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Louisiana Flood Survivors Can Still Get FEMA Rebuilding Advice

BATON ROUGE, La. — As Louisianans repair or rebuild their homes damaged by August floods, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local hardware and home-improvement stores have teamed up to provide free information on making homes stronger and safer.

FEMA mitigation specialists are still on hand to provide information at the following area Home Depot and Lowe’s stores through Oct. 15. They are available to answer questions and offer home-improvement tips and proven methods to prevent and lessen damage from future disasters. Most of the information is aimed at people who prefer “do-it-yourself” projects and general contractors.

FEMA advisors are on hand at information centers in these Lowe’s stores 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday:

East Baton Rouge Parish
1777 Millerville Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70816

Iberia Parish
2816 Highway-14
New Iberia, LA 70560

Mitigation specialists are in these Home Depot stores 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday:

Ascension Parish
2740 South Cajun Ave.
Gonzales, LA 70737

East Baton Rouge Parish
8181 Airline Highway
Baton Rouge, LA 70815

East Baton Rouge Parish
6600 Main Street
Zachary, LA 70791

St. Martin Parish
213 St. Nazaire Road
Broussard, LA 70518

Free reference booklets, in English and Spanish, with information on protecting your home from flood damage, are available at all locations. More information about strengthening property can be found at http://www.fema.gov/what-mitigation.

Survivors who have questions about their flood insurance policies and coverage should contact the National Flood Insurance Program call center at 800-621-3362 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday.

Additional information on Louisiana’s disaster recovery can be found by visiting fema.gov/disaster/4277, twitter.com/femaregion6, twitter.com/FEMA, facebook.com/FEMA, fema.gov/blog and www.fema.gov/louisiana-disaster-mitigation.

FEMA Mitigation representatives speaking to two women inside a home improvement store. A table with FEMA Mitigations information is available for the shoppers to take.

Mitigation representatives from FEMA offer advice to customers inside of the Home Depot in Baton Rouge, La. (Photo by J.T. Blatty/FEMA)

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Louisiana Flood Survivors Can Still Get FEMA Rebuilding Advice

Nationwide Emergency Alert System Test Planned for September 28

FEMA and FCC Issue Reminder and Key Points about Test

WASHINGTON – As a reminder, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a mandatory nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on Wednesday, September 28, at 2:20 p.m. EDT. In light of the upcoming test, the agencies share the following key informational points:

The purpose of the nationwide test is to ensure that EAS remains an effective means of warning the public about emergencies. Periodic testing of public alert and warning systems helps to assess the operational readiness of alerting infrastructure and identify any needed technological and administrative improvements.
The nationwide test will be administered by FEMA, in cooperation with the FCC and National Weather Service, and with the participation of radio, broadcast TV, cable, satellite, and other service providers (known as “EAS Participants”). EAS Participants are required to file reports with the FCC after the test, which the agency will analyze to determine how the test performed.
FEMA’s test message will be similar to the regular monthly EAS test messages in that the public should receive both audio and on-screen text conveying that this is only a test. Specific language will differ slightly as it will indicate that, “This is a national test of the Emergency Alert System. This is only a test.” (emphasis added.)
The test message will be transmitted in both English and Spanish, with EAS Participants deciding which version to use for their communities. The test is intended to last approximately one minute.
How EAS works: Emergency alerts are created by authorized government agencies and sent to local radio and video service providers by local connections or through a central system administered by FEMA. The radio and video service providers then disseminate the emergency alert messages to affected communities. The FCC prescribes technical and procedural rules for communications providers’ participation in this process.
Public safety officials need to be sure that in times of an emergency or disaster, they have reliable methods and systems that will deliver urgent alerts and warnings to the public when needed. Conducting regional and national testing supports the continued use, training, and improvement of the system.
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) will not be part of the test.
The back-up date for the test is October 5, 2016, in case the September 28 test is cancelled due to widespread severe weather or other significant events.
The test was first officially announced on July 18, 2016. FEMA and the FCC have been coordinating with EAS Participants and other stakeholders in preparation for the test.

