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More than $3.6 Million in Disaster Aid Approved for June Storms

SIOUX FALLS, SD – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that more than $3.6 million in federal disaster aid has been approved to help communities in twelve counties and two tribal nations in South Dakota recover from a series of June storms. Those storms produced a tornado that struck Wessington Springs along with heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding in western, north central and southeast South Dakota.

According to FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Gary Stanley, “This figure represents only the first round of approved projects. We hope to have all applicants’ projects reviewed and approved by mid-November. While the final dollar total will change as we gather more information, it appears total Federal assistance will be greater than the $6.1 million originally estimated by the time all the projects are reviewed.” FEMA reimburses applicants not less than 75 percent of the cost of eligible projects and the State of South Dakota provides an additional ten percent cost share.

The disaster funds reimburse applicants for a variety of disaster recovery costs such as emergency work, removal of storm related debris, road and bridge repair and the restoration of electrical utilities. To date 89 applicants including city, county and tribal governments, state agencies and some private non-profits are working with FEMA and the South Dakota Office of Emergency Management (SDOEM) to document their eligible disaster related costs.

On July 28, 2014 President Obama issued a major disaster declaration for the state making Butte, Clay, Corson, Dewey, Hanson, Jerauld, Lincoln, Minnehaha, Perkins, Turner, Union and Ziebach counties and the Cheyenne River Sioux and Standing Rock Sioux tribal nations eligible for federal disaster aid. The presidential declaration came in response to a request from Governor Dennis Daugaard following a series of storms that hit the state in mid-June.

The Public Assistance Program provides funding to local government jurisdictions and eligible private non-profits for the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged infrastructure as well as costs incurred for disaster cleanup or emergency actions taken to protect lives or property.

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.

Continued:

More than $3.6 Million in Disaster Aid Approved for June Storms

Get Ready, Missouri: One Week Until Annual Earthquake Drill

More than 440,000 in Missouri to Participate in Nationwide Drill

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With just one week to go, communities throughout Missouri are preparing for the fourth annual Great Central U.S. ShakeOut Earthquake Drill, scheduled for October 16 at 10:16 a.m.

Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills are occurring in more than 45 states and territories — nationwide more than 19 million people are expected to participate in the activity. During the drill, participants simultaneously practice the recommended response to earthquake shaking:

DROP to the ground
Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table, or cover your head/neck with your arms, and
HOLD ON until the shaking stops

The ShakeOut is free and open to the public. Participants include individuals, schools, businesses, local and state government agencies and many other groups. See the list of all the participants in Missouri at, www.shakeout.org/centralus/participants.php?start=Missouri. The goal of the program is to engage individuals to take steps to become better prepared for earthquakes and other disasters.

“Participating in this drill is a quick, simple thing we should all do—at work, at home, alone or with family or co-workers—to prepare for earthquakes,” said Regional Administrator Beth Freeman, FEMA Region VII. “When we practice ‘drop, cover and hold on’ it makes it more likely we will react appropriately during an earthquake and that can and does save lives.”

States participating in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut include Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.

Interested citizens, schools, communities, businesses, etc. are encouraged to visit http://www.shakeout.org/centralus/register to register to participate and receive instructions on how to hold their earthquake drill. On social media, information about the drill is being provided on Twitter through www.twitter.com/CentUS_ShakeOut. In addition, www.twitter.com/femaregion7 and others are tweeting earthquake safety tips and drill information using the hashtag #ShakeOut.

The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is being coordinated by Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium and its other Member and Associate States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey and dozens of other partners.

Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills began in California in 2008 and have expanded each year since then.

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Visit FEMA Region VII online at www.fema.gov/region7. Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/femaregion7, 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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Get Ready, Missouri: One Week Until Annual Earthquake Drill

Erosion Threat Assessment Reduction Team

Erosion Threat Assessment Reduction Team (ETART) is a multijurisdictional, interdisciplinary team formed jointly by FEMA and the State of Washington in response to the 2014 Central Washington wildfires to address the threat of flooding, mudslides, debris flows and other erosion over the approximately 415 square miles of burned lands.(For a landownership breakdown, see the following map and chart.)

In the summer of 2014, the Carlton Complex Fire burned more than 250,000 acres of land in Washington, the largest wildfire in state history. The fire burned private, federal, state and tribal lands, consumed 300 homes and destroyed critical infrastructure in its path. Then intense rainstorms over the scarred landscape caused more damage from flooding, mudslides and debris flow.

