isaac - femacontract.com

Flood Insurance Specialists Answering Survivor Questions

BATON ROUGE, La. – Specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are reaching out to Louisiana Hurricane Isaac survivors who have specific questions about their flood insurance claims or about new regulations that may affect how they rebuild.

At recent public meetings in Plaquemines and St. John parishes, FEMA experts in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) addressed some of survivors’ general concerns about insurance and rebuilding. FEMA administers the NFIP, which makes flood insurance policies available through local insurance companies throughout Louisiana.

The NFIP experts are also participating in workshops in Plaquemines Parish to answer the same kinds of questions from policyholders.

Since the public meetings, the NFIP specialists are contacting survivors who submitted specific questions in writing. Based on those conversations, the specialists are researching the policyholder’s claim or concern, and then offering to meet with the person at a Disaster Recovery Center to provide an in-depth response.

“We understand that survivors in hard-hit parishes have some difficult decisions ahead and we want to help them make those decisions based on the best available information,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of FEMA. “In some cases, it’s just a matter of clarifying what FEMA can or cannot do for them by law.”

For some survivors, the NFIP specialists are simply letting them know why they need to submit a list of the property that was destroyed in the flooding or how their loss is settled. For others, specialists are researching building codes that apply to current flood maps, and the requirements policyholders may have to follow when they rebuild. In other cases, the specialists are offering recommendations to help the survivors make decisions.

“We suggest homeowners use information provided by our insurance specialists to make the best decision when rebuilding their homes,” said Brian Bartley, leader of FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Insurance Task Force. “They should take into consideration the possibility of a higher cost of insurance if they decide to rebuild based on current flood maps, as those maps are set to change.”

Bartley said his team also encourages survivors to stay in touch with their insurance agents and keep the lines of communication open. “The agent will be their adviser once FEMA’s direct role in Hurricane Isaac recovery is complete,” he said.

Any policyholder with questions about flood insurance or concerns about their claims may speak to an NFIP specialist using FEMA’s Hurricane Isaac Flood Insurance Call Center. The toll-free number is 1-866-331-1679. Help is available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday. Additional information is available at www.floodsmart.gov.

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.

Flood Insurance Specialists Answering Survivor Questions

Orleans Parish Disaster Recovery Center Closes Wednesday

BATON ROUGE, La. — Time is running out for Hurricane Isaac survivors in Orleans Parish to visit the State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Center located on Canal Boulevard in New Orleans. The center closes at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Although the center will close, Hurricane Isaac survivors can visit either of the other two recovery centers located at the Algiers Regional Branch and the East NOLA Branch Library.

Survivors can contact FEMA online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Survivors may also contact the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) after the center closes at 1-800-659-2955 or www.sba.gov.

The center is located at:

Robert E. Smith Library
6301 Canal Blvd.,
New Orleans, LA 70124
Hours are: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Wednesday, Oct. 31.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit online at www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

Houma Disaster Recovery Center Closes Tuesday — SBA Loan Center Opens Wednesday

BATON ROUGE, La. — Time is running out for Hurricane Isaac survivors in Terrebonne Parish to visit the State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Houma. The center, located at the American Legion Hall, 602 Legion Ave., closes at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30.

To continue to meet the needs of the Terrebonne community, the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will open a Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) in Houma on Wednesday, Oct. 31, at the Terrebonne Parish Library, 151 Library Drive. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays until further notice.

At the Houma DLOC, SBA customer service representatives will be available to meet individually with residents and business owners to answer their questions, explain SBA’s disaster loan program, issue applications, help them complete their applications and close their approved disaster loans.

The State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Center will remain open Saturday, Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. After it closes, Hurricane Isaac survivors can still contact FEMA online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Survivors may also contact the SBA at 1-800-659-2955 or www.sba.gov.

Original article:

Houma Disaster Recovery Center Closes Tuesday — SBA Loan Center Opens Wednesday

Two Days Left to Register for Disaster Assistance

CLINTON, Miss. – Mississippians who had damage during Hurricane Isaac have just two more days to register for FEMA assistance.

