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Thousands of Policyholders Taking Part in Hurricane Sandy Claims Review

FEMA Continues to Make Additional Payments to Eligible Policyholders

Over 11,000 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders who filed claims for damage are in the Hurricane Sandy Claims Review process, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today. FEMA has already validated and begun providing additional funds to policyholders taking part in the Hurricane Sandy Claims Review.

“If you believe your flood claim was underpaid for any reason, we encourage you to do what so many of your neighbors are doing and ask FEMA to take another look,” said Roy Wright, Deputy Associate Administrator for FEMA’s Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, which runs the NFIP.

FEMA reminds policyholders that September 15, 2015 is the last day to request a review of their Hurricane Sandy claims.

To be eligible, policyholders must have experienced flood damage between Oct. 27, 2012 and Nov. 6, 2012. Policyholders can call the NFIP’s Hurricane Sandy claims center at 866-337-4262 to request a review. Alternately, policyholders can go online to www.fema.gov/hurricane-sandy-nfip-claims to download a form requesting a review. The completed form may be emailed to FEMA-sandyclaimsreview@fema.dhs.gov to start the process.

For individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and use 711 or VRS, please call 866-337-4262. For individuals using a TTY, please call 800-462-7585 to begin the review process.

When policyholders call, they should have available the name on the policy, address of the damaged property, the name of the insurance company and the policy number that was in effect at the time of the loss. Policyholders will be asked a series of questions to determine whether they qualify for review. Once qualified, policyholders will be called by an adjuster, acting as a case worker, to begin the review. The timing of the adjuster’s initial call may be affected by the volume of requests for review. Most reviews can be concluded within 90 days.

Files will be assigned to an NFIP-certified adjuster who will review the claim file. Adjusters will contact policyholders to guide them through the review process. Policyholders who have already requested their review can call 866-337-4262 if they have questions or need more information.

After a policyholder receives the results of their claims review in writing from FEMA, they may seek reconsideration by a neutral third party reviewer if they are dissatisfied with the result. The review is an optional process established by FEMA to give policyholders an opportunity to seek further reexamination of their claim file by a neutral third party reviewer. FEMA will give substantial weight to the recommendation made by the officials in making its final determination on the file.

Policyholders who have already requested a Hurricane Sandy claims review do not need to take any additional action and can expect to be contacted by their adjuster.

The Sandy claims review process is intended to be simple for the policyholder and does not require paid legal assistance. Additionally, there are several nonprofit service providers ready to offer free advice and answer questions policyholders may have. A list of these advocacy groups can be found on the claims review website at www.fema.gov/advocacy-groups-and-services-referral-list.

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.twitter.com/FEMASandy,www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/fema, www.fema.gov/blog, 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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Thousands of Policyholders Taking Part in Hurricane Sandy Claims Review

FEMA provides federal funds to help fight Twisp River Fire

SEATTLE – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Twisp River Fire, burning in Okanogan County, Washington.

FEMA Region X Regional Administrator, Kenneth D. Murphy determined that the Twisp River Fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. Murphy approved the state’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) on August 19, 2015 at 7:12 p.m. PDT.

The fire started on August 19 and has burned in excess of 1,500 acres of Federal, State, and private land. At the time of the request, three firefighters had lost their lives with multiple others injured. The fire threatened 1,200 homes in and around the communities of Twisp, Winthrop and neighboring areas with a total population of 2,600. Approximately 95% of the threatened homes are primary residences and 5% are secondary homes. The fire was also threatening timberland, cultural resources, camp grounds, wildlife areas, power lines, communications and community infrastructure in the area. Mandatory and voluntary evacuations were issued for approximately 2,600 people. There are currently three shelters open.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the State of Washington’s eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires. These grants provide reimbursement for firefighting and life-saving efforts. They do not provide assistance to individuals, homeowners or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.

Fire Management Assistance Grants are provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible items can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; mobilization and demobilization activities; and tools, materials and supplies.

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FEMA provides federal funds to help fight Twisp River Fire

FEMA Helps Mississippi Preserve Important Architectural Properties

BILOXI, Miss. — As part of an innovative agreement between federal, state, local and tribal officials, 29 historic properties lost during Katrina have been commemorated with cast aluminum markers.

“We thought it especially important to have sketches of the destroyed buildings on the markers,” said Kenneth P’Pool, deputy state historic preservation officer of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. “It gives people an appreciation of what was lost. Some of these illustrations are the last examples of architectural styles on the Coast.”

The wooden Church of the Redeemer was a prime example of the Carpenter Gothic style. The engraving of a bell tower in front of it depicts one from a newer church built in 1891. The bell tower was the only part of that structure to survive Hurricane Camille in 1969.