Fire suppression costs topped $68 million. But post-fire recovery costs have yet to be tallied.

Given the size and severity of the fire, President Obama issued a major disaster declaration on Aug. 11, which authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate federal disaster relief and to help state, tribal and local agencies recover from the disaster.

Once firefighters contained the Carlton fire on Aug. 25, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) deployed its Burn Area Emergency Response (BAER) team to measure soil quality, assess watershed changes, identify downstream risks and develop recommendations to treat burned federal lands.

FEMA officials and the BAER team acted fast. They knew more floods may follow without vegetation to soak up rainwater. More silt and debris in the runoff can plug culverts and raise water levels, which may further threaten downstream communities and properties.

To reduce the vulnerability of those downstream communities, FEMA created ETART. Modeled after BAER, ETART would measure soil quality, assess watershed changes, identify downstream risks and develop recommendations to treat burned state, tribal and private lands.

FEMA and the State of Washington recruited biologists, engineers, hydrologists, mapping experts, range specialists, soil scientists and support staff from more than 17 entities.

SPIRIT OF COOPERATION

ETART participants include: Cascadia Conservation District, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, FEMA, Methow Conservancy, National Weather Service (NWS), Okanogan Conservation District, Skagit Conservation District, Spokane Conservation District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of the Interior, USFS, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Whatcom Conservation District and Yakama Nation Fisheries.

Team members scored the benefits of working together across jurisdictional boundaries and overlapping authorities right away. To start, they stitched their maps together and overlaid their findings to gain consistency and a better perspective. Field assessments used extensive soil sampling. Computer modeling showed the probability of debris flow and other hazards.

Standard fixes in their erosion control toolbox include seeding and other ground treatments, debris racks, ditch protection, temporary berms, low-water crossings and sediment retention basins. Suggested treatments were evaluated based on their practical and technical feasibility.

Regional conservation districts provided a vital and trusted link to private landowners. They:
• held public meetings and acted as the hub of communications
• posted helpful links on their websites
• collected information on damage to crops, wells, fences, livestock and irrigation systems
• secured necessary permits that grant state and federal workers access to private property to assess conditions.

Local residents shared up-to-the minute information on road conditions and knew which seed mixtures worked best for their area. Residents proved key to the success of ETART.

Note: Teams found a few positive consequences of the wildfire. For instance, debris flow delivered more wood and gravel downstream, which may create a better fish habitat once the debris and sediment settle. The resultant bedload may enhance foraging, spawning and nesting for endangered species, such as Steelhead, Bull Trout and Spring Chinook Salmon.

STRENGTH OF COLLECTIVE ACTION

Final reports from BAER and ETART have helped several state agencies formulate and prioritize their projects, and leverage their budget requests for more erosion control funds.

Landowners and managers might share equipment, gain economies of scale and develop more cost-effective solutions. In the end, collaboration and collective action may avert future flooding.

CULTURE OF RESILIENCE

While public health and safety remain the top priority, other values at risk include property, natural resources, fish and wildlife habitats, as well as cultural and heritage sites.

Estimated costs for the emergency restoration and recovery recommendations on federal lands run $1.5 million. For short-term stabilization, USFS initiated funding requests for seeding and mulching urgent areas before the first snowfall. Other suggested treatments include bigger culverts, more warning signs and the improvement of road drainage systems.

For state and private lands, emergency restoration and recovery recommendations may cost in excess of $2.8 million. Erosion controls include seeding, invasive species removal and the construction of berms and barriers. In its final report, ETART also recommended better early warning systems, more warning signs on county roads and electronic message signs to aid residents evacuating via highways.

Landowners, managers and agencies continue to search for funding to pay for implementation. For instance, BLM regulations may allow it to seed its lands, as well as adjoining properties, after a wildfire. Select state agencies may provide seedlings, technical assistance on tree salvaging, or partial reimbursement for pruning, brush removal and weed control.

Knowing a short period of moderate rainfall on burned areas can lead to flash floods, the NWS placed seven real-time portable gauges in September to monitor rainfall in and around the area, and plans to place eight more rain gauges in the coming weeks. The NWS will issue advisory Outlooks, Watches and Warnings, which will be disseminated to the public and emergency management personnel through the NWS Advanced Weather Information Processing System.

