TF7) as early as Monday, April 14, 2014. Washington Task Force 1 and search canines will remain onsite on the eastern side of the slide as the search continues.

As search and recovery is completed on the western side of the slide area, assets are being reassigned to augment efforts on the eastern side of the slide.

Engineering and construction of a temporary berm designed to support dewatering efforts from impacted areas on the eastern side continue to progress as planned. While pumping operations continue in the eastern area, search efforts will expand into these areas as well, according to Jason Bierman of the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management.   

“With a Task Force preparing to transition, we want to ensure everyone that the intensity of the search is not being reduced,” said US&R Rescue Team Leader Rob Patterson. “We are continuing to work as hard as we can.”

Recent drier weather has also aided in the search efforts as crews continue to make progress and clear certain sections of terrain flooded by the slide.   

CA-TF7, which has been based in Darrington, will have a partial contingent searching on the western side of the slide on Sunday April 13, 2014, as the remaining members of the team prepare their equipment for demobilization.

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; for VRS call (800) 621-3362.

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.

Choose how often to receive subscription updates.

You can update or cancel your subscription at any time. All you will need are your email address and your password (if you have selected one).

This service is provided free of charge by Snohomish County.  Please note that along with this service there is no guarantee of quality, timeliness, or completeness in these notifications.

P.S. If you have any questions or problems please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com for assistance.

Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts are available at www.fema.gov/medialibrary and www.youtube.com/fema; Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fema and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fema.

The Washington Military Department’s Emergency Management Division is responsible for administering federal disaster recovery programs on behalf of the state. The Department’s mission is to minimize the impact of emergencies and disasters on people, property, environment, and the economy of Washington State; provide trained and ready forces for state and federal missions; and provide structured alternative education opportunities for at-risk youth.

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 non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover 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. For information about SBA programs, applicants can go to www.sba.gov/disaster or call (800) 659-2955 (TTY 1(800)977-8339).

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Source: 

As Search Continues, Officials Move To Demobilize Some Assets

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama’s disaster declaration issued for the State of Tennessee.

Assistance for State and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:

  • Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for emergency protective measures taken to save lives and protect property and public health.  Emergency protective measures assistance is available to state and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)
  • Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas and similar publicly owned property, as well as certain private non-profit organizations engaged in community service activities. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)
  • Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state and local governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters.  (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

How to Apply for Assistance:

  • Application procedures for state and local governments will be explained at a series of federal/state applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are paid through the state from funding provided by FEMA and other participating federal agencies.

# # #

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders and 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.

See the original post:  

Federal Aid Programs for the State of Tennessee Declaration

LINCROFT, N.J. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today released Preliminary Work Maps for Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties, NJ that reflect the latest refinements to the ongoing analysis of coastal flood hazards.

The release of the Preliminary Work Maps is the next step in the coastal Flood Insurance Study update. This is extremely important as we work in partnership with the State of New Jersey to support sustainable disaster resilient communities; and to avoid or reduce the loss of life, loss of property, and financial impacts of coastal flood hazards.

The Preliminary Work Maps are an interim step in the process of developing preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). This information will replace the Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) maps, where applicable, that were made available to coastal counties in New Jersey as the best available data for rebuilding and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
As compared to the effective FIRMs for New Jersey, the Preliminary Work Maps show that the majority of areas will see increases in the floodplain and Base Flood Elevations (BFEs); however, some areas may see decreases.  These changes are due primarily to more precise ground elevation data and more detailed analysis.

FEMA encourages communities to use this information in instances where BFEs have increased and/or new Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) are shown on the Preliminary Work Maps. This will help community members make decisions to reduce their flood risk until the preliminary FIRMs become effective.

Please visit www.Region2Coastal.com for more information on the Preliminary Work Maps.  For more information on New Jersey’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/SandyNJ, www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4086/updates/sandy-one-year-later
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

See original article here: 

FEMA Releases Preliminary Work Maps for Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties, New Jersey

LINCROFT, N.J. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association are sponsoring National Flood Safety Awareness Week from March 16-22, 2014.

NOAA and FEMA are reviving the “Be a Force of Nature: Take the Next Step” awareness theme from National Severe Weather Preparedness Week earlier in March by asking individuals and businesses to know their risk, take action and be an example for their community.

Flooding can happen in any state in the United States at any time. On average, $8.3 billion in damage is caused by flooding every year, more than any other weather-related event. In 2013, 85 people were killed in flood-related incidents. More than half of these cases were the result of people inadvertently driving into floodwaters.

The National Weather Service (NWS) recently redesigned its flood safety website, http://www.floodsafety.noaa.gov. It contains advice and information on what to do before, during and after a flood. Floodsmart.gov is the home of everything related to flood insurance and protecting your home and possessions. The NWS has provided daily posts for blogs and websites and has also made an article about the 10th anniversary of the National ‘Turn Around Don’t Drown’ program available for publication online or in local newspapers.

Follow @NOAA, @NWS and @OwlieSkywarnNWS on Twitter. Those accounts will be using the hash tag #FloodSafety this week for Flood Safety Awareness posts. NOAA has prepared a social media plan for the week with pre-written Facebook and Twitter posts. It has also partnered with OSHA on a workplace education program to teach workers how to prevent and respond to floods and other disasters.

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

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.
 

Excerpt from – 

FEMA, NOAA Sponsor National Flood Safety Awareness Week

DENTON, Texas — A federal grant totaling more than $2 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will help fund the elevation of 16 additional homes in Jefferson Parish.

The grant covers $2,063,418 of the total project costs of $2.7 million. FEMA grants pay the federal share of the eligible costs for the work. Under a cost-sharing formula, FEMA reimburses the state for 75 percent of the total costs, while the state and/or applicant cover the remaining 25 percent.

“The elevation of these structures will significantly reduce the potential for flooding during future weather events,” said FEMA’s Regional Administrator Tony Robinson.

This project was initially awarded in April 2011 to mitigate 45 properties for a federal share of more than $5.7 million. Given the high concentration of repetitive loss properties in this parish, additional funds were allocated by the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Jefferson Parish will utilize all available funds to mitigate these properties benefiting both the property owners and National Flood Insurance Program.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program helps communities rebuild stronger after a disaster,” Robinson said. “This elevation project in Jefferson Parish is a perfect example of what our mitigation program aims to accomplish – rebuilding from past disasters in a way that better protects properties against future disasters.”

Once the structures are elevated, individual homeowners will be required to maintain flood insurance on their newly elevated homes for the life of the properties.

The federal funding for this project was made available after Hurricane Gustav made landfall in Louisiana in September 2008.

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.

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.

Link – 

FEMA Awards $2 Million for Jefferson Parish Elevations

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama’s disaster declaration issued for the State of Georgia.

Assistance for State, Tribal, and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:

  • Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for emergency protective measures taken to save lives and protect property and public health.  Emergency protective measures assistance is available to state and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)
  • Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas and similar publicly owned property, as well as certain private non-profit organizations engaged in community service activities. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)
  • Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state and local governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters.  (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

How to Apply for Assistance:

  • Application procedures for state, tribal, and local governments will be explained at a series of federal/state applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are paid through the state from funding provided by FEMA and other participating federal agencies.

# # #

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders and 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.

Source: 

Federal Aid Programs for the State of Georgia Declaration

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