It is a challenge for communities to protect historic properties during and after a disaster. They need to protect the health and safety of citizens – for example, by removing large amounts of disaster debris in a timely manner – while preserving the integrity of a historic site.

The National Historic Preservation Act requires federal agencies to consider the effects their projects may have on historic properties. The agencies must review background information and consult with the State Historic Preservation Officer, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and other knowledgeable sources. In many cases, further surveys and studies are needed to make a final determination on how or if to proceed. The review process can take several weeks—even months, which may not be in the interest of public safety.

To expedite removal of massive amounts of debris after Hurricane Katrina for public health and safety, FEMA entered into an agreement with several agencies to streamline the process. Partners included the Mississippi State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO); Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI); Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).

Using GPS data, FEMA’s Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation program surveyed historic districts, properties and archaeological sites in the lower Mississippi counties most affected by Katrina and created a database that will help emergency management officials in future disasters.

They also updated listings for the National Register of Historic Places, and found 58 archaeological sites that had not previously been identified.

“So much damage was done by Katrina that there was a great need to clean up the debris, but little time to enter into the proper consultation required by the National Historic Preservation Act,” said P’Pool.

“We now have a much better handle on the numbers, locations and types of historic properties and

where they’re distributed around the Gulf Coast. Having that knowledge provides us with an opportunity to make a much more rapid response in assessing damage to specific historic properties in the future.”

“It’s very rewarding to be part of an agreement that can be used as a model for other states,” said Cyril Baxter Mann, deputy environmental liaison officer for FEMA’s Historic Preservation program.

For its work after Katrina, FEMA received the Chairman’s Award for Federal Achievement from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, in coordination with SHPO and other partners, for its innovative effort in creating the digitized database of historic properties.

In addition, for the Katrina recovery, FEMA’s EHP program reviewed more than 17,000 recovery projects for potential environmental and historic preservation issues. It also reviewed more than 13,000 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program applications for placement of in-ground shelters.

For more information on this agreement and FEMA archaeological specialists at work: view this video.

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FEMA Helps Mississippi Preserve Important Architectural Properties

Survivors of Kentucky’s July Storms May Register by Phone or Internet for Disaster Assistance

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentuckians whose home, apartment or business was affected by the July severe storms, tornadoes and flooding in Carter, Johnson, Rowan and Trimble counties must register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to see if they are eligible for disaster assistance.

Individuals, families and business owners in the designated counties can register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling 800-621-3362 (FEMA). Disaster assistance applicants who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 800-462-7585 directly. Those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS) may call 800-621-3362. 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.

The only way for survivors to know if they are eligible for federal assistance is by registering with FEMA – even if survivors have already signed up with another disaster organization. Those with insurance could also be eligible for federal aid and are encouraged to apply, though FEMA cannot determine eligibility until insurance claims are settled.

Names must match those on Social Security cards.

Applicants must have the following information available:

Social Security number
Address of the residence
Description of the damage
Information about insurance coverage
Current contact telephone number
Mailing address

For more information on Kentucky disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4239 or the Kentucky Emergency Management (KYEM) site at http://kyem.ky.gov/DisasterNews.

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For more information on Kentucky’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or http://kyem.ky.gov. On Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/KYEmergencyManagement. To receive Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/kyempio or www.twitter.com/femaregion4.

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Survivors of Kentucky’s July Storms May Register by Phone or Internet for Disaster Assistance

Deadline Approaching to File Requests for FEMA/CNMI Public Assistance

SAIPAN – The Government of CNMI agencies and certain private nonprofit agencies, that may be eligible for federal and commonwealth disaster assistance, must submit Request for Public Assistance (RPA) forms to Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI) Homeland Security by September 4, 2015.

The Public Assistance Program provides grants to commonwealth governments and certain private non-profit entities to assist them with the response to and recovery from disasters.

Public Assistance (PA) funds are available to eligible applicants as part of the federal disaster declaration of August 5, 2015, for the typhoon that occurred August 1-3, 2015 in CNMI.

The primary goal of the Public Assistance program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and CNMI, is to provide reimbursement for eligible expenses for emergency response as well as the repair and replacement of damaged public facilities.

Under the PA program, FEMA reimburses successful applicants for 75 percent of their eligible expenses, while the other 25 percent is the non-federal share. The Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas pays 75 percent of the non-federal share of eligible costs incurred by the territorial agencies and special districts with local agencies picking up the remaining 25 percent.

Commonwealth agencies and certain private nonprofits are responsible for the entire non-federal share. The federal portion is paid directly to the territory, with CNMI being the grantee, which then makes disbursements to sub-grantees, the local jurisdictions and organizations.

For forms and more information on the PA program, contact CNMI Public Affairs Officer, Ivan Blanco at 670-237-8040.

