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Recovery Centers To Close In Western New Jersey Counties

TRENTON, N.J. — Nine Disaster Recovery Centers in the western area of New Jersey will be closing over the next week and a half.

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

Disaster specialists encourage applicants in western New Jersey to visit these centers while they are open. After these centers close, an applicant may go to any DRC, even if it is located in another county or state.

Final schedules are as follows:

Cumberland, Mercer and Morris DRCs are open this week through Saturday, Dec. 8 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., closing Dec. 8 at 7 p.m.

Burlington, Gloucester and Warren DRCs will be open Monday through Wednesday, Dec. 10-12 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., closing Dec. 12 at 7 p.m.

Salem, Somerset and Sussex DRCs will be open Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 13-15 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., closing Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.

DRCs allow residents to speak one-on-one with recovery representatives. FEMA program specialists are available to provide registration and other information, and to answer questions at the centers. These include mitigation specialists who can provide guidance on cost-effective rebuilding and repair techniques to reduce property damage in future disasters.

In addition to FEMA program specialists, customer service representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available to answer questions about the SBA low-interest disaster loan program, and to assist with disaster loan applications.

DRC locations may change. The nearest open offices can be found online at FEMA.gov/DRC.

It is not necessary to visit a center to receive disaster assistance.

Individuals can register for assistance and follow up on their applications online at DisasterAssistance.gov, or by web-enabled mobile device at m.FEMA.gov. By phone or 711/VRS, call 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

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

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Recovery Centers To Close In Western New Jersey Counties

Disaster Stress And Older Adults

TRENTON, N.J. — Many survivors of Hurricane Sandy find themselves under additional stress these days. But disaster-related anxiety can be especially high in older adults, particularly those living on their own or isolated from friends and family.

Because of their age and other unique circumstances, older adults often react much differently than younger people to catastrophic events. It’s not uncommon after a disaster for them to become withdrawn, agitated, disoriented and confused.

Family members, friends, neighbors and caregivers should be aware of this and be ready to safeguard both their physical and mental health. Be on the lookout for the following symptoms of senior stress:

Fear of losing their independence because of disaster-related injury or loss of their residence. This can be the biggest trauma that older people face after a disaster.
Problems talking to people and answering questions. Difficulties in communicating after a disaster can be increased by factors such as slower thought processes related to age, problems with seeing and hearing, and reduced mobility.
“Welfare” stigma. Many older adults are cautious about or even unwilling to accept government help because they have always “paid their way.” Their reluctance to accept assistance can be compounded by a lack of knowledge about government services for which they may be eligible.
Memories or flashbacks of other events in their lives when they were traumatized or suffered severe losses.
Anxiety caused by poor reading skills and inadequate command of the English language.
Worry about limited financial resources and having enough time to rebuild their homes.
Fear of being put in an institution because they cannot return to a home that was destroyed by the disaster.
Withdrawal and isolation from family and friends.
In severe cases, seniors also may undergo personality changes in the wake of a disaster.

Because older people may be on medication for health conditions, it’s important to ensure they are medically stable before deciding that any of the above symptoms are due to emotional stress.

It’s also important to keep in mind that seniors have decades of experience and strengths gained from facing previous disasters and adversity.

Those who live or work with older adults who have been adversely affected by Hurricane Sandy can take a number of steps to monitor and improve their mental health:

Provide consistent verbal reassurance.
Assist them in recovering personal possessions.
Help them re-establish contact with their family, friends and social networks.
Help them find a suitable residential relocation until they can return to their own home, ideally in familiar surroundings with friends or acquaintances.
Make frequent home visits and arrange for others to visit them.
Ensure medical and financial assistance.
Provide transportation to the doctor, grocery store, etc.
Re-establish and monitor their nutritional and medication needs.

Older people or their family and friends seeking additional information about stress counseling and services should contact their local mental health agencies. The New Jersey Department of Human Services is coordinating statewide efforts to help individuals and communities manage the emotional impact of the storm. Crisis counselors are currently providing support and assisting in FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers as needed.

In addition to providing face-to-face disaster crisis counseling, the state provides informational materials about coping, and it has partnered with the Mental Health Association in New Jersey to offer assistance through a toll free helpline: 877-294-4357 (also applies for VRS or 711-Relay users) or TTY 877-294-4356. More information about disaster-related stress can be found at the website: www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dmhs/disaster/.

