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FEMA Breaks Down Communication Barriers On The Road To Sandy Recovery

TRENTON, N.J. — Hurricane Sandy survivors in New Jersey live in one of the most culturally diverse states in the country and communicate in numerous languages. The Federal Emergency Management Agency works to reach all of them.

People with disabilities and/or access and functional needs are now the focus of the first full-scale operation by FEMA to offer ready access to valuable disaster assistance and recovery information in all disaster recovery centers.

Survivors can visit any disaster recovery center to connect with American Sign Language or Signed English interpreters either face to face by requesting it ahead of time, or in real time using Video Relay Services or Video Remote Interpreters.

Assistive listening devices, amplified phones and caption phones for survivors who are deaf or hard of hearing are available in the centers, as well as magnifying devices and printed information in Braille and large print for people who are blind or have low vision.

Teams of FEMA Community Relations specialists – armed with publications in English, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Urdu, French and Braille – canvassed communities affected by Hurricane Sandy. The teams are going door to door to deliver valuable recovery information and to encourage residents with damaged property to register for assistance.

To date, FEMA has translated more than a dozen disaster assistance fliers, brochures and pamphlets into 23 different languages.

Since the major disaster declaration for Hurricane Sandy, more than 650 Community Relations specialists have been in New Jersey, including more than 220 FEMA Corps members. Four dozen of these specialists were bilingual or multilingual, speaking a combined total of 24 languages including American Sign Language.

Multilingual specialists also maintain contact with media outlets whose audience consists mainly of non-English-speaking readers, listeners, or viewers. Spanish-speaking public information officers from FEMA have given dozens of interviews to Spanish-language media, appeared on radio talk shows and spoken with community groups across the affected area.

Hurricane Sandy recovery updates are available in English and Spanish on the agency’s website, which is also designed for use by people with sensory disabilities. Spanish-speaking survivors can choose to follow FEMAespanol on Twitter to receive recovery updates.

Groups, associations and businesses that have non-English-speaking members who sustained damage as a result of Hurricane Sandy and who want to know more about federal and state disaster assistance can contact FEMA’s Speakers Bureau for presentations in 13 languages, if needed. Sign language interpreters are also available.

Multilingual telephone operators are available to help non-English-speaking survivors register for disaster aid and to get their questions answered. After dialing FEMA’s helpline at 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585, callers can choose Option 3 for other languages. FEMA can provide interpretation services in 250 languages. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services can call 800-621-3362.

FEMA’s multilingual webpage at www.fema.gov/all-languages offers a wealth of disaster assistance information and Ready.gov can be viewed in 12 languages.

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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FEMA Breaks Down Communication Barriers On The Road To Sandy Recovery

FEMA and SBA Registration Deadline is Feb. 12

WINDSOR, Conn. — Homeowners, renters, nonprofits and businesses of all sizes have until Tuesday, Feb. 12 to register for FEMA disaster assistance or apply for disaster loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today.

Residents of Fairfield, Middlesex, New Haven and New London counties, as well as the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribal Nations within New London County, are eligible to apply for assistance with Hurricane Sandy-related losses.

Survivors can register online anytime day or night at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or with a smartphone or other Web-enabled device at m.fema.gov. Survivors can also register, check status of applications or receive other assistance by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern, seven days a week. The TTY number is 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators are available.

Registering for disaster assistance with other agencies or organizations does not register survivors for FEMA disaster assistance. Having FEMA flood insurance does not register policyholders for FEMA disaster assistance, nor does it disqualify anyone from applying for assistance. Flood insurance claims are handled separately.

More SBA disaster loan information may be obtained by calling SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (TTY users, call 800-877-8339) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern, and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Apply online at SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/. For more information about the SBA disaster loan program, visit the SBA website at www.sba.gov/sandy.

So far, more than 12,000 Connecticut residents have registered for state and federal assistance and assistance approved is more than $41.5 million. Of that total is nearly $30 million in low-interest disaster loans through the SBA.

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 800-621-3362. For TTY, call 800-462-7585.

The U.S. Small Business Administration 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, nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and covers 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.

