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In Disaster Recovery, Volunteer Efforts are Priceless

LINCROFT, N.J. — From mucking out homes to hanging drywall; from providing cleaning supplies to delivering food and financial assistance, volunteers and charitable organizations from around the nation have worked diligently to help residents of hard-hit New Jersey recover from Superstorm Sandy.

At the one-year anniversary of Sandy, many of the volunteers and sponsoring organizations who lent a hand in the critical first days after the disaster are still here and still helping.

As of the end of September 2013, some 173,544 volunteers had invested more than 1 million volunteer hours in the Sandy recovery effort. The value of their contributions now totals more than $30 million.

“In a disaster such as Hurricane Sandy, the efforts of volunteers are critical to the recovery,” said Gracia Szczech, federal coordinating officer for FEMA in New Jersey. “Volunteers have made a substantial contribution to helping New Jerseyans respond and recover from the challenges they faced after Hurricane Sandy.”

While the volunteer efforts that extend across the state may appear unrelated, in reality, they are all part of a collaborative mission, participating in a massive team effort to assist survivors of Hurricane Sandy in their transition to long term recovery.

“I’ve witnessed how valuable volunteers have been,” said Lt. Joseph Geleta of the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management. “It’s very important for the OEM to partner with the volunteer community.”

As the Volunteer Agency Liaison for Sandy Recovery, Geleta works in partnership with FEMA and a coalition of volunteer organizations who are members of the NJ Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster to coordinate a network of resources to assist survivors as they rebuild their lives.

“We have established Long Term Recovery Groups to help survivors,” Geleta said. “Our goal is to try to meet those unmet needs of survivors who have exhausted all of their disaster assistance dollars and who are still in need.”

The task is a big one.

Back in 1999, in the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd, 70,000 people registered for FEMA disaster assistance. “At that time we established a Somerset County Long Term Recovery Group, and they were helping people for five years after the storm hit.”

In 2011, after Hurricane Irene, 90,000 New Jerseyans registered for disaster assistance. “We were still working on unmet needs from Irene when Sandy hit,” Geleta noted.

The number of people seeking help after Hurricane Sandy exceeded the numbers who registered after Floyd and Irene combined.

“More than 260,000 residents of New Jersey registered for disaster assistance,” Geleta said. “Clearly we expect this is going to be a very long recovery.”

During the year after Sandy, the NJVOAD coordinated and supported the volunteer efforts of more than 500 organizations.

These organizations ranged from internationally known agencies like the American Red Cross to smaller groups that regularly travel thousands of miles to assist their fellow Americans when disaster strikes.

Among those groups are the Southern Baptist Men, who applied emergency “blue roof” coverings on over 1,500 homes that had been so damaged by the hurricane that their interiors were exposed to the elements.

Other groups that provided volunteers, resources and skilled workers to Sandy survivors in New Jersey included Habitat for Humanity, Feed the Children, Lutheran Disaster Response, United Jewish Communities, the National Disaster Relief Office of the Roman Catholic Church and Mennonite Disaster Services, to name only a few.

Local churches, charities and nonprofits also worked around the clock to provide the help their neighbors needed to survive, recover and rebuild.

The Foodbank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties regularly provides more than 127,000 people with food and other services. The need for assistance increased substantially with the arrival of Sandy.

“In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy we provided over 1 million meals to people who were affected by the storm,” said Marion Lynch, marketing and communications coordinator for the Foodbank. And a year after the storm, “Our work continues. We provide food and outreach services to some of the area’s most hard hit communities and support recovery efforts in both counties. We remain committed to helping our neighbors recover and we rely on a caring community to support our work.”

The American Red Cross has also been a major partner in the recovery effort.

In the weeks following the disaster, the American Red Cross’s 5,300 employees and volunteers supported 65 shelters, distributed more than 1.5 million relief items, provided more than 23,000 health and mental health contacts, and served more than 4 million meals and snacks to Sandy survivors in New Jersey.

More than 2,200 Red Cross volunteers came from around the country, working with partner groups like the Southern Baptists, Islamic Relief – USA, Team Rubicon and others to help New Jersey.

Members of the U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen Action Group, VISTA and AmeriCorps members also served as Red Cross disaster volunteers, joining members of Red Cross societies from Canada, Mexico, Saipan and other locations around the globe who were deployed throughout the state.

Red Cross volunteers contributed over 395,000 hours of service in New Jersey and millions of dollars’ worth of Sandy-specific in-kind donations flowed from generous corporate donors through the Red Cross. The agency delivered everything from batteries to baby food, food trucks to internet access, to the people of New Jersey.