POSSIBLE PHOTOS: See following links

Red Cross provides assistance for Hurricane Sandy survivors (ID: 60611)

http://www.fema.gov/photolibrary/photo_details.do?id=60611

Community Relations Specialists speak with Sandy Survivors (ID: 60564)

http://www.fema.gov/photolibrary/photo_details.do?id=60564

FEMA Community Relations Specialists assist residents in New Jersey (ID: 60443)

http://www.fema.gov/photolibrary/photo_details.do?id=60443

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

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

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Disaster Stress And Older Adults

Proactive Approach to Preparedness: Getting Ready Younger

SAN JUAN, PR –If new generations are raised with emergency preparedness awareness as an inherent part of their early education, communities will become smarter and more resilient sooner. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) supports this approach since dependable preparedness plans equal a swifter recovery for individuals, local, state and federal governments after a disaster.

“Our communities need to get better prepared to rapidly respond to emergencies and if we reach this younger audience earlier, emergency preparedness will be a familiar subject, but most importantly, they will be ready sooner. Youngsters have a significant influence on their peers and families, which may drive this preparedness message further on,” said FEMA’s Caribbean Area Division Director, Alejandro De La Campa.

For this reason, FEMA established the first Youth Preparedness Council to discuss and promote steps meant to strengthen the nation’s resiliency against all types of disasters. This Council is comprised of 13 youth leaders (ages 13 – 17) from each of FEMA’s 10 regions, which will develop and conclude their emergency preparedness projects in two years.

13-year old Humacao resident, Gabriela Rodriguez-Boria, is FEMA’s Region II Youth Council representative. Puerto Rico is one of the jurisdictions under Region II, which also includes New York, New Jersey and the US Virgin Islands. With her project, Gabriela seeks opportunities to prepare youngsters to be ready before and after a disaster strikes, making communities in Puerto Rico more emergency resilient through its budding members. She is organizing a Teen Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) of approximately 15-20 students at her school and plans to replicate this program in other schools in neighboring communities, and eventually to all Region II jurisdictions.

The CERT Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Youngsters can involve their schools, neighbors, churches, families and friends in similar initiatives where they can acquire surviving tools for future emergencies. Young minds bring fresh eyes and new perspectives to any preparedness endeavour, therefore FEMA encourages their contribution in emergency planning and readiness for our communities.

There is additional information about the Youth Council at www.citizencorps.gov/getstarted/youth/youthindex. If you are interested in becoming a CERT member, locate the nearest CERT team or check for upcoming training opportunities, visit www.citizencorps.gov/cert. Learn more about emergency preparedness and how to improve your community resiliency to emergency situations by visiting www.fema.gov or www.ready.gov.

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Proactive Approach to Preparedness: Getting Ready Younger

Scam Artists Attempt To Prey On Disaster Survivors

TRENTON, N.J. – Fraud and scams are age-old issues that surface in the aftermath of any disaster. Using old and new methods, scam artists seek to obtain vital information or take advantage of survivors focused on recovery.

New Jersey residents need to be on alert. Some of the most common scams after a disaster include:

Home Repair Scams

Unregistered home improvement contractors may take the disaster survivor’s money and disappear, leaving unfinished work and unsafe homes. Before hiring a contractor, the survivor should check with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs at 800-242-5846 to make sure the contractor is registered, as well as ask for a copy of the contractor’s liability insurance and verify the policy is valid. All contracts should be in writing, and reviewed before being signed. Full payment should not be made until the work is completed.

The local police department should be notified of suspected fraud.

Price Gouging

Excessive price increases are illegal. Check with the New Jersey Consumer Affairs office at www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov or call 800-242-5846 if you suspect the prices are too high.

Identity Theft

People may pretend to be employed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or other government agencies, such as the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) or public utilities. By going door-to-door to storm-damaged homes, or by phone or on the internet, con artists may try to obtain personal information such as Social Security and bank account numbers.

Remember:

A FEMA or SBA shirt or jacket is not absolute proof of someone’s affiliation with these agencies. All authorized FEMA or SBA personnel display a laminated photo identification card, which they are required to wear at all times;
Individuals can register for assistance and follow up on previous applications online at DisasterAssistance.gov, or by web-enabled mobile device at m.FEMA.gov. By phone or 711/VRS, call 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585.
On any follow-up calls, a FEMA representative would ask only for the last four digits of the applicant’s social security number.