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FEMA and SBA Registration Deadline is Feb. 12

An SBA disaster loan can be smart business

NEW YORK – Survivors may not know about disaster help from the U.S. Small Business Administration that could lead to a smarter, faster recovery for businesses, homeowners or private nonprofits. There’s a loan for lost business caused by Hurricane Sandy. There’s also a loan available to a homeowner association to have a common area fixed, and there’s good news about when the first payment on any disaster loan is due.

Economic Injury Disaster Loan

SBA offers a working capital loan to relieve the economic injury caused by the disaster.

A disaster loan is available to eligible businesses as well as private nonprofits even if property was not damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

These loans are for small businesses, agricultural cooperatives and certain private, nonprofit organizations to cover unpaid bills and lost business due to the disaster. Economic injury loans are also given in amounts up to $2 million, but the total of both physical damage and economic injury loans cannot exceed $2 million.

There are 17 New York counties eligible for Economic Injury Disaster Loans. The first 13 counties are those designated by the presidential disaster declaration for FEMA Individual Assistance. Those counties are Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.

Four other counties are eligible because each shares a border with one of the 13 disaster-designated counties. These additional counties eligible for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan are Columbia, Delaware, Duchess and Greene counties.

Common Area Disaster Loans for Associations

SBA loans up to $2 million are also available to Homeowner Associations, Planned Unit Developments and similar common-interest developments. Individuals may not borrow money to repair common areas that are the responsibility of the association.

Deferred Disaster Loan Payments

The first payment for a disaster loan is due five months from the date of the SBA Note.

The deadline to apply for an SBA disaster loan is Feb. 27, 2013 for physical damage and July 31, 2013 for Economic Injury Disaster loans.

A simple and fast way to complete the application is online, using the SBA’s electronic loan application. Go to https://DisasterLoan.SBA.gov/ELA. Plus, you can receive an update on the status of your application by calling 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing).

SBA customer service representatives are available to issue or accept low-interest disaster loan applications and answer questions at all New York State/FEMA disaster recovery centers and

SBA business recovery centers and Disaster Loan Outreach Centers. To locate the nearest business recovery center, visit www.sba.gov or call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).

To find the nearest disaster recovery center, check out the disaster recovery center locator at www.FEMA.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or, with a tablet or smartphone, go to m.fema.gov. You may also text “DRC” and your Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA). For example, if you lived in Staten Island, you would text: “DRC 10301.” Or call 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585).

More information is available by calling the SBA Disaster Customer Service Center toll-free number, 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339). Assistance is also available by sending an email to DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or by visiting www.sba.gov.

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

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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An SBA disaster loan can be smart business

FEMA Awards Nearly $1.3 Million to Plaquemines Parish to Repair Levee Road Damaged by Hurricane Isaac

BATON ROUGE, La. – Plaquemines Parish will receive a nearly $1.3 million federal grant to reimburse the cost of repairing a roadway damaged by Hurricane Isaac, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Monday.

Between Aug. 26 and Sept. 10, Hurricane Isaac produced high winds, rain and flooding throughout the state, hitting Plaquemines Parish particularly hard. The elevated roadway on the parish’s secondary levee required repairs after the water receded, and the FEMA Public Assistance grant, totaling $1,280,209, helps reimburse those repair costs.

“Severe, slow-moving storms like Hurricane Isaac not only can cause tremendous damage to people’s homes and businesses, they can affect the infrastructure people depend on every day,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of FEMA. “Reimbursing the repair of the levee road puts the parish one step closer to normalcy after Hurricane Isaac.”

The newly awarded funds are a portion of the $195.5 million in total Public Assistance recovery dollars approved for the state since the Aug. 29, 2012, disaster declaration.

Once FEMA reimburses the state of Louisiana it is the state’s responsibility to manage the funds, which includes making disbursements to local jurisdictions and organizations that incurred costs.

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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FEMA Awards Nearly $1.3 Million to Plaquemines Parish to Repair Levee Road Damaged by Hurricane Isaac

FEMA Awards $9 Million to Two Louisiana Agencies for Hurricane Isaac Expenses

BATON ROUGE, La. – Two State of Louisiana agencies will receive a combined $9 million to reimburse expenses incurred protecting residents during Hurricane Isaac, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Monday.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development will receive $7,087,544 in Public Assistance grant funds to help cover the costs of transporting evacuees to shelters, as well as other emergency protective measures taken during the hurricane and its aftermath. The Louisiana National Guard will receive $2,025,996 to reimburse it for overtime costs incurred for personnel carrying out emergency protective measures.