Certain projects may qualify for FEMA Public Assistance funds. Under this disaster declaration, FEMA will reimburse eligible tribes, state agencies, local governments and certain private nonprofits in Kittitas and Okanogan counties for 75 percent of the cost of eligible emergency protective measures.

Successful ETARTs replicated in the future may formalize interagency memorandums of understanding, develop more comprehensive community wildfire protection plans and promote even greater coordination of restoration and recovery activities following major wildfires.

Erosion Threat Assessment Reduction Team

Southeast Michigan Residents Urged to Apply for Federal Disaster Assistance

WARREN, Mich. – Residents of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties who suffered damages to their dwellings in the Aug. 11-13 storms and flooding are encouraged to register for federal disaster assistance.

Insurance may cover some of the damage, but people may be missing out on additional assistance if they haven’t registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Until a resident registers for assistance, FEMA has no way of knowing who suffered damages or what people need to help in their recovery. Keep in mind:

Calling your insurance agent does not register you with FEMA.
Contacting county or municipal agencies does not register you with FEMA.
Receiving assistance from volunteer agencies does not register you with FEMA.

The only way to determine eligibility for federal disaster assistance is to register with FEMA by phone or online, or by visiting a local Recovery Support Site to work with FEMA’s disaster survivor assistance teams. These teams do not make decisions on applications.

Register at www.disasterassistance.gov or via Web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). TTY users may call 1-800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EDT seven days a week until further notice.

For updates on locations, times and days where FEMA teams will be available to provide
in-person support to southeast Michigan residents, visit FEMA’s disaster-specific Web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4195 and follow FEMA on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion5. As of Oct. 3, FEMA teams will be at the following locations:

Macomb County:

Dodge Park Recreation Center

40620 Utica Road

Sterling Heights, MI 48313

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 6-11

Fitzgerald Recreation Center

4355 E. 9 Mile Road

Warren, MI 48091

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 6-10

Owen Jax Recreation Center

8207 E. 9 Mile Road

Warren, MI 48089

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 6-8

Warren Fire Station

23293 Schoenherr Road

Warren, MI 48089

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 6-9

Warren First United Methodist Church

5005 Chicago Road

Warren, MI 48092

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; through Oct. 16

Oakland County:

City of Oak Park

14000 Oak Park Blvd.

Oak Park, MI 48237

8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 6-7

Hazel Park Community Center

620 W. Woodward Heights

Hazel Park, MI 48030

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 4-7

Royal Oaks Senior Center

3500 Marais Ave.

Royal Oak, MI 48073

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 4, 6-7; noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 5

Royal Oaks Community Center

1545 E. Lincoln Ave.

Royal Oak, MI 48067

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 4; noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 5

Wayne County:

Allen Park Community Center

15800 White St.

Allen Park, MI 48101

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 4 6-7

Detroit Rescue Mission/Devos Community Center

13130 Woodward Ave.

Highland Park, MI 48203

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 4-7

Frederick Douglass Academy

2001 W. Warren Ave.

Detroit, MI 48202

9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 6-10

Martin Luther King High School

3200 E. Lafayette St.

Detroit, MI 48207

9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 6-10

Before applicants call, go online or visit a Recovery Support Site, they should gather the following information to speed up the registration process:

Social Security number
Telephone number where they can be reached
Address of the damaged property
Current mailing address
Brief description of disaster-related damages and losses
Insurance information
Direct deposit information to help speed delivery of funds if approved

Assistance available through FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program can include:

Temporary Housing – rental payments up to 18 months for temporary housing for those whose homes are uninhabitable;
Repair – grants to repair damage from the disaster that is not covered by insurance. The goal is to make the damaged home safe, sanitary and habitable; and
Other Needs Assistance (ONA) – grants for necessary and serious needs caused by the disaster. This can include personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, moving and storage, and other expenses that FEMA approves.

The application deadline is Nov. 24, 2014.

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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. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or application.

FEMA contact: Sandra Jasmund, (312) 213-5291

EMHSD contact: Ron Leix, (517) 336-6464

Excerpt from:

Southeast Michigan Residents Urged to Apply for Federal Disaster Assistance

Know Your Neighbors, Get Involved In Community Preparedness

EATONTOWN, N.J. – Whether you just moved into your neighborhood a week ago or you’ve lived there for 25 years, getting to know your neighbors has always been an important part of a functioning society. It can also be helpful in a crisis, because after a disaster occurs, the people in closest proximity to you – and the people who will be able to help you most immediately – are your neighbors.