The RPA form also can be submitted via email to: Nerissa Benavente at Nerissa.cip@gmail.com

September 4, 2015 is the deadline to submit RPAs.

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Deadline Approaching to File Requests for FEMA/CNMI Public Assistance

Mississippi Hurricane Katrina: A Decade of Progress through Partnerships

BILOXI, Miss. — It’s been nearly ten years since Hurricane Katrina left widespread destruction along the Mississippi Coast. In the storm’s path, more than 234,000 homes were damaged or destroyed and more than one million people, a third of Mississippi’s population, were affected.

During the ten-years of recovery, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have collaborated with local governments and communities statewide to ensure that Mississippi rebuilds stronger and safer.

“FEMA was there to assist the state of Mississippi days before the storm made landfall and this partnership remains strong today,” said Robert Latham, Executive Director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. “They have continued to support with financial and technical assistance to help rebuild Mississippi and make us more resilient.”

The following is a snapshot of FEMA and state assistance provided throughout the state during the last ten years:

Helping individuals and families:

More than $1.3 billion was spent to help individuals and families meet their basic needs and begin to recover. More than 126,000 families received rental assistance – with more than 45,000 families provided with a temporary housing unit.

Rebuilding Mississippi’s Infrastructure:

MEMA administers FEMA’s Public Assistance funds. To date, FEMA has obligated over $3.2 billion – the amount committed to restore schools, public buildings, roads and bridges, medical facilities, parks and other infrastructure and for debris removal and emergency response during and after the storm.

The current water and sewer infrastructure project underway in the City of Biloxi is the largest Public Assistance project in Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina. FEMA obligated over $363 million for this project.

Historic preservation

In an innovative agreement to preserve historic properties after a disaster, FEMA partnered with several agencies to streamline the process required by the National Historic Preservation Act. Under this agreement – called the Secondary Programmatic Agreement – FEMA’s historic and archaeological specialists used GPS data to survey thousands of historic properties, districts and archaeological sites in the lower Mississippi counties most affected by Katrina. This survey is nearly 94 percent complete.

FEMA has worked with the state of Mississippi to safeguard these treasures in our Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation work through extensive environmental/historical assessments and collaborative decisions.

Preparing for future disasters

FEMA has obligated $314 million for Hazard Mitigation in federal funds for safe rooms, shelters, hurricane-proofing and other projects to reduce the effect of future disasters. This is part of the $364 million available to Mississippi for projects to reduce the impact of disasters on people and property. The balance of the remaining funds to be obligated is just over $50 million. To date, $159 million has been obligated for safe rooms across the state. MEMA manages the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program in Mississippi. It identifies projects and manages them from beginning to closeout.

As we reach the ten year mark and the Hurricane Katrina recovery mission is nearly completed, Mississippi’s new and rebuilt infrastructure will be less vulnerable to future storms than in 2005. “Our strong partnership with the state of Mississippi was the key part in making our recovery efforts a reality for Mississippians,” said FEMA Mississippi Recovery Office Acting Director Laura Hill. “FEMA is proud of having worked with Mississippi in our rebuilding efforts to make the state stronger and better prepared.”

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Mississippi Hurricane Katrina: A Decade of Progress through Partnerships

FEMA provides federal funds to help fight Okanogan County Complex Fire

SEATTLE – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Okanogan County Complex Fire burning in Okanogan County, Washington.

FEMA Region X Regional Administrator Kenneth D. Murphy determined that the fire threatened such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. Murphy approved the state of Washington’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) at 12:51 a.m. PDT on Aug. 15, 2015.

At the time of the request, eight known fires (Old Railroad, West Bonaparte, Roy, Dugout, North Star, Cooper Mountain, Dunn Mountain and Pine Creek) were threatening homes, infrastructure, natural and cultural resources across the county. Mass evacuations were underway and structures have been lost. The community of Pateros, with a population of 3,500 was at immediate risk and is particularly vulnerable after suffering damage in the 2014 Carlton Complex. State Route 153 at Pateros, a vital arterial route for the community, was closed from MP 248-253. Numerous other communities are threatened, including Conconully, a community of 210 where important infrastructure includes a dam and power distribution lines. Shelters have been established at Oroville High School and Republic High School.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state of Washington’s eligible firefighting costs for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires. These grants provide reimbursement for firefighting and life-saving efforts. They do not provide assistance to individuals, homeowners or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.

FMAGs are provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible items can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; mobilization and demobilization activities; and tools, materials and supplies.

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FEMA provides federal funds to help fight Okanogan County Complex Fire

FEMA Housing Inspections Underway – What to Expect

SAIPAN, CNMI – FEMA housing inspectors have begun assessing damaged homes of applicants who registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for damage sustained in Typhoon Soudelor. The inspections began late on Wednesday, and applicants across Saipan will continue to be receiving inspection appointment calls in the coming days and weeks.