Donations made by Americans around the country to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund supported the distribution of more than 47,000 Red Cross Clean-up kits and more than 28,000 Red Cross Comfort Kits in New Jersey.

“The American Red Cross continues to support residents of New Jersey in their recovery from Hurricane Sandy through a variety of programs, including grant funding to community and faith-based groups actively working to help individuals and families recover,” said Nancy Orlando, regional CEO of the American Red Cross South Jersey Region. “Additionally, through our Move-in Assistance Program, the Red Cross is providing direct financial assistance of up to $10,000 for housing-related expenses to eligible individuals whose primary homes were destroyed or made uninhabitable by Sandy. As of September, the American Red Cross has given close to $6 million to approximately 1,300 households in New Jersey through the MIAP initiative.”

While volunteer efforts have helped thousands of New Jerseyans repair, rebuild and recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, many residents still need help. NJVOAD has been working since before the disaster struck to coordinate and deploy volunteer resources where they are needed.

LTRGs continue to serve survivors in the following locations: Atlantic County, Atlantic City, Bergen County, Camden County, Cape May County, Cumberland County, Essex County/Ironbound, Gloucester/Salem Counties, Hudson County, Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Morris County, Ocean County and Somerset County

“They are all working hard to help people in their communities,” said Cathy McCann, chair of NJVOAD. “NJVOAD has been hosting six regularly scheduled coordination calls among the different LTRGs so that they can share challenges, successes and support one another and that we can speak as a united group on any issues we see on a statewide basis. The different coordination calls are Case Management, Volunteers, Construction, Donations, Emotional and Spiritual Care.

This week we have asked Church World Service to come in and do four workshops on how cases can flow through the Long Term Recovery process. We have over 200 people scheduled to participate in these workshops. Sometimes it is hard to believe it is a year already and other times it feels like we should be further along, there have been many challenges, and many organizations that have not traditionally worked together are learning to do so, and are finding that we all need to work together to help people recover.”

If you or someone you know is still in need of assistance with a Hurricane-Sandy related problem, help is available via the web at www.Ready.gov and http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/programs/sandy_recovery.html

Survivors may also find information and access resources by calling 2-1-1 or via the web at https://www.nj211.org.

The confidential service is funded by local United Way chapters in partnership with the State Department of Human Services, the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness and the Department of Children and Families.

Resource specialists can connect New Jerseyans with community agencies for help with basic human needs such as clothing, food, shelter, rent and utilities, with special needs such as caring for an elderly or disabled person, with child care and with locating health and mental health care services

“The needs are still many,” McCann noted. “So many people are not aware of the Long Term Recovery Groups that are out there and that volunteers are available to help in the rebuilding,” McCann noted.

And as they help our neighbors in New Jersey rebuild, members of the volunteer network are reminding those who still want to help that donations of money and resources are still needed.

For information on making a donation of cash or materials, visit the National Donations Management Network on the web at www.ndmn.us/ to match your donation to the needs of the community.

Video Timeline of the Sandy Recovery Effort

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.

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

In Disaster Recovery, Volunteer Efforts are Priceless

Deadline For Requests For Public Assistance Is Approaching

SANTA FE – State agencies, tribal and local governments, certain private nonprofit organizations and community ditch associations in counties hit hard by the July 23 through 28 storms and flooding
must turn in their Requests for Public Assistance (RPA) during the Public Assistance Applicants briefings conducted by the State of New Mexico. These briefings will take place no later than November 16.

Filing such a request with the state is the first step in the process of applying for federal reimbursements under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program.

The grants are obligated to the state to reimburse eligible applicants for expenses incurred while taking emergency measures to protect lives and property; cleaning up downed trees, power poles and other debris; and repairing public infrastructure, including roads, bridges and public utilities. 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 counties and pueblos covered by the existing declaration are: Bernalillo, Colfax, Luna, Sandoval, and Socorro counties and the Cochiti, Kewa (Santa Domingo), San Felipe, and Sandia Pueblos.

Public entities in these counties and pueblos which haven’t reported damages from the July 23-28 storms are urged to report them to their local emergency managers.

“We urge all eligible applicants to attend these briefings and make their requests for assistance,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Nancy Casper. “The Requests for Public Assistance start the process of getting their eligible costs reimbursed, which helps get communities back on track.”