The deadline to register with FEMA and to apply for a loan for physical damage through the U.S. Small Business Administration is
Wednesday, Oct. 31. To register, call 800-621-3362 or go online to DisasterAssistance.gov.

After registering, you can:

Track your application.
Notify FEMA of changes to your mailing address, phone number or email address.
Update FEMA if you receive insurance settlements or discover additional damages.

Here is how to reach FEMA:

Go online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
Visit m.fema.gov from a Smartphone.
Dial 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585.
For those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services, call 800-621-3362.

The toll-free numbers are operated from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

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.

Read this article:

Two Days Left to Register for Disaster Assistance

AmeriCorps — and New FEMA Corps — Are Assisting Hurricane Isaac Recovery

BATON ROUGE, La. – Dozens of AmeriCorps and FEMA Corps members are doing double duty in response to Hurricane Isaac— helping Louisiana survivors with their recovery efforts and assisting their communities plan for future disasters.

Along with scores of local voluntary agencies, some AmeriCorps teams were in Louisiana before Hurricane Isaac struck, and other members have arrived regularly in the eight weeks since the storm. The newest group is from FEMA Corps, a program in which young adults serve alongside FEMA’s existing workforce to perform a variety of disaster response, recovery and mitigation tasks.

“FEMA relies on volunteer-based organizations and the service groups like AmeriCorps and now FEMA Corps to provide critical help for survivors,” said Gerard M. Stolar, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer. “These folks are getting right into the communities affected by Isaac and helping them with their recovery effort.”

The FEMA Corps members are working with FEMA specialists in the Joint Field Office in Baton Rouge and across southern Louisiana. Some of them have been integrated into operations at Disaster Recovery Centers, where they have met with survivors and helped connect them to resources and information. Others are helping compile Project Worksheets, which document applicant costs for Public Assistance reimbursements.

FEMA Corps members also have been working in the southern parishes to learn how to assess homes for private property debris removal. Still others have joined Community Relations teams, going door-to-door to meet survivors and provide information about FEMA registration.

Meanwhile, some AmeriCorps members are in St. John Parish where they are managing local volunteers and assisting in setting up a long-term recovery group for the area. The teams also are helping the parish begin tracking volunteer hours which can be used to offset the local cost share required in some FEMA grants. In Plaquemines, St. John and St. Tammany, AmeriCorps has helped set up Volunteer Reception Centers (VRCs).

Other members are assisting the Louisiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster with a temporary roof repair pilot project in eight parishes. They are helping collect data about the efforts of voluntary agencies to provide temporary roof repairs and tarps to damaged homes.

“I think these projects can be very helpful tools for future disasters,” said AmeriCorps St. Louis Team Leader, Abby Simons, whose teams are working on the roofing pilot project and the VRCs. “Knowing that we’re helping increase the effectiveness of local community groups now – and maybe influencing others years down the road ¬– is worthwhile service.”

AmeriCorps is one of dozens of agencies FEMA has partnered with to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters like Hurricane Isaac. A national service program, AmeriCorps offers real-world experience in public service in exchange for low pay, long hours, sparse lodging, student loan forgiveness and the rewards of helping people in need.

AmeriCorps, through its parent agency the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), has deployed more than 300 members to Hurricane Isaac-affected areas since the beginning of the storm.

Some 35 AmeriCorps members assisted with earlier evacuations from St. Charles Parish and supporting a call center to provide information to survivors. In New Orleans, AmeriCorps members have been at a call center, a shelter and in the neighborhoods helping with damage assessment, debris removal and home repair.

Others have been in Baton Rouge, assisting with shelter operations and the Louisiana 2-1-1 call center and yet another team was in Hahnville in St. Charles Parish helping collect and distribute donated items to survivors.

FEMA Corps is the result of a new, innovative partnership between FEMA and CNCS. The program aims to enhance the nation’s ability to assist disaster survivors while expanding career opportunities for young people.

Jump to original:

AmeriCorps — and New FEMA Corps — Are Assisting Hurricane Isaac Recovery

Volunteering and Donating to Help Hurricane Isaac Survivors

BATON ROUGE, La. — Since Hurricane Isaac struck Louisiana in late August, the public has been an important part of the emergency management team by volunteering time, money, and energy helping disaster survivors and their communities.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its partner, Louisiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (LA VOAD), are committed to fostering the Four Cs: communication, coordination, collaboration and cooperation.

