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Seven Disaster Recovery Centers in Five Texas Counties to Close August 27

AUSTIN, Texas – Seven Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in Caldwell, Harris, Hays, Jim Wells and Nueces counties will close Aug. 27. That also is the final day for survivors of the May 4 to June 22 storms and flooding to register for FEMA recovery assistance or a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The following DRCs will cease operations at 6 p.m. that Thursday:

Caldwell County: Martindale Baptist Church, 12351 Highway 142, Martindale, TX 78655.

Harris County: Leonel Castillo Community Center, 2101 South St., Houston, TX 77009. The DRC at Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet St., Houston, TX 77074, will close then transition the following day to an SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center.

Hays County: San Marcos Activity Center (Front Lobby Area), 501 E. Hopkins St., San Marcos, TX 78666, and Wimberley Community Center, 14068 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley, TX 78676.

Jim Wells County: Old Armory, 1207, N. Cameron St., Alice, Texas 78332.

Nueces County: Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds, Conference Center- Meeting Room A, B & C, 1213 Terry Shamsie Blvd., Robstown, TX 78380, will close then transition the following day to an SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center.

DRCs operated by the State of Texas and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and supported by other agencies have remained open until the needs of area residents were met. The centers have served as one-stop shops for information and guidance about disaster assistance.

Survivors with questions regarding their applications or the appeals process after the DRCs close have several ways to obtain information:

Go online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
Call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. People who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) can call 800-621-3362. Multilingual operators are available.
Visit the Texas Disaster Recovery website www.fema.gov/disaster/4223

Contact U.S. Small Business Administration’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visit SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program has a call center to answer Texas policyholders’ flood insurance questions. Specialists can help with servicing claims, providing general information and offering technical assistance to aid in recovery. To speak with a flood insurance specialist, call 800-621-3362 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Visit http://www.fema.gov/texas-disaster-mitigation for publications and reference material on rebuilding and repairing safer and stronger.

For more information on Texas recovery, visit the disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4223, Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website, www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.

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All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

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. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

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Seven Disaster Recovery Centers in Five Texas Counties to Close August 27

Ten Years after Katrina, FEMA has Obligated Over $3.2 billion in Public Assistance

BILOXI, Miss. — More than $3.2 billion in FEMA funding has been allocated to Mississippi for Public Assistance after Hurricane Katrina. FEMA’s Public Assistance program includes grants for the repair and rebuilding of public infrastructure, such as bridges, roads, schools, hospitals and sewer treatment facilities. The PA program also provides funding for debris removal and emergency protective measures, such as search and rescue operations, temporary roads and overtime for other emergency workers, including police and firefighters.

Some of the PA projects in Mississippi included repairing and rebuilding the Biloxi Civic Center and Library; the Hancock County Courthouse and Medical Center; the Waveland City Hall and Municipal Complex; and St. Martin School in Jackson County. The famous Biloxi Lighthouse, which came to represent the resiliency of the Mississippi Gulf Coast after Katrina, was also repaired with funding from FEMA’s PA program.

For more information on PA recovery projects in Mississippi, please go to FEMA’s Revitalizing Mississippi Communities.

The PA program normally reimburses local, state and tribal governments and qualified nonprofit organizations for a certain share of eligible costs. However, because of the magnitude of Katrina, FEMA covered 100 percent of allowable project expenses.

The largest PA project funded by FEMA in Mississippi after Katrina is the repair of a large section of Biloxi’s water and sewer treatment system. After Katrina, the system was out of operation for weeks. It was brought back into working condition with generators and temporary bypass pumps to transfer wastewater to treatment plants. City officials decided to use the $363 million in eligible FEMA repair and rebuilding grants toward the total cost of improving and upgrading the system. Repairs include consolidating and hardening the pump stations along the beachfront to withstand future storms.

Following is a breakdown of Public Assistance funding by sector.

Health Care: More than $50 million has been obligated to rebuild and improve hospitals and other health care facilities in disaster-affected areas. Over $40.6 million was used to restore parts of Hancock Medical Center in the town of Bay St. Louis which serves a population of approximately 44,000.

Education: More than $334 million has been allocated for K-12 public schools and universities. Some of these schools, such as the St. Martin school in Jackson County, combined the funding with other sources to build new state-of-the-art educational facilities and a public safe room to protect the community from future disasters.

Public Works/Utilities: Nearly $901.6 million has been obligated. This includes more than $363 million to repair and rebuild part of Biloxi’s sewer and water treatment system and nearly $99 million for the sewer and water treatment system in Gulfport. More than $36 million funded the repair of the wastewater treatment facility in Diamondhead.

Roads and Bridges: More than $84 million was allocated for repair and rebuilding.

Public Safety and Protection: Over $33 million has been obligated for the restoration of fire and police stations, courthouses and corrections facilities. Some public safety buildings, such as the Pass Christian police station, were rebuilt using FEMA 361 standards for public safe rooms to protect first responders in future disasters.