September is National Preparedness Month. In addition to conducting the nationwide EAS test, FEMA and the FCC encourage individuals to take action to prepare now and throughout the year. While government plays a role, each of us – including individuals, organizations and businesses – has important things we can do to be ready for the unexpected. Take time this month to be better prepared by following these steps:

Make an emergency plan so families know how to reconnect and reunite when an emergency strikes.
Download the FEMA App for disaster resources and to receive weather alerts, safety tips, and reminders (in English and Spanish) so you can have peace of mind and be ready for the unexpected.
Practice your preparedness. In case you are not with your family during an emergency, practice how you will communicate with each other; digitize important documents and plan a safety drill or exercise at your place of work.
Visit Ready.gov. There are easy-to-use tools and resources available for families, organizations and communities for many disasters, to include floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and wildfires at Ready.gov.

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

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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Nationwide Emergency Alert System Test Planned for September 28

Debris Removal Continues; Now More than 50 Percent Complete

BATON ROUGE, La. – Recovery officials estimate that recent flooding left 4.8 million cubic yards or 80,000 truckloads of debris in its wake. Removal of that debris is an important sign of progress in disaster recovery, but it takes time. On Sept. 25, debris removal hit the 55-percent completion mark.

For the August flooding, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance program will reimburse eligible Louisiana jurisdictions 90 percent of reasonable costs involved in debris removal. To receive reimbursement for debris removal, a local jurisdiction must be eligible for the program and have the legal authority to remove debris from public rights-of-way.

Reasonable costs include overtime for full-time employees as well as contractor fees for removal, disposal, recycling and/or monitoring. (The contract must have been competitively bid and comply with state, federal and local standards.)

In general, private property debris removal is not eligible for FEMA reimbursement under the law. However, because of the large amount of debris, the threat it posed to human health and safety, and the lack of right-of-way to deposit debris FEMA has expanded curbside debris removal for the recent Louisiana flooding. Property owners who have questions should contact their local emergency manager. Before anyone can go onto private property, the local jurisdiction must have a sworn statement of permission from the property owner to remove debris.

Recovery officials encourage people to continue sorting debris into categories and moving it to the curbside. The categories are household garbage; construction debris; vegetative debris; household hazardous waste; white goods (i.e., washing machines, refrigerators, etc.); and electronics.

Separating debris will speed recovery. However, recovery officials want to remind everyone to be safe, especially during ongoing debris removal operations. The sight of heavy trucks hauling debris may seem familiar, but it is vital to follow safety guidelines at all times around debris and heavy equipment.

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Debris Removal Continues; Now More than 50 Percent Complete

Disaster Recovery Centers to Open in Iberville, Livingston and Vermilion Parishes for Louisiana Survivors

BATON ROUGE, La. – Disaster recovery centers will open on Friday, August 26, in Iberville, Livingston and Vermilion parishes to assist Louisiana flood survivors. The centers are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice.

These disaster recovery centers are located at the following addresses:

Iberville Parish East Iberville Gym 3285 Highway 75
St. Gabriel, LA 70776

Livingston Parish American Legion Hall 26200 Highway 43
Springfield, LA 70462

Vermilion Parish Old Health Unit
401 S. St. Charles St. Abbeville, LA 70510

Survivors may locate other centers near them at fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or by calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.

To register with FEMA, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA Helpline. Help is available in most languages and phone lines are open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice.

Representatives from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Small Business Administration, volunteer groups and other agencies are at the disaster recovery centers to answer questions about disaster assistance and low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses. They can also help survivors apply for federal disaster assistance.

Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams are canvassing many affected areas, and are able to register people for FEMA assistance if needed. Sometimes these teams will remain in certain locations convenient to the community, such as a library or mayor’s office. When residents require further assistance the teams may refer them to a disaster recovery center nearby.

It is not necessary to visit a center to register for and receive federal disaster assistance. If possible, survivors should register with FEMA before visiting a recovery center.

Disaster survivors who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585 to register. Those who use 711 or Video Relay Service or require accommodations while visiting a center may call 800-621-3362. All disaster recovery centers are accessible and equipped with tools to accommodate disaster survivors who need disability-related communication aids. Each disaster recovery center has assistive technologies for people with disabilities. To arrange to have an ASL interpreter at the DRC when you visit, call 225-382-1739.

Low-interest disaster loans from the SBA are available for businesses of all sizes including landlords, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters. Disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries.

For more information, applicants may contact the SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or visiting the SBA’s website at sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

For information call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or www.fema.gov/disaster/4277.