LA VOAD is the primary statewide point of contact for voluntary organizations assisting with Hurricane Isaac disaster needs. It is also the forum where organizations share knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle — preparation, response and recovery — to help disaster survivors and their communities.

Members of Louisiana VOAD have done valuable work throughout the state since Isaac struck. Many are community- and faith-based groups, providing people with basic household needs, helping with clean-up and repair, and planning for longer-term recovery. Some have fostered cultural sensitivity and awareness, providing for particular needs of ethnic groups. Others are health care professionals who have counseled survivors at shelters and in their communities as they continue to cope with stress.

Whether or not you live in one of the affected parishes, you can support the ongoing response and recovery efforts in several ways. Listed below are tips for Louisianians who want to donate goods and services or volunteer their time and energy to help disaster survivors:

Register at www.volunteerlouisiana.org to receive updates and information on volunteer opportunities as they are identified.
- For opportunities in Plaquemines Parish, call the Committee for Plaquemines Recovery at 1-504-564-0309.
- For opportunities in St. John Parish, call the hotline at 1-985-359-1024
Visit Louisiana VOAD website at www.lavoad.org and click on the “How to Help” tab for information and links on how to volunteer or donate.
A financial contribution is the most efficient method of donating and offers voluntary agencies the most flexibility in obtaining the most-needed resources. You can donate money directly to Louisiana VOAD members including texting a donation to the American Red Cross or Salvation Army at www.nvoad.org.
If you have a quantity of a given item to donate, and you need help in determining which organizations to give to, you can make your offer through the National Donations Management Network by clicking “Louisiana” on the drop down menu at www.aidmatrixnetwork.org.
Also at this website, click on “Louisiana” on the interactive map for updated parish-specific opportunities for volunteers.
Join up with existing nonprofit organizations before coming to the disaster area. A community easily can become overwhelmed by the amount of generous people who want to help. Contacting and affiliating with an established organization will help to ensure that you are appropriately trained to respond in the most effective way.
Confirm the need before donating goods. Unsolicited donated goods require voluntary agencies to redirect valuable resources away from providing services in order to sort, package, transport, warehouse and distribute items that may not meet the needs of disaster survivors.

See original –

Volunteering and Donating to Help Hurricane Isaac Survivors

Voluntary Organizations Assist Hurricane Isaac Survivors

BATON ROUGE, La. – Thousands of Louisianians affected by Hurricane Isaac are finding help with their unmet needs through the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) members — groups that arrived before the hurricane made landfall, that kept coming during the rain and flooding, and that will remain in communities for months to come.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has partnered with more than 150 voluntary, community- and faith-based organizations to provide crucial assistance as Louisiana recovers from the storm. FEMA assists the organizations by providing information about available federal assistance programs, offering technical assistance with volunteer management, donation intake and distribution, and helping with unmet needs for the longer term.

“Voluntary groups work together to help survivors get on the road to recovery and to stay on it in the months to come,” said Gerard M. Stolar, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer for Hurricane Isaac recovery. “Volunteers are the backbone of disaster recovery. They go where the need is. They are the first to arrive and the last to leave when disaster strikes.”

Since Isaac hit, volunteer agencies have worked in survivors’ homes, on the affected communities’ streets and public spaces, and in community institutions to help with the recovery effort. Volunteers have mucked mold and mud out of houses and apartments, and installed tarps on roofs as temporary repairs.

Groups from Louisiana and elsewhere in the country have removed trees and debris from neighborhoods and roadways. Other volunteers have worked at call centers, provided support in offices with data analysis, for example, and staffed emergency operations centers for Louisiana VOAD members.

“Sometimes their work is simple and short term. Sometimes these groups are deeply involved in communities for years,” Stolar said. “Always, the work is appreciated.”

Most importantly, perhaps, volunteers have helped survivors directly first with evacuation before the storm made landfall and then by providing food, water, ice, replacement clothing and household items, and cleaning kits after it passed through. As recovery continues, volunteers are acting as counselors and advisers, staffing crisis and legal hotlines and helping survivors navigate and determine their eligibility for federal programs.

