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Virginia Beach Disaster Recovery Center Hours Change

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Effective Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016, the Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) in Virginia Beach will begin operating under new hours. The new operating hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.

Disaster survivors are urged to register with FEMA right away, and can visit the DRC nearest them or call the FEMA help line at 800-621-3362 for assistance. To find a DRC location closest to you, go to: https://www.fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers and click on ‘Search for a Disaster Recovery Center.’

DRCs are operated by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The centers provide FEMA registration assistance and disaster information to residents in the cities of Chesapeake, Newport News, Norfolk and Virginia Beach with damage from Hurricane Matthew.

Specialists at the recovery centers can review applicant cases, answer questions about claims, review information needed to process claims, and talk with a U.S. Small Business Administration representative.

These disaster centers are open Monday through Sunday until further notice:

Starting Wednesday:

Virginia Beach: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library

4100 Virginia Beach Blvd

Virginia Beach, VA 23452

Enter main door, turn right, near Cafe

Chesapeake: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Chesapeake Department of Human Services

City of Chesapeake

100 Outlaw St.

Chesapeake, VA 23320

Enter main door, turn right

Norfolk: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Norfolk City Work Force Development Center

201 Little Creek Road

Room 208

Norfolk, VA 23505

You don’t need to visit a DRC to register for Federal assistance, survivors can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov, on the FEMA Mobile App, or by calling 800-621-3362. TTY users can call 800-462-7585. Phone lines are open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EDT until further notice. Help is available in almost any language.

Additional information about this disaster is available at www.fema.gov and www.vaemergency.gov. Virginians seeking information about disaster-related services needs should call Virginia 211, a statewide information and referral service.

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Virginia Beach Disaster Recovery Center Hours Change

Recovery Includes a Plan for Long-Term Housing

BATON ROUGE, La — For Louisiana flood survivors, recovery may include short-term FEMA assistance. Keep in mind that FEMA’s housing assistance comes with periodic checks on the need for continued help—and housing plans. Recovery is about planning.

Applicants may qualify for continued assistance if they demonstrate their need and develop a longer-term or permanent housing plan or demonstrate progress in one. A contractor’s estimate on repairs or a report on repairs can point to progress. Applicants need to keep rental receipts, canceled checks or money orders showing proper use of previous rental assistance. Recovery progress can be marked by accepting the first offer of adequate, alternate housing when it becomes available.

FEMA housing occupants with no housing plans will be given information and tools to help them find available housing. The FEMA helpline at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY, at 800-462-7585 can assist with a list of rental properties. For a rental-unit database, check https://asd.fema.gov/inter/hportal/home.htm. Survivors should keep in contact with their insurance companies, their case managers if assigned, and with FEMA; each may open a door to another recovery opportunity.

FEMA aims to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars by requiring applicants to demonstrate they have a continuing need for temporary assistance. Applications for continued assistance will be mailed to homeowners. Renters can call the FEMA helpline and ask for an application. Renters need to contact their previous landlords to find out if they will be permitted to move back into their former units.

Recovery for many Louisiana flood survivors began with finding a place to stay, a temporary refuge. With others it began with removing debris, mucking out a home or re-opening a business. Each recovery story has a beginning, a middle and an outcome defined by a more stable situation. FEMA’s assistance will not make Louisiana flood survivors whole again, but can help in making the first few important steps to recovery.

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Recovery Includes a Plan for Long-Term Housing

FEMA Authorizes Federal Funds to Help Battle Georgia Wildfires

ATLANTA, Ga.–The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized federal funds to reimburse costs to Georgia to fight the Tatum Gulf Fire burning in Dade County.

This authorization makes FEMA grant funding available to reimburse 75 percent of the eligible firefighting costs for managing, mitigating and controlling the fire. Eligible costs can include labor, equipment and supplies used for fighting the fire and costs for emergency work such as evacuations and sheltering, police barricading and traffic control.

“FEMA has approved this request to make sure Georgia has the resources it needs to battle this fire,” said FEMA Regional Administrator Gracia Szczech. “We will continue to work closely with the frontline responders who are fighting this wildfire.”

The state requested a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG), and it was granted in the late evening of November 13, 2016. The fire started on November 11, and at the time of the request, had burned more than 250 acres of state and private land. The fire was threatening 150 homes in and around the City of Trenton and the Rising Fawn community. In addition, the fire is threatening utility lines, a communications tower, roads, and cultural resources. Currently, mandatory evacuations are taking place for approximately 200 people (60 homes) and evacuations are expected to continue.

Federal fire management assistance is provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to fund firefighting activities when there is a fire threat that could cause a major disaster. Eligible state firefighting costs covered by the aid must first meet a minimum threshold for costs before assistance is provided.