They may need your help as well. Research reported by FEMA says that people often are not as prepared for disasters as they think they are. Forty percent of survey respondents said they did not have household plans in the event of an emergency, and nearly 60 percent did not know their community’s evacuation routes. Almost 20 percent of responders said they had a functional disability that would affect their ability to respond during a disaster, but only 25 percent of those people have made arrangements to or alerted others to their disability in case of an event. In a different survey, 46 percent of people said they expect to rely on people in their neighborhood for assistance in the first 72 hours after a disaster.

There are several ways to find out what you can do to help. If you live in an area that is known for disaster events or has had them recently, it can be as simple as asking them how they dealt with any previous incidents. Their feedback can teach you what precautions are the most effective for the situation.

You can also organize your neighbors with the help of local service groups such as Citizen Corps Councils, Neighborhood Watch teams, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), as well as local fire and police departments and emergency management agencies. Their input can help you figure out your neighborhood’s biggest needs.

FEMA also recommends hosting meetings with family, friends and neighbors to plan service projects, set service goals, and learn about existing local emergency response plans. Community-based organizations often lack the capacity to manage large numbers of volunteers, so they need individuals to organize themselves and work alongside them.

The Community Preparedness Toolkit, available at www.ready.gov, offers specific steps and links to resources to help you take a proactive role in making your neighborhood safer, more resilient and better prepared.

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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Know Your Neighbors, Get Involved In Community Preparedness

FEMA Announces First Meeting of the Technical Mapping Advisory Council

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that the first public meeting of the Technical Mapping Advisory Council (TMAC) is scheduled for September 30 to October 1, 2014, at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Auditorium in Reston, Virginia.

The TMAC was established to review and make recommendations to FEMA on matters related to the national flood mapping program authorized under the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 and Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014. The TMAC is tasked with developing recommendations for FEMA’s flood mapping program to ensure that flood insurance rate maps reflect the best available science and are based on the best available methodologies for considering the impact of climate change and future development on flood risk. They will also be required to produce a Review of the Mapping Program; a Future Conditions Risk Assessment and Modeling Report; and an Annual Report on Activities containing required recommendations.

During the meeting, members will elect a council chair, develop a meeting schedule, organize into subcommittees, identify subject matter experts to support the development of their recommendations and receive briefings on FEMA’s National Mapping Program.

A public comment period will also be held on September 30 from 9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. EDT. Comments should be specifically related to and addressed to the TMAC. Speakers will be allotted three minutes to address the TMAC during this half-hour public comment period. The public comment period will not exceed thirty minutes. Those interested in speaking during the public comment period must submit their written comments to FEMA-TMAC@fema.dhs.gov by September 22, 2014. Those not attending and who wish to submit written comments on issues to be considered by the TMAC can do so via one of the following methods:

Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
E-mail: Address the email to FEMA-RULES@fema.dhs.gov and copy fema-tmac@fema.dhs.gov. Include the docket number FEMA-2014-0022 in the subject line of the message. Include name and contact detail in the body of the email.
Mail: Regulatory Affairs Division, Office of Chief Counsel, FEMA, 500 C Street SW., Washington, DC 20472-3100.

All submissions received must include the words “Federal Emergency Management Agency” and docket number, FEMA-2014-0022. Comments received will be posted without alteration at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.

For those planning to attend in person and for additional information on facilities or services for individuals with disabilities or to request special assistance at the meeting, please contact the Designated Federal Officer Mark Crowell by email at FEMA-TMAC@fema.dhs.gov.

FEMA is excited to be a part of the TMAC and is looking forward to the expertise and recommendations they will provide. For more information on the TMAC meeting, visit https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/09/15/2014-21929/technical-mapping-advisory-council or www.fema.gov/TMAC.

Originally posted here:

FEMA Announces First Meeting of the Technical Mapping Advisory Council

Stay Prepared: Hurricane Season Doesn’t End with Summer

Eatontown, N.J. — Hurricane season officially begins each year on June 1, but unlike firemen’s fairs, cookouts and fun at the beach, the season for hurricanes doesn’t end along with the summer.