False Payment or Bribe

Imposters may ask for some form of service payment, or bribe – something no FEMA, SBA or federal agency employee should ever do. FEMA-contracted housing inspectors assess damage but do not determine cost estimates. FEMA does not hire or endorse specific contractors to fix homes or recommend repairs.

Con artists may pose as insurance specialists or expeditors, claiming they can convince FEMA to increase home repair damage aid or the insurer to pay a larger settlement. The scammers ask the applicant or policyholder to sign a contract giving them a percentage of the “increased” payment. The essence of the con is to take a percentage of the damage grant or policy settlement that would be given anyway. FEMA always deals directly with each applicant and is always willing to consider an appeal by sending a new inspector to review damaged property or claimed losses.

Charity Scams

Before donating, people should investigate to be sure the organization asking for donations is registered to solicit in New Jersey and ask how the money will be used.

For other questions, New Jersey residents can contact the New Jersey Consumer Affairs office at www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov or by calling 800-242-5846.

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Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema,

and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

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

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Scam Artists Attempt To Prey On Disaster Survivors

Local Groups Making Long-Term Commitment to Louisiana’s Recovery

BATON ROUGE, La. – As Louisianians continue to recover from Hurricane Isaac, some of their needs may go beyond the scope of assistance from the state or the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). That’s when community-based long-term recovery groups can help, providing what hurricane survivors most often need: money, materials and manpower.

With support and guidance from FEMA and the state, long-term recovery groups are working vigorously in 15 parishes. Formed from a multiple-parish network of nonprofits, voluntary agencies, and faith- and community-based organizations, these recovery groups are assessing the longer-term needs of individual hurricane survivors and connecting them to assistance.

Some of the groups were in place even before Hurricane Katrina while others formed after that storm. They were all able to act after Hurricane Isaac and will continue to do so for months or even years. Other parishes have groups that are under development or forming now.

“Long-term recovery groups are an integral part of the whole-community approach to recovery,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of FEMA. “The volunteers who make up these groups are working hard to take Hurricane Isaac survivors through the last steps in their recovery.”

Staff and volunteers from some of the groups are helping clear debris that remains at hurricane-damaged homes, while others are recruiting volunteers and staff. Some groups have programs to help survivors pay utility bills or obtain help with everyday necessities such as clothing, appliances and furniture.

Specific efforts include:

The Benevolent Rural Alliance for Cultural and Environmental Strategies (BRACES) operates in eight parishes. One of the group’s initiatives is a veterans’ building and repair assistance program.
Northshore Disaster Recovery in St. Tammany Parish is repairing hurricane-damaged homes, funded, in part, with money raised from fundraising efforts in other states.
A new long-term committee has formed in St. John Parish where many of the members themselves sustained damage and loss in the August storm. Subcommittees include volunteer and donation coordination and construction and clean up.
The South Louisiana Long-Term Recovery Committee (SOLA) has been active since 1993 and is currently operating in Lafourche, St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes. Among SOLA’s efforts is the revitalization in St. Mary Parish of the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster group, which has not been active for seven years.
Formed in the weeks following Hurricane Katrina, the Committee for Plaquemines Recovery (CPR) is made up of local nonprofit and faith-based groups. CPR, with technical assistance from FEMA, is training local churches on how to perform case management. CPR and the parish government have a memorandum of understanding that designates CPR as the primary point of contact for voluntary organizations and nonprofits for response and recovery after a disaster.

In each case, Voluntary Agency Liaisons (VALs) from FEMA and the state helped to organize the groups, and VALs continue to support them by, for example, providing training for services such as case management.

“VALs prepare the recovery groups to help survivors rebuild their lives,” said Mark Davis, supervisor of FEMA’s VAL group in Louisiana. “Their work makes a community whole again, one household, one neighborhood at a time.”

Survivors who wish to contact a long-term recovery group and are not already connected with an agency in their community may visit Louisiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster at www.lavoad.org or contact their parish officials.