Although the program is oriented to public entities, private nonprofit organizations may apply directly to FEMA via the RPA for uninsured costs of debris removal and emergency protective measures. Additionally, nonprofits may qualify for FEMA assistance to make infrastructure repairs if they provide critical services, such as fire and emergency rescue; medical treatment; power, water and sewer resources; and communications systems.

Officials in these counties and pueblos who have questions about the Public Assistance Applicants briefings should contact Brian Williams at 505-476-9601.

Details of the PA program are on FEMA’s website at www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/index.shtm.
More information on New Mexico disaster recovery is available online at www.nmdhsem.org/

The New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) is the state’s homeland security and emergency management agency. The agency works to identify and lessen the effects of emergencies, disasters and threats to New Mexico by developing effective prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery actions for all disasters and emergencies.

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.

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Deadline For Requests For Public Assistance Is Approaching

Urban Search and RescueTeams Remove Coloradoans From Dangerous Situations After Flooding

DENVER – When Colorado towns were cut off, streets flooded and people stranded, members of five task forces of FEMA Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) arrived to help. Task force members from Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada and Utah searched house-to-house and helped flood survivors evacuate.

Members of the Nebraska Task Force created different ways to reach survivors and their homes. Making their way through flood waters, rescuers used poles to navigate the debris under water.

“In a normal river, it’s known what your hazards are,” said Lloyd Mueller of the Lincoln Fire and Rescue division of Nebraska Task Force One. “Here in urban flooding, it’s not known. Everything has changed. The landscape has changed, and the river has shifted course.”

Each US&R Task Force is comprised of 70 members and four canines. Team members include physicians, first responders, hazardous material specialists and structural engineers. The team is set up with equipment and vehicles so it can be self-sufficient for the first 72 hours of operations.

When disaster strikes a community, within six hours, FEMA deploys the three closest task forces. The 28 national task forces support state and local emergency responders during disasters such as the Colorado flooding or catastrophic structure collapses such as the Murrah Federal Building, World Trade Center or Pentagon. When not on an assignment, many task force members serve in their local communities as first responders, firefighters or paramedics.

“This program is incredibly unique. You can see some of the incidents we’ve had over the last 15 years where the local government and state government get overwhelmed,” said Niko King, US&R Incident Support Team information officer. “To have these teams here within hours of when a community is impacted has been incredibly invaluable.”

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Urban Search and RescueTeams Remove Coloradoans From Dangerous Situations After Flooding

One Year Later: Mitigation Makes Communities Safer

LINCROFT, N.J. — Emergency response. Debris removal. Reconstruction and repair. Rental assistance. Low-cost disaster loans. These activities and terms have become familiar to many New Jerseyans since Superstorm Sandy struck last year. But another activity is going full force with the purpose of protecting life and property from future disasters – hazard mitigation.

Sea Bright, N.J., Feb. 20, 2013 — Homeowners stand and watch their home being elevated. This family has started the rebuilding process after being forced out of their home by Hurricane Sandy. Rosanna Arias/FEMAHazard mitigation is the only phase of emergency management specifically dedicated to breaking the cycle of damage, reconstruction and repeated damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides assistance to state and local governments after a major disaster declaration to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during disaster recovery.

“Hazard Mitigation grants help make communities safer,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer in New Jersey, Gracia Szczech. “Mitigation programs also help reduce the financial impact of disasters on the state and on the county.”

Eligible applicants for HMGP grants are states, local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations. Individual homeowners and businesses may not apply directly to the program, but local governments may apply on their behalf.

These grants can be used to fund projects that protect public or private property if the project fits within state and local mitigation plans. Projects eligible for HMGP funds include retrofitting buildings to minimize damage from high winds and flooding; elevation of flood-prone buildings; minor flood-control projects; and the purchase of property at risk of repetitive flooding for conversion to open space. The state works with local communities to determine the focus of the Hazard Mitigation program.

FEMA has obligated $340.7 million in Hazard Mitigation grants after Sandy for New Jersey’s mitigation measures, which include:

$100 million for the acquisition of structures in flood-prone areas to be cleared and converted to permanent greenspace;
$100 million for elevation of buildings in flood-prone areas; and $3.8 million for county mitigation plans

Sea Bright, N.J., Feb. 20, 2013 — Construction worker carries wood for cribbing used in the elevation of a Sea Bright home as part of mitigation. Homeowners have just begun rebuilding and expect their home to be ready by summer. Rosanna Arias/FEMAThe state is applying the remaining grant money for mitigation measures being incorporated into eligible rebuilding projects of state and local agencies, and certain private nonprofit organizations, such as hospitals and universities.