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We urge everyone to continue to use caution in areas where floodwaters remain. Monitor DOTD’s www.511la.org website for updated road closure information. Look for advisories from your local authorities and emergency managers. You can find the latest information on the state’s response at www.emergency.la.gov. GOHSEP also provides information on Facebook and Twitter. You can receive emergency alerts on most smartphones and tablets by downloading the new Alert FM App. It is free for basic service. You can also download the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide and find other information at www.getagameplan.org.

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 https://twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

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 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 SBA.gov/disaster Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800) 877-8339.

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Disaster Recovery Centers to Open in Iberville, Livingston and Vermilion Parishes for Louisiana Survivors

FEMA Announces Funding Awards for Fiscal Year 2016 Homeland Security National Training Program Continuing Training Grants

WASHINGTON — Federal Emergency Management Agency officials announced funding awards for the Fiscal Year 2016 Continuing Training Grants program.

The Homeland Security National Training Program’s Continuing Training Grants will provide $11.5 million to selected recipients for the development and delivery of innovative training programs. These programs will be national in scope and are designed to support communities to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism and natural, man-made, and technological hazards.

FEMA’s administers these grants as cooperative agreements through the National Training and Education Division and are awarded to the following recipients for a number of categories:

Economic Recovery: The National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University receives $1,506,000.
Cybersecurity: The University of Texas at San Antonio, representing the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium, receives $3,015,000.
Hazardous Materials: Georgia Tech Research Institute receives $1 million; and The International Association of Fire Fighters also receives $1 million.
Rural Preparedness: The Center for Rural Development, representing the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium, receives $5 million.

This highly competitive program attracted applicants from state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, along with eligible non-profit organizations to include colleges and universities. This year, 27 applicants competed and FEMA made five awards.

For more information on this program and to request FEMA training, please go to www.firstrespondertraining.gov.

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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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FEMA Announces Funding Awards for Fiscal Year 2016 Homeland Security National Training Program Continuing Training Grants

FEMA Help Is Still Available

BATON ROUGE, La. – It is now more than a month since the record flooding and storms of August caused widespread damage throughout Louisiana. Many families and individuals lost their home or residence and were forced to find other solutions for their shelter. If you or anyone you know is still having problems finding suitable accommodations, it is not too late to register with FEMA for assistance with your housing needs.

FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but survivors should register even if they have insurance because underinsured applicants may receive help after their claims have been settled. And remember that FEMA grants do not have to be repaid. FEMA assistance is nontaxable and will not affect your eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid or other federal benefits.

Applying for disaster assistance is essentially a two-step process – registering with FEMA and completing a U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loan application. This process ensures that you will be considered for all programs you may be eligible for. There is never any charge for registering or applying. If approved for the loan, you are under no obligation to accept it. But the examination of your SBA application will determine what other types of assistance you may be eligible for.

Disaster survivors may register the following ways:

Online at DisasterAssistance.gov with any computer, smartphone or tablet.
By phoning 800-621-3362 (FEMA). Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call 800-621-3362. Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585. The toll-free numbers are open from
7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.
At a disaster recovery center. To find the nearest one, go online to the disaster recovery center locator at asd.fema.gov/inter/locator.

A free multilingual guide to the types of assistance available can be found at fema.gov/help-after-disaster.

Various forms of housing assistance are available to survivors of the Louisiana flood, from voluntary agencies, grants from FEMA, loans from the Small Business Association, the State’s Shelter at Home program, Transitional Sheltering Assistance, to long-term recovery led by HUD.

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FEMA Help Is Still Available

Understand the Process for Continued Housing Assistance

BATON ROUGE, La. –If you’re a disaster survivor who wants to extend temporary housing assistance from FEMA it’s important to provide the proper documents in order to make your request.

If you’re eligible for an extension, you may use temporary housing assistance to pay for a place to live, such as a house, apartment, hotel or recreational vehicle. The assistance covers rent, security deposit and essential utilities like electricity and water.

To continue receiving temporary housing assistance, you have to complete and submit the following paperwork to FEMA that demonstrates you have a disaster-related and financial need:

A completed form FEMA provides you. Contact FEMA if you haven’t received a form.
A copy of your lease.
Receipts showing proper use of the federal disaster housing assistance you’ve received.
Current household income status.
Any household financial obligations.

Keep your contact information current so you receive correspondence from FEMA. Update information online at disasterassistance.gov or by downloading and using the FEMA app. You may also call FEMA’s helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use TTY, call 800-462-7585. If you use 711 or Video Relay Service, call 800-621-3362.