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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.

Download the FEMA mobile app for disaster resources, weather alerts, and safety tips.

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FEMA Authorizes Federal Funds to Help Battle Georgia Wildfires

FEMA Authorizes Federal Funds to Help Battle North Carolina Wildfires

ATLANTA , Ga.–The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized federal funds to reimburse costs to North Carolina to fight the Party Rock Fire burning in Rutherford and Buncombe counties.

“This wildfire constitutes a major threat to lives and property. FEMA has approved this request to ensure that North Carolina has the resources to fight this fire,” said FEMA Regional Administrator Gracia Szczech. “State and local partners are the frontline responders battling this wildfire, and we will work closely with them.”

The state requested a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG), and it was granted on the evening of November 11, 2016. The fire started on November 5 in Chimney Rock State Park, and had burned in excess of 1,101 acres of state and private land. At the time of the request, the fire was threatening 500+ homes in and around the Lake Lure, Chimney Rock and Shumont communities. Mandatory evacuations were taking place for approximately 800+ citizens and evacuations are expected to increase. There are 20 other large fires burning uncontrolled within the state.

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Download the FEMA mobile app for disaster resources, weather alerts, and safety tips.

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FEMA Authorizes Federal Funds to Help Battle North Carolina Wildfires

FEMA Authorizes Federal Funds to Help Battle Tennessee Wildfires

ATLANTA, Ga.–The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized federal funds to reimburse costs to Tennessee to fight the Flippers Bend Fire burning in Hamilton County.

“FEMA approved this request to ensure that Tennessee has the resources to combat this fire and protect lives, structures and property,” said FEMA Regional Administrator Gracia Szczech. “State responders will continue the hard work to fight the fire with the help of this funding.”

The state requested a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG), and it was granted after 9:00 PM EST on November 9, 2016. The fire started on November 5, and has burned in excess of 800 acres of state and private land. There are 47 other large fires burning uncontrolled across the state. At the time of the request, the fire was threatening 45 homes in and around the Boston Branch community. Mandatory evacuations are taking place for approximately 15 to 20 homes and evacuations are expected to increase. The fire is also threatening the Town of Mont Lake and the Mile Straight community.

Federal fire management assistance is provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to fight fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible state firefighting costs covered by the aid must first meet a minimum threshold for costs before assistance is provided.

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Download the FEMA mobile app for disaster resources, weather alerts, and safety tips.

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FEMA Authorizes Federal Funds to Help Battle Tennessee Wildfires

Mobile Disaster Recovery Center to Visit Hampton Fire House

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Wednesday, Nov. 9) – A mobile Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will make a three-day stop in Hampton County at the Town of Hampton Fire Department Nov. 10-12. The center will serve homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage as a result of Hurricane Matthew.

At the center, specialists from the State of South Carolina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), nongovernmental organizations and the local community can answer questions and provide information on the types of assistance available to survivors.

The Hampton DRC will be located at:

Town of Hampton Fire Department 600 West 2nd St.

Hampton, SC 29924

9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday

DRCs are accessible to people with disabilities. The centers have magnifiers, tools to amplify sound, materials in alternative formats, and video remote interpretation. Sign language interpreters are available upon request at the center.

If possible, register for FEMA assistance by phone or online before visiting a center. Going to a DRC is not a requirement of registration, but specialists there can provide guidance regarding disaster recovery and rental resources, explain written correspondence received from FEMA, inform survivors of the status of their application, make referrals to other organizations and answer questions.

To find a complete list of DRC locations and hours, download the free FEMA app to your mobile device or visit asd.fema.gov/inter/locator.

Disaster assistance for eligible survivors may include grants to help pay for temporary housing, essential home repairs, personal property replacement and for other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other sources.

Survivors can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by phone at 800-621-3362 (voice, 711 or relay service) or 800-462-7585 (TTY). The toll-free lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.

After registering with FEMA, survivors may also be eligible for low-interest disaster loans from the SBA. Disaster loans help fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. SBA offers loans to businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters.

Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the SBA are available to small businesses and private-nonprofits to assist with working capital needs as a direct result of the disaster. SBA loans are for uninsured or underinsured disaster losses. SBA advises it is not necessary to wait for an insurance settlement before submitting a loan application.

Eligible survivors should register with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but FEMA may be able to help with uninsured or underinsured losses.

FEMA mitigation specialists are available at DRCs to provide information to survivors on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and guidance on cost-effective rebuilding and repair techniques to make homes more wind- and flood-resistant.

Survivors who have questions about their flood insurance policies and coverage should contact the NFIP call center at 800-621-3362 (Option 2) between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Specialists can help with service claims, provide general information regarding policies and offer technical assistance to aid in recovery.