Sometimes the volunteers’ motivation comes from a general sense of wanting to contribute to recovery. Sometimes it’s very personal.

“Unfortunately, sometimes it takes having gone through the experience yourself in order to fully appreciate the sufferings and heartaches of what people are going through at a time like this,” said Father John Tran of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church. “There is a mutual understanding of heartache shared between the volunteers who have been there and the residents now dealing with it.”

Volunteer organizations involved in the Hurricane Isaac recovery effort are not funded by the federal government. Voluntary agencies will continue to help storm survivors and to provide disaster relief services in all affected parishes and any other area in need regardless of the federal declaration status.

Also, if disaster survivors sustained uninsured or underinsured damages because of Hurricane Isaac, they should apply for FEMA assistance as soon as possible even if they have already registered with voluntary organizations. Registering with voluntary organizations doesn’t mean that they have automatically registered with FEMA.

Survivors can register online with FEMA at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smartphone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. For 711 Relay or Video Relay Services call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

Visit source:

Voluntary Organizations Assist Hurricane Isaac Survivors

New Roads Disaster Recovery Center Closes Wednesday

BATON ROUGE, La. — Time is running out for Hurricane Isaac survivors in Pointe Coupee Parish to visit the State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in New Roads. The center closes at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Although the center will close, Hurricane Isaac survivors can still contact FEMA online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Survivors may also contact the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) after the center closes at 1-800-659-2955 or www.sba.gov.

The center is located at:

Scott Civic Center
1200 Major Pkwy.
New Roads, LA 70760

Hours are: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Wednesday, Oct. 24.

Recovery centers have opened in many affected parishes to assist homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained uninsured or underinsured losses to their home or personal property as a result of Hurricane Isaac. For a list of open centers in Louisiana go to www.fema.gov/disaster/4080.

New Roads Disaster Recovery Center Closes Wednesday

Survivors Can Take Steps Now to Rebuild

BATON ROUGE, La. – Hurricane Isaac survivors repairing their homes with an eye toward avoiding damage from future storms can take several steps now to rebuild stronger and safer.

Property owners who wish to speed up the rebuilding process do not have to wait for a complete Substantial Damage Inspection, say mitigation experts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Property owners can provide the local permitting official with a copy of an estimate from a licensed contractor to repair the structure, and a copy of a pre-disaster market value appraisal. With these documents, they can apply for a permit to make needed repairs.

“Storm survivors are anxious to get on with repairs, and we encourage them to do so,” said Patricia McArthur, Hazard Mitigation Branch Director for FEMA’s Hurricane Isaac mission in Louisiana. “The rebuilding phase of any disaster is an ideal time to plan ways to prevent or limit future damage.”

One source of funds for eligible homeowners who have flood insurance and whose homes were determined to be substantially damaged may be Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage. ICC provides up to $30,000 of insurance coverage for the increased cost of compliance with their community’s floodplain management ordinance.

FEMA assistance for individuals may include grants to help pay for temporary housing and emergency home repairs to make a home habitable. Survivors could also be eligible for grants for serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

FEMA may also assist survivors whose insurance settlements have been delayed longer than 30 days from the time they filed their claims. Any help awarded by FEMA is considered an advance and must be repaid once an insurance settlement is received. The current maximum is $31,400.

To apply for an advance, people with delayed settlements should write a letter to FEMA explaining the situation. Homeowners should include documentation from their insurance companies proving their claim was filed. If they filed by telephone, they should include their claim number, the date they applied, and estimated time before they expect to receive the settlement.

Visit link:

Survivors Can Take Steps Now to Rebuild

President Declares Disaster for Florida

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the State of Florida to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Isaac during the period of August 27-29, 2012.

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by Hurricane Isaac in Bay, Collier, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Martin, Monroe, Okaloosa, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, and Santa Rosa counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties and tribes within the state.

Gracia B. Szczech has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Szczech said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Follow FEMA online at http://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. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

See original article here:

President Declares Disaster for Florida

Page 4 of 7 « First ... « 2 3 4 5 6 » ... Last »