The state and FEMA encourage you to develop a permanent housing plan while you’re receiving temporary housing assistance. Free assistance and tools are available to help you find more permanent housing if you’re having difficulty creating a plan. Just call the FEMA helpline or visit a Louisiana Disaster Recovery Center. Locate your closest center by going to fema.gov/drc or by calling the FEMA helpline.

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Understand the Process for Continued Housing Assistance

Disaster Recovery Center in St. Martin Parish Will Transition to Disaster Loan Outreach Center to Serve Louisiana Survivors

BATON ROUGE, La. – The U.S. Small Business Administration is opening a disaster loan outreach center on Thursday, Sept. 22, in St. Martin Parish to assist Louisiana flood survivors. The center will be open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, until further notice.

St. Martin Parish
Location: St. Martin Council on Aging
391 Cannery Road
Breaux Bridge, LA 70517
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Monday through Friday)

The new disaster loan outreach center will be transitioning from the FEMA disaster recovery center in Breaux Bridge that will cease operation on Tuesday, Sept. 20. With the community continuing to repair and rebuild, its need for the disaster recovery center has diminished and the facility will now be transitioning into a disaster loan outreach center to serve individuals with SBA loans.

Survivors can still visit any other disaster recovery center and may locate other centers near them by going online to fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers, calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362, or downloading the FEMA mobile app.

At the disaster loan outreach center, representatives from the SBA will be available to meet with business owners and residents to answer questions, explain SBA’s disaster loan program, help complete loan applications and close their approved disaster loans. Business owners and residents can meet with SBA representatives on the days and times indicated. No appointment is necessary.

Low-interest disaster loans from the SBA are available for businesses of all sizes including landlords, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters.

Applicants for disaster loans may also apply online using the electronic loan application via SBA’s secure website at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

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Disaster Recovery Center in St. Martin Parish Will Transition to Disaster Loan Outreach Center to Serve Louisiana Survivors

Disaster Recovery Center in Pointe Coupee Parish Transitions to Disaster Loan Outreach Center to Serve Louisiana Survivors

BATON ROUGE, La. – The U.S. Small Business Administration opened a disaster loan outreach center on Monday, Sept. 19, in Pointe Coupee Parish to assist Louisiana flood survivors. The center will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, until further notice.

Pointe Coupee Parish
Location: New Roads City Hall
211 West Main Street
New Roads, LA 70760
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Monday through Friday)

The new disaster loan outreach center transitions from the FEMA disaster recovery center in New Roads that ceased operations on Friday, Sept. 16. With the community continuing to repair and rebuild, its need for the disaster recovery center has diminished and the facility will now be transition to a disaster loan outreach center to serve individuals with SBA loans.

Low-interest disaster loans from the SBA are available for businesses of all sizes including landlords, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters.
Applicants for disaster loans may also apply online using the electronic loan application via SBA’s secure website at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

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Disaster Recovery Center in Pointe Coupee Parish Transitions to Disaster Loan Outreach Center to Serve Louisiana Survivors

Many Residents Missing Out on FEMA Help

BATON ROUGE, La. — Many residents of parishes covered by last month’s presidential disaster declaration might be eligible for federal assistance, but have yet to seek help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Some homeowners and renters who would qualify for assistance miss out on aid because they are mistaken or misinformed about applying, or are returning to damaged dwellings. All you need to do is register with FEMA to get the process started.

To seek aid, call 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. seven days a week. People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use TTY call 800-462-7585, and those who use 711 or Video Relay Services may call 800-621-3362. You may also apply online with any computer, smartphone or tablet at www.DisasterAssistance.gov

Some survivors who already have cleaned up and made repairs themselves think they cannot apply for assistance. Others worry that accepting money from FEMA might affect their Social Security checks or that a FEMA grant would be taxed as income by the IRS. Neither is the case.

Still others might hesitate in accepting taxpayer money because they feel their neighbors need it more.

Sometimes survivors assume that once they collect their insurance claims they are no longer eligible for federal help, even if the insurance payment fell short of covering the damages.

Perhaps the most common reason, however, that people do not apply for FEMA assistance is their mistaken assumption that once they alert local, county or state officials to their damages they automatically are registered with FEMA. They are not.

Register with FEMA at 800-621-3362 or online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.

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Many Residents Missing Out on FEMA Help

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