Give the Gift of Awareness and Preparedness This Holiday Season

WARREN, Mich. – The holiday season is here, and the state of Michigan and FEMA wish you all the best during this special time of the year.  The heavy demands of the holiday season can be a busy time for all. Managing family obligations and handling seasonal preparations along with regular day-to-day activities can make disaster awareness and preparedness less of a priority.

Officials want to remind you that the holidays can also bring out scam artists and other criminals who want to prey on vulnerable survivors. The most common types of fraud after disaster strikes are contractor fraud and price gouging.

  • Be wary of contractors who solicit work door-to-door or who promise –“I’ll do it right away and cheap.”
  • Get estimates from more than one licensed, bonded, and reputable contractor.
  • Get a contract in writing.
  • Don’t make final payment until the job is finished.
  • Don’t sign over an insurance settlement check to a contractor.

Gift giving is also on the minds of many this time of year. We would like to offer some gift suggestions for those family members who might not be prepared for disasters or emergencies. While these may not be the fanciest gifts to give, they may save a life, protect property or make dealing with a disaster a little easier.

  • NOAA weather radios and extra batteries.
  • A home disaster kit that could include items such as a flashlight and batteries, a battery-powered radio, a first aid kit, bottled water, and canned goods with a manual can opener. Place the items in a plastic tub or backpack.
  • Car emergency kits such as flares, a shovel, an ice scraper, flashlight and fluorescent distress flags.
  • Pet disaster kit that could include extra food, a leash, food dish, pet toys that would fit in a bag or backpack.

We wish you and your family a very happy and safe holiday season.

Those who suspect price gouging and fraud may call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721. Complaints may also be made to local law enforcement or through the Michigan Attorney General’s office at 877-765-8388 or online at www.michigan.gov/ag.

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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 twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Give the Gift of Awareness and Preparedness This Holiday Season

Arkansans: Things to Know About Debris Removal

Little Rock, Ark. – For many Arkansans in Faulkner County affected by the April 27 tornadoes, cleanup is well underway. That means residents may have questions regarding the types of debris that can be left at the curb for collection and how to handle debris when a homeowner hires a contractor.

DEBRIS PLACED ON RIGHT OF WAY

Tornado-related debris is eligible for pickup and disposal by the county or municipality if residents place the following types of debris on the public right-of-way in front of their property for pick-up. When placing debris at the roadside, residents should be careful not to cover or impede access to utility meters or mailboxes.

Residents opting for curbside pick-up must separate debris into six (6) categories:

  • Vegetative debris (tree limbs, shrubs, etc.)
  • Construction/Demolition debris
  • White goods (appliances, etc.)
  • E-goods (TV’s, electronics)
  • Household hazardous (cleaning solutions, automotive chemicals, etc.)
  • Normal household garbage

DEBRIS HANDLED BY CONTRACTORS

Some homeowner’s insurance policies may cover debris removal.  Residents are reminded that if they choose to hire their own contractor, they should not place that debris on the right-of-way. The cost of debris disposal is typically included in the contractor’s estimates. Homeowners should review their insurance policies to determine if their policy covers debris removal.

Under no circumstances will reconstruction debris or demolition debris created by the property owner or the private contractor be pushed to the curb. The property owner, insurance company or contractor is responsible for removing and transporting all demolition and/or reconstruction debris to an approved designated landfill.

  • Reconstruction debris includes any construction material that must be removed from the damaged structure (shingles, portions of roofs, etc.) to bring it back to pre-disaster function.
  • Demolition debris includes construction material created by the physical deconstruction of the remaining portions of a disaster-damaged structure (walls, roof, flooring, slabs, outbuildings, etc.) in preparation for the construction of a new building.

OTHER THINGS TO BE AWARE OF WHEN HIRING CONTRACTORS

  • Watch out for:
    • Phone or door-to-door solicitors who promise to speed up the insurance, disaster assistance or building-permit process.
    • People who ask for large cash deposits or advance payments in full.
    • Promises of large amounts of money for disaster victims.
    •  FEMA/State disaster assistance funds are sent to applicants by electronic funds transfer (EFT) or through the U.S. mail ONLY!
    • People going door-to-door to damaged homes or phoning survivors and claiming to be building contractors or soliciting personal information such as Social Security or bank account numbers; they could be frauds.

Those who suspect anyone of engaging in fraudulent activities should call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 1-866-720-5721. Complaints may also be made to local law enforcement agencies and through the Arkansas Attorney General Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-482-8982.

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Arkansans: Things to Know About Debris Removal