For more information about the disaster recovery operation, please visit fema.gov/disaster/4286 or the South Carolina Emergency Management Division at scemd.org/recovery

section/ia.

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. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion4 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

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.

Mobile Disaster Recovery Center to Visit Hampton Fire House

Norfolk DRC opens today for survivor assistance

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.—Survivors who have damages from Hurricane Matthew are urged to visit the newly opened Norfolk Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) to register, apply for recovery assistance, and have their questions answered.

The center opened at noon today, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016 and is located in the City of Norfolk Work Force Development Center building on Little Creek Road. Survivors may visit any DRC for assistance. Hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Sunday until further notice.

DRC locations include:

Norfolk:

Norfolk City Work Force Development Center

Room 208

201 Little Creek Road

Norfolk, VA 23505

Virginia Beach:

Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library

4100 Virginia Beach Blvd

Virginia Beach, VA 23452

Enter main door, turn right, near Cafe

Chesapeake:

Virginia Division of Human Services

City of Chesapeake

100 Outlaw St.

Chesapeake, VA 23320

Enter main door, turn right

DRCs are jointly operated by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Specialists at the recovery centers can review applicant cases, answer questions about claims, or review information needed to process their claims. Specialists from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and VDEM staff will be at each location.

To find a DRC location, go to: https://www.fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers and click on ‘Search for a Disaster Recovery Center.’

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Norfolk DRC opens today for survivor assistance

Local Survivors get Help from Disaster Assistance Teams

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Virginia citizens will begin to see Disaster Survivor Assistance teams in certain affected disaster areas beginning as early as this week.

These community outreach teams are disaster recovery specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM). The teams will be canvassing the impacted areas to help survivors register for FEMA assistance. They can also check and verify information already provided by survivors, update their records, and discuss next steps in their recovery process.

You’ll know if the person knocking on your door is a FEMA representative because they will have official identification around their neck or pinned to their jackets. Team members also are meeting with representatives of community-based agencies, local leaders, and public officials.

It’s important to remember that if you were impacted by Hurricane Matthew in Chesapeake, Newport News, Norfolk, or Virginia Beach, you don’t have to wait to see a Disaster Survivor Assistance team in your area to register for FEMA assistance.

Survivors are encouraged to register with FEMA as soon as possible. You can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov, on the FEMA Mobile App, or by calling 800-621-3362 (FEMA).

Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call 800-621-3362. People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Assistance for eligible survivors can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and for other serious disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses or funeral and burial costs. Once registered, both FEMA and the Small Business Administration (SBA) encourage residents to apply for a low-interest disaster SBA loan to help fund their recovery and to ensure the federal disaster recovery process continues.

Long-term, low-interest disaster loans from the SBA may also be available to cover losses not fully compensated by insurance and that do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

Homeowners and renters with or without flood insurance are encouraged to complete the SBA loan application to continue their recovery process. Virginians who don’t complete that application may miss the opportunity to be eligible for FEMA Other Needs Assistance programs. Remember, applicants don’t have to accept the loan if you qualify for one.

Survivors should contact their own insurance company to file their insurance claim. FEMA is unable to duplicate insurance payments. However, those without insurance or those who are underinsured may be eligible for help after their insurance claims have been settled.

For more information visit FEMA.gov/disaster/4291.

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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.

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 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.

Additional information about this disaster is available at FEMA.gov and VAemergency.gov.

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Local Survivors get Help from Disaster Assistance Teams

Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Seminole County for Hurricane Matthew

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) has opened in Sanford to help residents affected by Hurricane Matthew.

DRCs serve as one-stop shops for eligible storm survivors seeking one-on-one help. Representatives from the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and various state agencies will be at the center to answer questions.

The center is located outside the:

Museum of Seminole County History

Adjacent parking lot

300 Bush Blvd.

Sanford, FL 32773

Open Monday – Saturday

9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Closed Sunday

FDEM and FEMA officials continue to work closely with local officials in hard-hit areas to identify suitable sites for additional centers. Survivors can also visit open DRCs in other counties.

Downloading the FEMA App (available in English and Spanish) to their mobile device will allow survivors to:

Apply for disaster assistance;
Get directions to the nearest Disaster Recovery Center by visiting the DRC locator;
Get weather alerts;
Subscribe to disaster safety tips.

Many services available at DRCs are also available by calling the FEMA helpline at800-621-3362 (voice, 711/VRS-Video Relay Service) (TTY: 800-462-7585). Toll-free lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, until further notice. Multilingual operators are available (for Spanish, press 2). Survivors with questions regarding the application or the appeals process, or who need to register for assistance, may visit online at DisasterAssistance.gov.

