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Disaster Recovery Center hours altered due to severe winter weather

NEW YORK – Because of a winter storm warning issued for the New York area, all Disaster Recovery Centers will close at noon Friday, Feb. 8, and remain closed on Saturday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency takes this action out of concern for the safety and well-being of Hurricane Sandy survivors who might be planning to visit a recovery center.

The FEMA Helpline will remain open for normal operations. Hurricane Sandy survivors who have questions can still call 800-621-3362 (7-1-1 Relay or Video Relay Services are available) or (TTY) 800-462-7585 from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. EST, seven days a week until further notice. Disaster Recovery Centers will re-open at 9 a.m., Monday, Feb. 11.

Residents or visitors should follow guidance issued by emergency officials and check with their local weather forecast office or www.weather.gov for the latest information, including additional watches and warnings.

Now is the time to prepare for intense cold, limited travel options, and the possible loss of electrical power. Prepare an emergency kit for your home and car with supplies such as a NOAA weather radio, plenty of clean water, and non-perishable foods. More information on how to prepare for severe weather is available at www.Ready.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.

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Disaster Recovery Center hours altered due to severe winter weather

After 100 days, New York Communities on Road to Recovery from Sandy

NEW YORK – Most of the debris is gone. Communities are making plans for the future and survivors of Hurricane Sandy are receiving financial assistance for storm-related losses.

In New York, the recovery process is well under way 100 days after the storm made landfall Oct. 29, 2012. The whole community is involved in the recovery effort, including federal, state, tribal and local agencies, the private sector and voluntary and faith-based organizations.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved $888.5 million for individuals and households in New York to help eligible survivors with temporary rental costs and other uninsured losses resulting from the hurricane.

Many people have taken advantage of low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. SBA has approved disaster loans for 12,991 homeowners, renters and businesses totaling $892.2 million.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid claims totaling $1.9 billion to 56,000 policy holders.

After a devastating storm, one of the priorities is to clean up the debris so neighborhoods can begin rebuilding. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local and state agencies have removed 5.2 million of the estimated 5.6 million cubic yards of debris. The Corps also drained 270 million gallons of water from subways, tunnels and underpasses within two weeks of the storm.

To ensure that everyone receives information about assistance, FEMA is providing information in 25 languages.

The private sector is playing a key role in spreading information about the kinds of assistance available. The business community has displayed the message on video screens in Times Square, Madison Square Garden and Lincoln Center, among other places. The Metropolitan Transit Authority placed posters at bus stops and subway entrances and on the Staten Island Ferry. The NYC Taxi Commission put the message on video screens in taxi cabs.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program so far has approved $606 million for the repair or replacement of public facilities, debris removal and emergency costs resulting from the disaster, among other expenses. These grants included $106 million to NYPD for personnel costs during the emergency, $46 million to

the New York Department of Sanitation for labor and equipment expenditures and $24 million to the City of Long Beach for debris removal.

More than 500 national, state and local voluntary and faith-based organizations are helping people in need. They are providing donations, volunteer management, home repair, child care, counseling services and removal of muck and mold from homes.

Mitigation specialists are counseling property owners on ways to rebuild structures so they are more resilient to future storm damage. So far, 21,000 have been provided information.

Because of a shortage of available rental units after the storm, FEMA temporarily housed 5,917 individuals and families in hotels and motels through its Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program. This is a short-term option for eligible survivors while they work on longer-term housing arrangements.

In the weeks after the storm, federal agencies deployed more than 5,000 personnel to New York. Many of those specialists are still on the job and FEMA has hired more than 500 local residents to help with disaster recovery operations. Storm survivors are still receiving face-to-face help in the recovery process at disaster recovery centers. So far, New Yorkers have visited the centers 151,116 times.

The federal disaster recovery coordinator for New York is working with public and private partners at federal, state and local levels to identify unmet needs and traditional and innovative resources that can be used to support rebuilding. These efforts will result in a strategy that will be used to guide development for years to come.

People who had losses resulting from the storm are urged to register with FEMA by Feb. 27. They can register with FEMA online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. They may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) can call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are available from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. EST, seven days a week.

For more on Hurricane Sandy recovery in New York, visit www.FEMA.gov/SandyNY.

Note: Photos of Hurricane Sandy and the recovery operation can be found at:

http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4085/updates/100-days-after-hurricane-sandy-new-york-look-back-photos

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. 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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After 100 days, New York Communities on Road to Recovery from Sandy

Last Chance To Visit Long Branch, Sayreville Recovery Centers

TRENTON, N.J. — The disaster recovery centers at Long Branch Fire Station No. 4 and the Sayreville Senior Center will close Saturday, Feb. 9, at 4 p.m.

State and federal officials have been paying close attention to how many applicants are visiting centers throughout the state. Over the past weeks, the number of individuals seeking help at the Long Branch and Sayreville centers has dropped, indicating the information needs of survivors in the area have mostly been met.