“The National Guard and Transportation Department provided essential services for Louisianians in harm’s way before, during and after Hurricane Isaac,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of FEMA. “The Public Assistance grants will help these agencies fulfill their missions to protect the safety and well-being of Louisianians.”

The newly awarded funds are a portion of the $195.5 million in total Public Assistance recovery dollars approved for the state since the Aug. 29, 2012, disaster declaration.

Once FEMA reimburses the state of Louisiana it is the state’s responsibility to manage the funds, which includes making disbursements to local jurisdictions and organizations that incurred costs.

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FEMA Awards $9 Million to Two Louisiana Agencies for Hurricane Isaac Expenses

For continued rental assistance, survivors must re-certify

NEW YORK – The Federal Emergency Management Agency understands that some survivors may need additional temporary rental assistance to help them achieve their permanent housing goals.

Most eligible applicants initially received four months of rental assistance and may be eligible for additional help, if their damaged residence is still not livable.

Applicants with an ongoing need for temporary rental assistance who have signed a valid lease agreement should:

Complete the “Declaration for Continuing Need for Rental Assistance” they received in the mail with all the applicable information and mail it back to FEMA at the address printed on the form.

Applicants will need to provide information of both pre-disaster and current expenses that are applicable to their households, such as pay stubs to verify income.

They also must provide a copy of their lease and the name and phone number of their landlord.

Applicants who don’t have the form should contact FEMA’s helpline at 800-621-3362 (7-1-1 Relay or Video Relay Services are available) or (TTY) 800-462-7585.

The review process allows FEMA to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars by requiring applicants to demonstrate they have continuing housing needs.

FEMA recognizes this is a difficult time for Hurricane Sandy survivors and that some families need additional temporary assistance to assist them in their recovery. Therefore, families are encouraged to return to their repaired homes or to affordable housing as quickly as possible.

Applicants with any questions or concerns regarding temporary rental assistance should contact FEMA’s helpline, 800-621-3362.

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

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For continued rental assistance, survivors must re-certify

FEMA Awards Nearly $3.2 Million to East Baton Rouge for Hurricane Isaac Recovery

BATON ROUGE, La. – East Baton Rouge Parish will receive a nearly $3.2 million federal grant to reimburse the parish for removing and disposing of debris resulting from Hurricane Isaac, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Friday.

The FEMA Public Assistance grant, totaling $3,189,504, will help the parish pay for removing more than 355,800 cubic yards of debris from three public rights of way. A cubic yard of debris is about the size of a residential washing machine.

“Removing debris after a storm protects public health and safety,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar. “These funds support East Baton Rouge’s efforts to eliminate hazardous debris and help return the parish to normal.”

The grant covers the federal share of the parish’s 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 pay the remaining 25 percent.

The newly awarded funds are a portion of the $195.5 million in total Public Assistance recovery dollars approved for the state since the Aug. 29, 2012, disaster declaration.

Once FEMA reimburses the state of Louisiana it is the state’s responsibility to manage the funds, which includes making disbursements to local jurisdictions and organizations that incurred costs.

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FEMA Awards Nearly $3.2 Million to East Baton Rouge for Hurricane Isaac Recovery

FEMA Souris Valley Housing Mission Continues Progress

MINOT, N.D. – Just one month into 2013, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that the number of temporary housing units (THU) still occupied in Ward County has fallen to 476. The drop is another sign that recovery efforts continue, even in the chilly winter months.

There are only 79 FEMA THUs still on private property in the Souris Valley, down from a high of nearly 1100. In addition 25 units are still occupied at DeSour Valley Heights in Burlington and 298 are occupied at Virgil Workman Village just east of Minot. The remaining 74 occupied units are at four manufactured home parks in the area.

FEMA is also proceeding with the sale of THUs to current residents. As of Jan. 31, a total of 50 sales have been finalized. Purchasing the unit they are living in is one of several options that displaced residents have in securing permanent housing. FEMA continues to meet with residents on a monthly basis to assist them with developing a long-term housing plan, and those meetings will continue until FEMA’s housing mission concludes in June 2013.