As a new school year begins, now may be a good time to check your stock of batteries, bottled water and other emergency supplies that may be needed should New Jersey experience an autumn hurricane.

While storm frequency tends to peak in August and September, hurricane season in the United States extends to November 30, and while the risk of a Thanksgiving storm may seem remote, it could happen.

In 2012, Superstorm Sandy only missed it by a few weeks.

Sandy made landfall in New Jersey as a tropical cyclone on October 29, flooding coastal communities, taking down trees, tearing up infrastructure and demolishing homes and businesses throughout the state. Forty New Jersey residents lost their lives.

Two years later, the ongoing expenses of repair, rebuilding and recovery from Sandy have made it the second costliest storm in United States history after Katrina, an August 29 storm that devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005.

Like Sandy, many of the most destructive storms in United States history have occurred after Labor Day, causing massive loss of life and property damage in the billions.

On September 8, 1900, a category 4 hurricane engulfed Galveston Island, Texas. Storm tides as high as 15 feet swept away homes and businesses, killing an estimated 8,000 people.

On September 18, 1920, a category 4 hurricane bearing the highest sustained winds ever recorded at that time slammed into Miami Beach and downtown Miami. Believing the storm was over, thousands of people emerged from their homes during a half-hour lull at the eye of the storm and were trapped without shelter as it regained its ferocity. Every building in downtown Miami was either damaged or destroyed and hundreds of people were killed. The storm then crossed into the Gulf of Mexico, where it destroyed virtually every pier, vessel and warehouse on the Pensacola coast.

In the end, more than 800 people were reported missing after the storm and though records are incomplete, the Red Cross recorded 373 deaths and 6,381 injuries as a result of the hurricane.

On September 20 and 21, 1938, a fast-moving hurricane struck the Mid-Atlantic and New England with such force that thousands of people were taken by surprise. On Long Island, some 20 people watching an afternoon movie at a local cinema were swept out to sea and drowned. One of the victims was the theater’s projectionist. In downtown Providence, Rhode Island, flood waters rapidly flooded streets, submerging automobiles and street cars as their occupants fled to the high floors of office buildings to escape drowning. The record-breaking storm was responsible for 600 deaths, causing $308 million in damage in the midst of the Great Depression.

On October 14, 1954, Hurricane Hazel made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane near Calabash, North Carolina, inundating the coastline with an 18-foot storm surge on a lunar high tide. When the storm passed, only 5 of 357 buildings in Long Beach, North Carolina were still standing. The Raleigh, North Carolina Weather reported that “all traces of civilization on the immediate waterfront between the state line and Cape Fear were practically annihilated.” Nineteen people were killed in North Carolina, with several hundred more injured; 15,000 homes were destroyed and another 39,000 were damaged.

On September 11, 1960, Hurricane Donna barreled across Florida, then traveled east through North Carolina, the Mid-Atlantic states and New England, causing $387 million in damage in the United States and $13 million elsewhere along its path.

Accounts like the ones above illustrate the importance of making a plan to protect your family and property from the potentially devastating effects of a hurricane or tropical storm.

With that in mind, why not take a minute to inventory your emergency supplies and schedule a trip to the store to stock up on items that you may need in an emergency.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s website, www.ready.gov, has as wealth of information on how to plan, prepare and protect your family should another disaster like Sandy occur in the coming months.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.”

Source:

Stay Prepared: Hurricane Season Doesn’t End with Summer

FEMA Region 6 Urges You to “Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”

DENTON, Texas — September is National Preparedness Month, so the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Region 6 office is urging you to “Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare.”

National Preparedness Month (NPM) is part of a campaign called America’s PrepareAthon! The theme this year for NPM is “Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare.” Emergency managers are asking you, your family, friends and co-workers to take action by planning a National PrepareAthon! Day on or around September 30. It can be a simple, specific activity to increase you and your family’s preparedness, or it can be something more elaborate that involves your neighborhood, your entire workplace or your community.

“You should do the basics to prepare for hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, earthquakes or any other type of disaster – be informed, make a plan, build a kit and get involved,” said FEMA Region 6 Administrator Tony Robinson. “We encourage you to take things one step further and make sure you are financially ready too. You should do things like put your important personal documents, such as insurance information, in a waterproof container or develop a family communications plan.”

Visit www.ready.gov/prepare for more information on America’s PrepareAthon! You can find tools to stage your own emergency preparedness drills, as well as register any preparedness activities for you or your community.