Five issues are considered when determining the eligibility of a proposed project:

Does the project conform to the state’s hazard mitigation plan?
Does the project provide a beneficial impact on the disaster area?
Does the application meet the environmental requirements?
Does the project solve a problem independently?
Is the project cost effective?

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding is made available at the request of a state’s governor following the declaration of a major disaster. The grant funds available for mitigation equal 15 percent of the amount FEMA spends to assist disaster survivors and communities in the recovery process. Under

HMGP, federal funds pay for 75 percent of the project cost with 25 percent coming from non-federal sources. All programs require an up-to-date Hazard Mitigation Plan.

Video-links: Sea Bright Mitigation

Next week the One Year Later releases will feature examples of a business owner and a homeowner who applied mitigation techniques to their property at their own cost, which, in the aftermath of Sandy, proved to be a sound investment.

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.

Original article:

One Year Later: Mitigation Makes Communities Safer

A Year After Hurricane Sandy, FEMA Individual Assistance Tops $1 Billion In New York

NEW YORK – When Hurricane Sandy made landfall a year ago on Oct. 29, the unprecedented storm surge and strong winds devastated tens of thousands of New Yorkers.

Amid widespread power outages and storm debris, New York survivors began asking where and how to begin putting their lives back together.

In anticipation of Sandy’s impact, the Federal Emergency Management Agency deployed nearly 300 people to New York in advance of the hurricane to begin coordinating assistance for survivors. Within 48 hours of Sandy’s landfall, the figure swelled to 1,200. Eventually more than 4,000 workers were part of the federal response team.

Also within 48 hours, the first FEMA grants for New York individuals and households, totaling $1.7 million, were approved to help eligible survivors with home repairs, temporary rental costs and other uninsured hurricane-related expenses.

One year later, more than $1 billion has been approved for New Yorkers through FEMA’s Individuals and Households program to help them rebuild their lives. This is part of a total of more than $8.3 billion in disaster assistance that also includes more than $1.5 billion in low-interest U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans, more than $3.7 billion in flood insurance claim payments and more than $2.1 billion for debris removal, repair or replacement of public facilities and reimbursement for emergency expenses.

FEMA, in coordination with its local, state, federal, tribal, private sector, voluntary and faith-based partners, has been working nonstop with New York survivors to help them rebuild their lives. During the past year, more than 117,500 individuals and households in New York’s 13 designated counties were approved for assistance.

In the months after Hurricane Sandy, FEMA dispatched nearly 1,200 community relations specialists to devastated neighborhoods to determine survivors’ individual needs, and to help them navigate the FEMA application process and access other services.

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

FEMA opened 65 disaster recovery centers, many of them located in hard-hit areas, where survivors received face-to-face help. There were more than 183,000 visits to the centers.

With thousands of New Yorkers displaced in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, FEMA worked with the state and city of New York to implement innovative programs to respond to the unique challenges posed by the shortage of rental housing in a densely populated, vertically built and linguistically diverse region.

Thanks to the Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power program that was coordinated by local governments and funded by FEMA, more than 21,000 families were able to remain in their storm-damaged homes while repairs were made.

In addition, FEMA temporarily housed nearly 6,000 individuals and families in hotels and motels through its Transitional Sheltering Assistance program.

To ensure everyone received information, FEMA provided materials in 26 languages.

A year after the storm, all housing inspections – more than 185,000 – have been completed. Today more than 160 New Yorkers hired by FEMA to assist in recovery operations continue to help their communities rebuild from Sandy.

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A Year After Hurricane Sandy, FEMA Individual Assistance Tops $1 Billion In New York

FEMA and National Public Radio Work Together to Increase Emergency Alert Preparedness for People Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

WASHINGTON —The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced a cooperative pilot project with National Public Radio’s (NPR’s) technology research and development group, NPR Labs, to demonstrate the delivery of the first-ever, real-time emergency alert messages to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in five Gulf states.

Twenty-five NPR-affiliated public radio stations throughout Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas agreed to participate in the pilot project to transmit emergency alert messages, such as weather alerts, to 475 individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in the stations’ listening areas to determine how effectively the messages are being sent and received. The Gulf State region was selected for the demonstration because it is often subjected to extreme weather conditions. Individuals participating in the project will receive alert and warning messages through specially designed receivers capable of displaying the text messages.