Registered survivors will be contacted by a FEMA inspector to schedule an appointment for an inspection, so registrants do not need to contact FEMA to set up an inspection. The inspection is needed to verify and assess damages listed in your application. The inspection generally takes 30-40 minutes or less and consists of a general inspection of damaged areas of the home and a review of your records. There is no fee for the inspection.

When a FEMA housing inspector comes to visit your home, be sure they show you proper identification. All FEMA inspectors have prominent photo ID badges. If you are not shown photo identification, then do not allow the inspection. Unfortunately, disasters often bring out criminals who prey on the needs of disaster survivors – so beware of scams and scam artists.

“If you suspect someone is posing as a FEMA inspector, call our toll-free Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or call your local law enforcement officials,” said Steve DeBlasio, FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer for the response.

When a FEMA Housing Inspector visits your home, someone 18 years of age or older who lived in the household prior to the disaster must be present for the scheduled appointment. The inspector will ask to see:

Photo identification.
Proof of ownership/occupancy of damaged residence (structural insurance, tax bill, mortgage payment book/utility bill).
Insurance documents: home and/or auto (structural insurance/auto declaration sheet).
List of household occupants living in residence at time of disaster.
All disaster-related damages to both real and personal property.

If you are unable to provide traditional proof of ownership/occupancy (such as tax bill, mortgage payment books, deed, title, insurance), you can get a signed letter by a local precinct representative to validate the physical location of a home/dwelling (a P.O. Box address is not sufficient). Letters can be picked up at:

Fire Stations
- Kagman
- Garapan
- Susupe
- San Roque
- Koblerville

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING A FEMA HOUSING INSPECTION – Page 2

The Disaster Recovery Center located at the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe
Shelters located at:
- Kagman Community Center
- Tanapag Headstart
- Saipan Aging Center

Once filled out, please take the form to your local fire station. They will provide you with a contact number to reach your local precinct representative to validate.

If you have been displaced and need transportation to and from the housing inspection, you can contact the Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority at 670-237-8000 to schedule transportation.

Once the inspection process is complete, your case will be reviewed by FEMA and you will receive a letter or email outlining the decision about your claim.

Those who have suffered losses as a result of Typhoon Soudelor but have not yet applied for assistance are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Survivors can register by phone at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for survivors with hearing disabilities. Online registration is also available 24/7 at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.

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.

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners, and renters 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 more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may call (800) 877-8339.

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FEMA Housing Inspections Underway – What to Expect

Disaster Recovery Center to Open in Pine Ridge

PINE RIDGE, S.D. – The Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are establishing a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) for individuals who experience damage during the severe storms from May 8-29. The DRC will open Saturday, August 15 at 9:00 a.m. at the SuAnne Big Crow Recreational Center, 1 Positive Pl. – E HWY 82, Pine Ridge.

The DRC is set up for residents who would like to speak one-on-one to recovery representatives, but it’s not necessary to visit a center to receive disaster assistance. The fastest way to register with FEMA is by phone or online. Those impacted can call 1-800-621-3362 (TTY 1-800-462-7585) or go online at www.fema.gov or www.disasterassistance.gov. The registration line is open daily from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. until further notice. Individuals may also register by smart phone at m.fema.gov.

Even if residents previously registered with the tribe, with a voluntary agency, or provided damage reports they must still register with FEMA to access federal disaster assistance programs.

The DRC will be open daily from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. until further notice. Additional locations will be set up throughout the reservation. A schedule and more details on these locations will be released at a later date. In addition, The Oglala Sioux and FEMA will be providing transportation to and from the disaster recovery center from the Oglala District office every other hour starting Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m.

Customer service representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will be at the centers to answer questions about SBA’s federal low-interest disaster loans and help business owners and residents complete their application.

FEMA Mitigation specialists are scheduled to be on hand at the DRC to provide information and answer questions about cost-effective rebuilding and repair techniques to reduce property damage in future disasters.

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Disaster Recovery Center to Open in Pine Ridge

FEMA provides federal funds to help fight Nine Mile Fire

SEATTLE – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Nine Mile Fire burning in Okanogan County, Washington.

At the time of the request, the fire had burned 10-12 structures, including primary residences, and was immediately threatening 660 homes in and around the communities of Nine Mile Ranches, Old Tressel, Canyon View and Rise Road near Oroville. Multiple facilities, including roads, bridges, power and natural gas lines, as well as several private businesses were also threatened. More than 400 people have been evacuated and a shelter has been established at Oroville High School.

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FEMA provides federal funds to help fight Nine Mile Fire

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