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FEMA Region 6 Urges You to “Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare”

FEMA Hires Local Residents During Colorado floods

In the aftermath of the 2013 Colorado floods, FEMA and other agencies brought in personnel from all over the country to assist. At the other end of the spectrum were 54 local residents that FEMA hired to support response and recovery efforts. Following a disaster declaration, FEMA frequently hires local residents to work in various positions, augmenting existing staff. By hiring locals, the agency gets a unique perspective and critical local knowledge. Madison Taylor, Philip Holmes and Colleen Cunningham are three such local hires that were hired for the Colorado floods late last year.

Holmes was hired in December 2013 as a Recovery Support Function (RSF) Specialist, assisting in the Community Planning and Capability Building (CPCB) RSF. In short, he helps support and build recovery capacities and coordinates community planning resources of local, county and state governments affected by the last year’s floods. Where there is a recovery need identified or gap in resources, CPCB finds a group, person or organization to help fill that gap or address that need.

“I was part of a team that helped the State connect with organizations such as AmeriCorps, a national volunteer organization who provides assistance to communities in need, to assist Colorado businesses who needed help in writing grants,” said Holmes.

When Holmes and other members of CPCB along with Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs determined that many small business owners needed help in writing grants to get some funding for their business, his team supported the State in putting together a funding workshop to link volunteers, non-profits and other organizations to assist with grant writing and submission. The AmeriCorps volunteers addressed these issues and came to their aid.

“I work to assist with preparedness efforts of the State of Colorado and communities for disaster recovery before a disaster, as well as tools and resources for planning, managing and implementing recovery post-disaster,” said Holmes, who has lived in Colorado Springs for six years. He is a retired Army military police officer with more than 20 years of service and drives to Denver every day to work at FEMA’s Colorado Recovery Coordination Center, based in Lakewood.

Taylor was hired in November 2013 as a Public Assistance Reports Specialist. Some may describe this job as mind numbing, but she loves what she does, based on her bachelor’s degree in statistics. “I am in charge of tracking all the grants/projects and pull together any information (e.g. numbers) that may be needed for reports on the Public Assistance Program,” said Taylor.

Currently, she is tracking the status of an estimated 1,200 grants for the September2013 Colorado floods. The status of grants is continually tracked throughout the disaster for management and budgetary purposes. Taylor started with FEMA about 18 months ago when she signed up to participate in FEMA Corps, a program supported through AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, which recruits young adults 18-24 to assist FEMA during disasters with recovery efforts. After completing her 10-months with FEMA Corp, Madison was hired on as a local hire because of her knowledge in the field of Public Assistance and her experience with FEMA Corps.

Cunningham holds a position that is integral to the rebuilding of communities after disasters. She works as an Environmental and Historical Prevention Specialist, where she works hand-in-hand with the cities, counties and states to make sure they are aware of any environmental impacts to the ecosystem in that area when rebuilding or building at new sites.

“I make sure that FEMA, the State of Colorado and the applicant comply with federal regulations to protect the fish, wildlife and vegetation during the disaster recovery process,” said Cunningham. “There are other local staff members that monitor the regulations for historical buildings and land.” She has lived in Golden/Denver for three and has worked in the field of environmental protection for 13 years.

By hiring locals, this is one of many ways that FEMA gives back to the communities where there has been destruction, and for FEMA to follow through on its commitment to support citizens in need.

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FEMA Hires Local Residents During Colorado floods

FEMA Awards $84,740 Grant to Stearns County: Hazard Mitigation funds will be used to construct a tornado safe room

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $84,740 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Stearns County, Minn., for the construction of a safe room at the Rose Park manufactured home community.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate the risk of loss of life and property,” said FEMA Region V acting administrator Janet Odeshoo. “The construction of this safe room will protect the lives of vulnerable citizens by providing a secure location to seek shelter from tornados and other high wind events.”

“Stearns County is taking an important step to protect its residents,” said Kris Eide, director of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEM). “This is a significant part of the county’s long-term strategy to reduce damages to lives, property and the economy from future disasters.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the $112,986 eligible project cost. The remaining 25 percent of the funds, $28,246, will be provided by Stearns County.

Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

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Original source –

FEMA Awards $84,740 Grant to Stearns County: Hazard Mitigation funds will be used to construct a tornado safe room

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