“FEMA is committed to providing equal access to effective communication for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing as information must be accessible to be actionable,” said Damon Penn, Assistant Administrator for FEMA’s National Continuity Programs Directorate. “FEMA has been working with NPR’s technology research and development group to identify key resources and radio stations to demonstrate whether special receivers made exclusively for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing will help them receive emergency alerts. We hope the data and experiences gained from the demonstration will be used to help improve this specialized technology.”

The public radio stations participating in the pilot will receive emergency alert messages from FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), where the network operations center of the Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS) will uplink the warnings to the participating stations. The stations will then broadcast the emergency alerts to specially designed FM Radio Data System (RDS) radio receivers that alert the participants with a flashing indicator. The receivers can display the alert message through the receiver’s display, and the participants can connect a strobe light or bed-shaker alerting device to the receiver, helping ensure alerts are noticed day and night.

“This demonstration project is a crucial first step in improving the technology for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing during emergencies,” said Mike Starling, Executive Director, NPR Labs. “I want to sincerely thank the 25 stations for agreeing to participate in this demonstration project that is working to test the latest technology to ensure that all individuals, including those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, can be informed of emergencies when electricity, the Internet and other communications channels are unavailable.”

FEMA, designated by DHS to implement a U.S. public alert and warning system, established the IPAWS system to provide the President with a way to address the American people during a national emergency. FEMA has been working with numerous public and private industry stakeholders to ensure that emergency alerts can be delivered simultaneously through multiple communications pathways. The National Weather Service uses IPAWS to send Wireless Emergency Alerts to participating cell phone carriers, who sends the alerts to cell phones.

NPR manages the Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS), which is the distribution network that delivers news, music, and specialized programming to public radio stations throughout the United States reaching 27 million listeners each week. The initiative is a joint effort with NPR Labs under a contract with DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate and FEMA’s National Continuity Programs. NPR Labs’ mission is to identify, evaluate, and advance the application of innovative technologies in support of the public service mission of NPR and its 900 member stations. NPR Labs was established in 2005 and is located at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C.

FM participating stations: Alabama:WUAL, Tuscaloosa; WBHM, Birmingham; WLRH, Huntsville; WJAB, Huntsville; Florida: WUSF, Tampa; WLRN, Miami; WPBI, West Palm Beach; WUFT, Gainesville; WMFE, Orlando; WFSU, Tallahassee; WGCU, Fort Meyers; WJCT, Jacksonville; WQCS, Fort Pierce; Louisiana: KDAQ, Shreveport; WWNO, New Orleans; WRKF, Baton Rouge; KRVS, Lafayette; in Mississippi: WMPN, Jackson; and in Texas: KERA, Dallas; KUHF, Houston; KETR, Commerce; KUT, Austin; KMBH, Harlingen; KEDT, Corpus Christi and KVLU, Beaumont.

For more information on FEMA programs, go to www.fema.gov/ipaws

FEMA does not endorse any non-government entities, organizations, or services. 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.

Original article:

FEMA and National Public Radio Work Together to Increase Emergency Alert Preparedness for People Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

Extension Approved for Transitional Sheltering Assistance

DENVER –FEMA has approved a second extension to the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which pays for eligible flood evacuees to stay in participating hotels and motels.

Eligible individuals and families whose homes are still uninhabitable, inaccessible or without utilities may continue to have a safe place to stay through Nov. 2 (checkout Nov. 3). The previous checkout date was Oct. 20.

TSA allows eligible individuals and families to stay temporarily in participating hotels, with FEMA and the state picking up the bill for eligible room costs and taxes.

Survivors may no longer have a need for TSA if their home is inspected and is found to be functional, accessible and has power.

An automated phone message has notified applicants if they are eligible for this period of assistance ending Nov. 2.

Individuals and families who are not eligible for the program may be considered for additional FEMA rental assistance.
- Applicants may need to provide rental agreement information.
- If applicant has any questions regarding assistance contact FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).
- Disaster assistance applicants who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY can call 1-800-462-7585.
- A total of 598 households stayed in hotels and motels last night under TSA.

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Extension Approved for Transitional Sheltering Assistance

Federal Disaster Assistance Tops $16 Million in West, Texas

DENTON, Texas – Nearly six months after the April 17 fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, local, state and federal personnel are working together to move the recovery efforts forward.

To date, federal disaster assistance for eligible survivors has topped $16 million. This includes more than $9 million in federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA); nearly $840,000 in Individual Assistance grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); and more than $6.2 million in FEMA Public Assistance funding.

“We continue to support our local and state partners as they assist survivors with rebuilding their communities and lives,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Kevin L. Hannes. “We also encourage anyone who registered for disaster assistance but didn’t complete the process to contact us and get in the necessary paperwork. You may still be eligible to receive help.”