Historic Structures: Over $129 million was obligated for restoration of historic properties, such as the town of Waveland’s Civic Center, the Carnegie Library in Gulfport and the Old Brick House in Biloxi.

Debris Removal/Emergency Protective Measures: More than $1.15 billion was allocated to clear debris and reimburse overtime hours for emergency workers, including police and firefighters.

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Ten Years after Katrina, FEMA has Obligated Over $3.2 billion in Public Assistance

Texans Who Received FEMA Recovery Assistance Urged to Use Funds Wisely

AUSTIN, Texas— Texans have received nearly $50 million in grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help recover from losses caused by the flooding and severe storms from May 4 through June 22. While the assistance is tax free and the grants do not have to be repaid, survivors are reminded to use their funds wisely and solely for recovery.

When a grant is awarded, FEMA sends a letter listing examples of approved uses that include home repair, rental assistance for a different place to live temporarily, and other disaster-related expenses. These include repair or replacement of a flooded essential vehicle or medical care for an injury caused by the disaster. Disaster grants should not be used for regular living expenses, such as utility bills or food, medical or dental expenses not related to the disaster, travel, entertainment, or any other discretionary expenses not disaster related.

By now, survivors who had insurance may have received settlements. Since grants by law cannot duplicate funds received from other sources, it’s important for survivors to update FEMA. The best way is to call FEMA’s toll-free Helpline at 800-621-FEMA (3362) which is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice. Multilingual operators are available. Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 800-462-7585 directly. Users of 711 or Video Relay Services (VRS) should call 800-621-3362.

Survivors who have not yet registered for assistance are encouraged to do so before the August 27 deadline using the same phone number or by going online to www.disasterassistance.gov. They also can visit a disaster recovery center (DRC) where specialists with state, FEMA, U.S. Small Business Administration, and local organizations also can answer questions in person. To locate the nearest DRC, call the Helpline or go online to http://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm.

It’s important for grant recipients to keep receipts for three years to show how funds were spent. Following every federally declared disaster, FEMA conducts audits of disaster assistance payments to ensure taxpayer dollars were properly provided based on a survivor’s needs and used appropriately by recipients. A small percentage of survivors may be asked to repay part or all of a grant. This process is an important part of FEMA’s obligation and commitment to be a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars.

For more information on Texas recovery, visit the disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4223, Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website, https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.

Texans 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. to 6 p.m. (CDT) Monday through Friday. Specialists can help service claims, provide general information regarding policies, and offer technical assistance to aid in recovery.

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Texans Who Received FEMA Recovery Assistance Urged to Use Funds Wisely

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.

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

More than $159 million Obligated for Safe Rooms from Katrina

BILOXI, Miss.– In the last 10 years, FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program has obligated more than $159 million from Hurricane Katrina recovery to build community safe rooms throughout Mississippi to protect people during storms. HMGP provides grants to state, local and tribal governments to implement long-term mitigation measures to reduce the loss of life and property from a disaster.

Safe rooms can be built as multipurpose shelters to protect communities from tornadoes, hurricanes and floods. These community safe rooms are built to FEMA 361 specifications, which include hardening of walls and roofs to withstand 200 mph winds.

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency officials have made the construction of safe rooms a priority since Katrina. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control found that safe rooms are the best option to reduce the number of deaths during tornadoes.

“We always tell folks to get out of mobile homes and manufactured homes, and to consider going to a more substantial structure to wait out the storm,” said Robert Latham, executive director of MEMA. “By providing a secure place for them to go, we make our communities safer. Citizens need to incorporate safe room locations into their plans, or know where a substantial structure is located.”

“In so many cases, the death toll would be much higher were it not for safe rooms for people to take shelter in,” said Acting Director of FEMA’s Mississippi Recovery Office, Loraine Hill.

To date, 42 public safe rooms have been added to schools; 34 have been built as stand-alone structures for general use, and 9 constructed for first responders. Populations served by these safe rooms include approximately 44,000 students and staff; 28,000 citizens in the general population, and 3,500 first responders.

During the threat of an outbreak of tornadoes in the state earlier this year, 70 residents sought shelter; in a community safe room in Rankin County, built to FEMA 361 standards.

Another $205 million in HMGP funding was made available to Mississippi for mitigation projects, such as elevating buildings, flood control, sirens, generators and grants to individuals to retrofit areas of their home or build stand-alone safe room units.

For more information on building a public safe room to FEMA 361 specifications, go to http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/3140.

A video on community safe rooms in Mississippi.

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More than $159 million Obligated for Safe Rooms from Katrina

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

Residents Urged to Clean Up Now

SAIPAN – Individuals affected by Typhoon Soudelor that occurred August 1-3, 2015 are urged to begin cleaning up their homes and personal property as soon as possible. Officials from the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) emphasize that it is not necessary to wait for a housing inspection before beginning this process.