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FEMA Souris Valley Housing Mission Continues Progress

SBA Disaster Loans Are Important To Your Full Recovery

TRENTON, N.J. — After a disaster, a lot happens—some things more quickly than others. One thing that is consistent is there are a number of assistance programs that disaster survivors can apply for and there are insurance claims to be made.

You may first seek assistance from insurance. But you may find that insurance does not cover everything. Unfortunately, you may find this out months later when other options for funding, such as Small Business Administration disaster loans, may no longer be available.

Next to insurance, an SBA disaster loan may be the primary source for funds for home repairs and replacement of personal property following a disaster. You can get a loan of up to $200,000 before you settle with your insurance company and use the SBA money to fix your home. You can also borrow an additional $40,000 to help pay for things like furniture, clothes and vehicles that were damaged and not covered by homeowner’s or renter’s insurance.

There is another important reason to return your SBA application. In the event you return your application and you are denied an SBA home loan, you then might be eligible to receive other assistance from FEMA such as money to replace personal property. In most cases, you cannot receive this type of assistance from FEMA without being denied an SBA loan first.

But none of these options are available if you don’t return your SBA application. To take advantage of this help, you must get your loan application to the SBA by the March 1 deadline.

For additional information on SBA low-interest disaster loans, contact the SBA Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955 or TTY 800-877-8339, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or visiting sba.gov. SBA customer service representatives are available at all disaster recovery centers throughout the state. Centers can be found online at fema.gov/DRC.

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.

SBA’s Disaster Assistance Program provides long term, low-interest loans to homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes. For more information, visit www.sba.gov. All SBA’s program and services are provided on a nondiscriminatory basis.

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SBA Disaster Loans Are Important To Your Full Recovery

FEMA Urges Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Residents to Monitor Conditions and Be Prepared for Severe Weather

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency, through its regional offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Denton, Texas; Philadelphia, New York, and Boston, is closely monitoring the storm system that is forecast to affect the upper Ohio Valley southward to the central Gulf Coast and eastward to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast coast.

FEMA has been in touch with its state counterparts, and also is in close contact with federal partners at the National Weather Service. The severe weather is forecast to include the threat of widespread damaging winds, along with the possibility of tornadoes, through the evening and overnight hours.

Although there have been no requests for federal assistance at this time, FEMA encourages all individuals in areas where severe weather is expected to monitor NOAA Weather Radio, and local news for severe weather updates and warnings and to always follow the direction provided by local officials. When natural disasters like severe weather and tornadoes strike, the first responders are local emergency and public works personnel, volunteers, humanitarian organizations, and numerous private interest groups who provide emergency assistance required to protect the public’s health and safety and to meet immediate human needs.

Everyone should become familiar with the terms used to identify a severe weather hazard and discuss with your family what to do if a watch or warning is issued. Some of the more common terms used to describe severe weather and tornado hazards include the following:

Severe Thunderstorm Watch – Tells you when and where severe thunderstorms are likely to occur. Watch the sky and stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio or television for information.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning – Issued when severe weather has been reported by spotters or indicated by radar. Warnings indicate imminent danger to life and property to those in the path of the storm.

Tornado Watch – Tornadoes are possible. Remain alert for approaching storms. Watch the sky and stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio or television for information.

Tornado Warning – A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Take shelter immediately.

For a complete listing of weather-related forecasts in your area, visit www.weather.gov

If you are in an area that is in the track of the storm system but has not yet been affected by the severe weather, it’s never too early to prepare:

Keep up to date with local conditions – Follow TV and radio reports from your area, or visit www.weather.gov (http://mobile.weather.gov on your phone) for the latest forecast.
Check your family’s emergency supply kit – Make sure you have food, water, medications, and other necessities to sustain you and your family for at least 72 hours. This includes a battery-powered radio, flashlight, extra batteries, cell phone charger, medicines, non-perishable food, and first aid supplies.
Listen to the instructions of local officials. Local officials make decisions on sheltering in place or going to your pre-designated safe meeting location.

For more information on severe weather and tornado preparedness tips, visit www.ready.gov or www.listo.gov to find out how you can protect your family during emergencies.

Follow FEMA online at blog.fema.gov, 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 Urges Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Residents to Monitor Conditions and Be Prepared for Severe Weather

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