Those who want to visit a disaster recovery center in the Sayreville area can go to the Union Beach center at:

Union Beach Municipal Building

650 Poole Ave.

Union Beach, NJ 07735

Those who want to visit a disaster recovery center in the Long Branch area can go to the Belmar center at:

Belmar Municipal Building

601 Main St.

Belmar, NJ 07719

Since the Long Branch disaster recovery center opened Nov. 19, 2012, there have been more than 2,500 visits from Hurricane Sandy survivors.

There have been nearly 2,500 visits to the Sayreville disaster recovery center since it opened Nov. 6, 2012.

Help and information are always available online or by phone. Survivors can check on the status of their disaster assistance applications at DisasterAssistance.gov, by using a smartphone or tablet at m.FEMA.gov, or by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 800-462-7585 or 711/VRS.

Survivors can ask questions about their Small Business Administration disaster home loan applications by calling 800-659-2955 or TTY 800-877-8339 or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Additional resources are available online at FEMA.gov/SandyNJ.

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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Last Chance To Visit Long Branch, Sayreville Recovery Centers

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.

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An SBA disaster loan can be smart business

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.

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 $3.2 Million to East Baton Rouge for Hurricane Isaac Recovery

FEMA approves $80 million to help NY communities rebuild from Sandy

NEW YORK – The State of New York and the Federal Emergency Management Agency announce the approval of more than $80 million in Public Assistance grants to help communities clean up and recover from Hurricane Sandy.

Grants to New York City include $30 million to reimburse NYPD for personnel overtime, equipment usage and materials associated with emergency protective measures. A $7 million grant reimbursed FDNY for emergency protective measures such as removing water from 2,741 basements and clearing streets for emergency vehicle access.

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection was reimbursed for emergency protective measures with a $10 million grant to protect and temporarily repair damaged areas and operate pumping equipment and emergency generators.

Public Assistance grants affect all of the areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy. The new grants provide more than $6.2 million to Brookhaven Township for debris removal and disposal; $9.5 million to reimburse Islip Township for efforts in combating immediate threats to improved public and private property; and $15 million to the Nassau County Police Department for personnel overtime, equipment usage and materials associated with emergency protective measures.

The FEMA Public Assistance program reimburses state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations 75 percent of costs for disaster-related expenses associated with emergency protective measures, debris removal, and the repair and restoration of damaged infrastructure.

14 New York counties are designated for Public Assistance. These are Bronx, Greene, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.

Public Assistance is administered by New York State and funded by FEMA.

To learn more about FEMA Public Assistance, visit: www.dhses.ny.gov/oem/recovery.

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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FEMA approves $80 million to help NY communities rebuild from Sandy

Sandy Debris Removal Passes 95 percent in 95 days

NEW YORK – Debris removal efforts after Hurricane Sandy in New York are nearing completion. More than 95 percent of the debris has been removed within 95 days of the storm hitting New York.

That includes everything from fallen trees to vehicles, boats, drywall and furniture, washers, dryers and insulation. It all amounts to 5.25 million cubic yards of debris caused by the strong winds and heavy rains created by Hurricane Sandy, beginning Oct. 27, 2012. That’s enough debris to fill the 102-story Empire State Building a little more than 3.5 times.

Collecting and hauling debris to the curbs has involved homeowners, neighbors and volunteers working with city, state and federal agencies. Neighbors and volunteers combined their skill and chainsaws to remove broken trees from yards and streets along with cleaning up disaster debris from public streets.

The demolition of destroyed structures is ongoing and about 20 percent complete.

Early in the cleanup, barges were used to haul debris to landfills in upstate New York.

The debris is also being trucked to landfills in other states.

Vegetation, such as wood, tree branches, leaves and other organic matter, is incinerated or chipped. Chips will be recycled for beneficial reuse.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program reimburses state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations 75 percent of eligible debris removal costs. In order to qualify, damage must be a direct result of Hurricane Sandy.

A U.S. Army Corp of Engineers video of the Hurricane Sandy debris work is at this link: http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/11140

Editors: for a free-use FEMA debris news photo: http://www.fema.gov/photolibrary/photo_details.do?id=61125

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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Sandy Debris Removal Passes 95 percent in 95 days

FEMA, partners provide help for critical needs

NEW YORK – After a disaster, there are many sources of support for survivors as they begin their recovery. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is only one part of a team that includes federal, state, tribal and local government agencies, voluntary organizations, the private sector and faith-based organizations.

FEMA helps survivors of a disaster with critical expenses that cannot be covered in any other way. This grant assistance may be used to help cover items or services that prevent or overcome a hardship due to a disaster. Such items or services include temporary housing, essential home repairs, personal property losses and other disaster-related needs not covered by insurance. Survivors registered with FEMA may be eligible for up to $31,900, the maximum grant.