Residents need to document their losses thoroughly and take pictures of all the damages so that when FEMA housing inspectors arrive, they can make a quick analysis and take information with them. Residents will also need to keep all of the receipts they acquire while purchasing new living items during their displacement.

“We encourage individuals affected by the disaster to remain cautious and return home only when it is safe to do so,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Stephen M. DeBlasio Sr. “Property owners should document all losses and damages by taking photos first, or making a list, and then begin immediately removing all damaged personal property to help combat mold and other health hazards and move forward in the recovery process.”

Before making permanent repairs to your home such as drywall, structural components, electrical systems or plumbing, make sure you get the proper permits from the CNMI Department of Public Works to ensure compliance with local building codes.

For more information on local clean-up instructions and local permit requirements, contact the CNMI at 670-237-8000.

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Residents Urged to Clean Up Now

Advice on Preventing Damage from Future Storms Offered at Home Improvement Stores in Texas

AUSTIN, Texas – As Texans rebuild or repair their homes damaged by the May 4 through June 22 storms, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local home improvement stores have teamed up to provide free information, tips and literature on making homes stronger and safer.

FEMA mitigation specialists will be on hand in Brazoria, Grayson, Harris, Montgomery, and Williamson counties at in-store information centers to answer questions and offer home improvement tips and proven methods to prevent and lessen damage from future disasters. Most of the information is geared for do-it-yourself work and general contractors.

Also, if you’re thinking of building a storm shelter or safe room, literature is available about the best options. Safe rooms built to FEMA specifications have saved thousands of lives.

Advisors will be available at the following locations Aug. 20 – 25:

Brazoria County: Home Depot located at 100 Abner Jackson Parkway, Lake Jackson, TX 77566

Grayson County: Home Depot located at 601 Northcreek Drive, Sherman, TX 75092

Harris County: Lowe’s located at 9640 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77055

Montgomery County: Home Depot located at 23575 U.S. Highway 59, Porter, TX 77365

Williamson County: Lowe’s located at 201 Ed Schmidt Blvd., Hutto, TX 78634

Hours of operation: Thursday – Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Monday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday (Aug.25), 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Mitigation teams will also have free reference booklets in English and Spanish on protecting your home from flood damage and cleaning up mold and mildew. More information about strengthening property can be found at http://www.fema.gov/what-mitigation.

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program has a call center to answer Texas policyholders’ flood insurance questions. Specialists can help with servicing claims, providing general information and offering technical assistance to aid in recovery. To speak with a flood insurance specialist, call 800-621-3362 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Visit www.fema.gov/texas-disaster-mitigation for publications and reference material on rebuilding and repairing safer and stronger.

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Advice on Preventing Damage from Future Storms Offered at Home Improvement Stores in Texas

Disaster Recovery Centers to Open at CAP Offices

PINE RIDGE, S.D. – The Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are establishing Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in six locations for individuals who experience damage during the severe storms from May 8-29. The centers will be located at the CAP offices in the following locations:

Aug 19-22: Wounded Knee District ,Manderson
Aug 23-25: Porcupine District, Porcupine
Aug 26-29: Medicine Root District, Kyle
Aug 30-Sep 1: Eagle Nest District, Wanblee
Sep 2-4: Pass Creek District, Allen
Sep 5-7: LaCreek District, Martin

Another DRC is open at the SuAnne Big Crow Recreational Center, 1 Positive Pl. – E HWY 82, Pine Ridge. In addition, transportation to Pine Ridge DRC from the Oglala District office every other hour starting at 9:00 a.m. Individuals are free to visit any DRC location.

The DRCs will be open from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. until further notice. 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. Individuals who want to register with FEMA 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.

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 Centers to Open at CAP Offices

Disaster Recovery Center Open in Carter County to Help Kentucky Storm Survivors

FRANKFORT, Ky. — A disaster recovery center operated by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is now open in Carter County.

The center will operate from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (EDT) Monday through Saturday until further notice. The Carter County center is located at Northeast Kentucky Community Action, 539 Hitchins Ave. in Olive Hill.

Specialists from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration will be on hand to answer questions and provide information on the types of assistance available after the severe storms in July.

Survivors who suffered losses in Carter, Johnson, Rowan and Trimble counties can get help with registration, questions about an application or review information needed to process an application.

Before visiting a center, if possible, survivors should register for assistance.

Disaster recovery centers are accessible to people with disabilities. The centers have tools to amplify sound, magnifiers and materials in alternative formats along with video remote interpretation and available sign language interpreters. Survivors with a disability, and need an accommodation when visiting the disaster recovery center, should call 502-209-2748 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Survivors can register by using the following methods:

Online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov
By calling 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585, Video Relay Service 800-621-3362).

The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time seven days a week until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and essential 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.

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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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Disaster Recovery Center Open in Carter County to Help Kentucky Storm Survivors

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