Applicants who registered before the June 18 deadline and have since settled with their insurance company should contact FEMA to determine if additional assistance is available. Applicants also can appeal any decision made by FEMA within 60 days of receipt of their notification letter.

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

The West Long-Term Recovery Committee also has numerous resources available to survivors. Visit www.westltr.org or call (254) 826-7550 for more information.

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SBA is the federal government’s primary source of funding for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).

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Federal Disaster Assistance Tops $16 Million in West, Texas

Readout of FEMA Administrator Fugate’s Calls to Gulf Coast State Governors on Tropical Storm Karen Preparations

WASHINGTON – Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate today completed calls with Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, Florida Governor Rick Scott, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, and Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant about ongoing efforts to prepare for Tropical Storm Karen.

Fugate reiterated that Gulf Coast states have the full support of FEMA and the rest of the federal family in advance of the storm making landfall. The governors did not express any unmet needs at this time. Fugate’s calls were preceded by outreach from FEMA’s Regional Administrators to emergency management officials in potentially impacted states.

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 are provided for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

Link:

Readout of FEMA Administrator Fugate’s Calls to Gulf Coast State Governors on Tropical Storm Karen Preparations

United Efforts Bring Successful Recovery to Circle

CIRCLE, Alaska – Four months ago, this small native village in northeastern Alaska was left devastated by some of the worst Yukon River flooding seen here in years. Floodwaters had inundated many homes, while mammoth missiles of river ice, known in Alaska as “ballistic ice,” had driven others hundreds of feet from their foundations. Debris and enormous chunks of ice littered the streets.

Today, Circle is steadily working its way back to normalcy, thanks in large part to a united effort among the local villagers, Mennonite Disaster Service volunteers from across the United States, the State of Alaska and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Circle is a small community of about 90 people, predominantly Athabascan Natives. Employment for residents is provided primarily by the tribe, health clinic, Circle School and a few local businesses, including a telephone service and a general store. With a limited cash economy and the high cost of imported food, subsistence hunting, fishing and gathering is a way of life, a tradition for Athabascans dating back thousands of years.

Like other remote Alaskan communities, Circle is very close-knit and self-reliant. However, First Chief Jessica Boyle welcomed the faith-based group’s aid with rebuilding, opening the door for acceptance of volunteers from the Mennonite Disaster Service into the community.

Over six weeks in August and September, the volunteers lived in the village, repairing and rebuilding flood-damaged homes by day and sleeping on cots in the local community hall by night. Known for their skilled carpentry and meticulous workmanship, the Mennonites often worked nine-hour days, six days a week ― and sometimes well into the evening ― to accomplish their goal of completing work on eight homes before winter.

“It was unique that we were right in the center of the community, and we’d stop to talk and visit,” said Mennonite Disaster Service Project Director Wilbur Litwiller. “They either lived next door or nearby, and we learned to know the people we worked with.”

As a result of a major disaster declaration on June 25, FEMA is aiding the community in its recovery, including shipment of building materials to Circle and funds to cover the cost of transportation and meals for the 27 Mennonite volunteers who worked in Circle.

In addition, FEMA has awarded over $265,000 to eligible residents to help pay for the home repairs as well as other disaster-related needs, while FEMA’s Public Assistance program has obligated $520,000 toward repair of the tribal center, campground, youth camp, medical clinic and the establishment of a temporary clinic. Also underway are $151,000 in hazard mitigation projects designed to prevent future flood damage in the village, including elevation of eight buildings.

“As the federal partner in this effort, it’s extremely satisfying to see the progress that has been made in Circle.” said Federal Coordinating Officer Dolph Diemont of FEMA. “Perhaps more significantly, the Mennonites built relationships with the community that will last well beyond this recovery mission.”

Logistically, recovery in Circle ran smoothly. A two-lane, partially gravel road that connects Circle to Fairbanks, 160 miles south of the village, allowed supplies to be brought in more readily and dependably than other flood-impacted communities that lack roads to the outside.

As the work was wrapping up the last week in September, the Circle community hosted a ceremony, known as a potlatch, to dedicate the rebuilt homes and celebrate the new friendships created as a result of the cooperative effort. The festivities included performances of traditional dances by school children in Athabascan attire and the sharing of customary Native dishes, such as moose stew.

“The community gave us the potlatch in appreciation for what we did, which was very special and the best thank you I’ve received in quite some time,” Litwiller said.

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United Efforts Bring Successful Recovery to Circle

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