The assistance FEMA provides may not restore damaged property to its condition before the disaster and may not cover all losses from property damage. Money to repair a home is limited to making it safe, sanitary and functional.

One of the most significant sources of long-term recovery is the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which offers low-interest disaster loans for homeowners and renters. Homeowners may be eligible for loans up to $200,000 to repair or replace their storm-damaged home. Homeowners and renters may be eligible for up to $40,000 for replacement of personal property.

Additionally, more than 500 national, state and local community and faith-based organizations are involved in helping Sandy survivors with their recovery. They are providing a range of services including home repair, child care, counseling services, muck-outs and mold suppression in disaster-damaged homes.

People who sustained losses due to Hurricane Sandy have until Wednesday, Feb. 27, to register with FEMA for potential grant assistance. They should register even if they have insurance. Applying by the deadline may help survivors avoid a funding shortfall if they later find that they are underinsured or have additional damages.

Counties in New York designated for individual assistance include: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.

Eligible applicants may register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. People can also call the FEMA helpline 800-621-3362 (711 Relay or Video Relay Services are available) or TTY 800-462-7585. Helpline call centers are available 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. EST, seven days a week.

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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FEMA, partners provide help for critical needs

Elevating Your Home Above Future Flooding

NEW YORK – Hurricane Sandy survivors repairing their homes with an eye toward avoiding damage from future storms can take several steps to rebuild stronger and safer.

If you’re rebuilding in a high risk flood area, you may have to elevate your home to meet your community’s minimum elevation regulations for construction. This will avoid future severe weather damage.

What are the rules for elevation?

You must follow local building codes and get the proper permits when rebuilding. This will not only make your home safer but will save money on federal flood insurance.

It is necessary to check with local building officials before rebuilding in a flood zone because they are responsible for knowing the elevation requirements, even in areas where the base flood elevation has not been established. Rebuilding higher than the minimum requirement is always a wise decision.

Are there any programs available to assist with construction cost?

Eligible homeowners who have National Flood Insurance Program policies and whose homes were substantially damaged may be eligible for Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage of up to $30,000. This can pay all or part of the cost to elevate your home to the current effective Base Flood Elevation, which is the estimated level that floodwaters would reach.

You may be eligible for ICC coverage if your local floodplain building official determines either:

Your property is substantially damaged, meaning that the cost to repair the flood damaged property is 50 percent or more of its pre-disaster market value.

Your property sustained repetitive damage, meaning that flood damage occurred twice in the past 10 years, and the cost of repairing the flood damage, on average, equaled or exceeded 25 percent of the property market value at the time of each flood. Also, those two flood damage events must have resulted in flood insurance claim payments, and the community’s floodplain management ordinance must have a repetitive loss provision.

What are other programs that offer help with elevation costs?

The U.S. Small Business Administration offers loans to private nonprofits, businesses and homeowners for mitigation improvements including building elevation, retaining walls, seawalls, sump pumps and relocating utilities. The loan can be increased up to an additional 20 percent of the initial approved amount for these mitigation projects.

The deadline to apply for an SBA disaster loan is Feb. 27, 2013.

A simple way to complete the application is online, using the SBA’s electronic loan application. Go to https://DisasterLoan.SBA.gov/ELA. 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. To locate the nearest business recovery center, visit www.sba.gov or call 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing).

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)

The State of New York administers the HMGP. While individuals are not eligible to apply directly to FEMA for HMGP funds, an eligible applicant or sub-applicant (e.g. state or local government) may apply for funding on your behalf to mitigate your home or other private structures under their jurisdiction. These applications are forwarded to the state for potential funding by FEMA. That mitigation can include elevating your home to meet flood insurance requirements. For more information, contact your local building officials about HMGP grants.

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.

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. 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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Elevating Your Home Above Future Flooding

Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Briefings Scheduled for Juniata County

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Public Assistance briefings are scheduled for Juniata County, according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Briefings will be held at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30 in Mifflintown.

Juniata County Courthouse Annex

11 N. Third St.

Mifflintown, PA 17059

At the briefings, officials from state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations will receive information about applying for federal assistance to recover from Hurricane Sandy during the period from October 26 to November 8, 2012.

FEMA manages the Public Assistance program, approves grants and provides technical assistance to the Commonwealth and applicants. The Commonwealth educates potential applicants, works with FEMA to manage the program and is responsible for implementing and monitoring the grants awarded under the program. Local officials are responsible for identifying damage, providing information necessary for FEMA to approve grants and managing each project funded under the program.

Federal funding is also available through the Public Assistance program on a cost-sharing basis for Hazard Mitigation measures in all counties of the Commonwealth.

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. FEMA Region III’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts are available at http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary and www.youtube.com/fema. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion3.

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Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Briefings Scheduled for Juniata County

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