Survivors requiring a reasonable accommodation (ASL interpreting, Braille Large Print, etc.) while visiting a DRC may call the appropriate helpline number above to receive support.

FEMA encourages survivors to register as soon as possible. Those who may have registered with their county emergency management office, the American Red Cross or other community organizations are reminded to also register with FEMA. If you pre-registered with FEMA before the presidential disaster declaration for Hurricane Matthew, there is no need to register again. However, you should keep FEMA informed about any change in your address, telephone number or other contact information.

Disaster assistance may include grants to help homeowners and renters pay for temporary housing, essential home repairs, personal property replacement, and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

SBA offers low-interest disaster loans for businesses of all sizes, homeowners, renters, and certain private non-profit organizations. SBA disaster loans may cover repairs, rebuilding, as well as the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged real estate and personal property.

For more information about SBA loans, call SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at

800-659-2955 (TTY: 800-877-8339), email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visit http://www.sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

For more information on Florida’s disaster recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4283, twitter.com/femaregion4, facebook.com/FEMA, and fema.gov/blog, floridadisaster.org or #FLRecovers. For imagery, video, graphics and releases, see www.fema.gov/Hurricane-Matthew.

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Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Seminole County for Hurricane Matthew

Best Practice: Daytona Beach Museum of Arts & Sciences

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In May of 2009, Florida’s northeast coast was drenched by five consecutive days of rain. One of the worst hit areas was Daytona Beach, where more than 20 percent of the streets were underwater and nearly a thousand buildings reporting some kind of flood damage.

One of those structures was the West Wing of the Museum of Arts & Sciences (MOAS), which contained a range of exhibits from prehistoric fossils and historic weapons to Cuban art and African artifacts. Located on a low-lying plot about three feet lower than the rest of the museum campus, the 22,416-square-foot wing gradually filled with three to four inches of flood water.

According to Jenelle Codianne, the museum’s director of marketing and public relations, there was damage to the floors, walls, interior walls, electrical, doors and office furniture. No collections were lost, but several exhibits were damaged including the Center for Florida History, which displayed the museum’s giant ground sloth skeleton. It took several days to disassemble, but the prehistoric skeleton was moved to another wing and avoided water damage. Meanwhile, museum employees were busy moving artworks into other galleries.

As one of Daytona Beach’s leading cultural institutions, it was imperative the wing be rebuilt. But museum authorities were adamant that reconstruction should eliminate the potential for future flooding.

In order to fund the reconstruction, MOAS applied for a Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and financial aid from the Volusia County Environmental, Cultural, Historic and Outdoors (ECHO) Program. The FMA program is one of the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) programs funded by FEMA and managed by the State of Florida.

The FEMA grant provided more than $4 million of the $5.4 million reconstruction price, with an additional $1.3 million coming from local sources including an ECHO grant and the museum’s own funding. The Orlando office of global architects VOA Associates Inc. won the competition to design the new structure, while locally based Hall Construction handled the fabrication.

After demolishing the flood-damaged structure, construction began on its replacement – on the same footprint but slightly larger than the previous building. The new wing was built on a concrete spread foundation with concrete masonry stem walls backfilled with earth and overlaid with a concrete slab. The floors of the new wing were elevated 2.5 feet above the old level and 2.2 feet above Base Flood Elevation – or roughly six inches above the maximum water level of the 2009 flood.

Unveiled in October of 2015, the new West Wing is a state-of-the-art museum space that features five exhibit galleries as well as a planetarium. In addition to being a huge success with the press and public, the resurrected building also passed its first weather test with flying colors.

“Happy to report NO FLOODING!” Stephanie Mason-Teague, the museum’s director of development, declared via email the week after Hurricane Matthew stormed up Florida’s Atlantic coast. The new West Wing held up perfectly to Hurricane Matthew. Water didn’t even get close to the building, let alone enter it. The mitigation measures incorporated at the time of the rebuilding did the job of preventing repetitive flood loss.

“We had a lot of tree debris,” Mason-Teague added, “and were without power, phones, internet.” But that was the extent of the hurricane’s impact. The museum was able to get back online, clean up the tree debris and open its doors to the public again within a week of Matthew striking Daytona Beach.

For more information on Florida’s disaster recovery visit fema.gov/disaster/4280, fema.gov/disaster/4283, twitter.com/femaregion4, facebook.com/FEMA, and fema.gov/blog, floridadisaster.org or #FLRecovers. For imagery, video, graphics and releases, see fema.gov/Hurricane-Matthew.

For more information on FMA/HMA programs, visit Floridadisaster.org or www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-assistance.

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Best Practice: Daytona Beach Museum of Arts & Sciences

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