Following is a list of groups and the locations they are serving:

Long-Term Recovery Group	Parish/City Served
Benevolent Rural Alliance for Cultural and Environmental Strategies (BRACES)	St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington, Livingston, West Feliciana, East Feliciana, St. John and St. Helena
Committee for Plaquemines Recovery	Plaquemines
Crescent Alliance Recovery Effort	Orleans
Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster	Livingston, Tangipahoa, St. Helena, St. Tammany, West Feliciana, East Feliciana, and Washington
Jefferson Disaster Recovery Committee	Jefferson
Madisonville Relief Effort	City of Madisonville
Northshore Disaster Recovery Inc.	St. Tammany
St. John Parish Long-Term Recovery Group	St. John
South Louisiana Long-Term Recovery Committee	Lafourche, St. Mary, Terrebonne, and Town of Grand Isle
St. Bernard Resource Committee	St. Bernard
Washington Emergency Recovery Cadre	Washington

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

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/femaregion6, the R6 Hurricane Preparedness website at www.fema.gov/about/regions/regionvi/updates.shtm and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

Originally posted here –

Local Groups Making Long-Term Commitment to Louisiana’s Recovery

R.I. Disaster Recovery Centers Add Services

WARWICK, R.I. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training have added new services to the Disaster Recovery Centers to help Rhode Islanders affected by Hurricane Sandy. These include American Sign Language Interpreters and specialists who can help with applications for disaster unemployment insurance.

As part of its mission to provide equal access to all disaster survivors, FEMA worked with the Rhode Island Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to bring American Sign Language interpreters to Disaster Recovery Centers. They will be at the Centers in Westerly and Middletown from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning Thursday, December 6.

Other means FEMA uses to enhance access at the Centers include making written materials available with large print or in Braille; offering amplified phones, video relay services and other assistive technology by request; assisting with completion of paperwork and providing physical access to facilities.

To assist with claims for unemployment insurance from anyone who lost work as a result of the disaster, specialists from the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training will be at the center in Middletown from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday and in Westerly from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday

The Rhode Island Disaster Recovery Centers are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday – Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Closed on Sunday. Locations are

Misquamicut Fire Station, 65 Crandall Avenue, Westerly, R.I.
Middletown Police Station (Community Room), 123 Valley Road, Middletown, R.I.

Rhode Islanders who lost income because of Hurricane Sandy, but are not eligible for the state’s regular unemployment benefits program, may qualify for disaster unemployment insurance if they reside in Newport or Washington counties. Also, people who could not travel to their jobs in Washington or Newport counties because of storm-related transportation disruption may be eligible.

It is not necessary to visit a Disaster Recovery Center to register for DUA. A claim can be made by filing online for regular unemployment insurance at www.dlt.ri.gov, with a statement that the reason for the unemployment is due to Hurricane Sandy. However, a visit to a Disaster Recovery Center when a specialist is available offers the opportunity for immediate in-person answers to questions and assistance with the process.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for medical and dental expenses, funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

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R.I. Disaster Recovery Centers Add Services

New Jersey Recovery: One Month Later

LINCROFT, N.J. – On the evening of October 29, Hurricane Sandy made landfall along the New Jersey coast resulting in the most damaging disaster in state history. Since then, Federal funds obligated to assist the residents and communities in the state have totaled more than $730 million.

The federal effort deployed to assist the state included 18 agencies with more than 2,600 personnel. In addition, under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), 12 states have deployed

440 personnel and equipment to support New Jersey. This includes law enforcement teams providing security and emergency medical services supporting sheltering and other life support needs.

The New Jersey National Guard responded with a force of over 2,200 Guardsmen to support response efforts throughout the state. For New Jersey, it was the largest mobilization of National Guardsmen to a domestic emergency and the largest humanitarian effort the state has orchestrated. The Guard rescued more than 7,000 residents and their pets, operated three fuel distribution points, transported and delivered tens of thousands of basic needs commodities to armories within communities impacted by the storm and provided approximately 250 hours of helicopter lift support to civilian authorities.

Even before Sandy made landfall, FEMA positioned food, water and blankets and deployed experts from several federal agencies to New Jersey, including the U.S. Coast Guard and other components of the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Energy, and Housing and Urban Development to provide resources and guidance to the state. Together, critical life-saving needs were provided in the immediate aftermath: emergency medical care, search and rescue, power generators in critical facilities, fuel for first responders.

FEMA also has issued 235 mission assignments to support disaster response and recovery needs, totaling nearly $250 million in projected assistance. This includes federal operational support (support among federal agencies) totaling $67.8 million, technical assistance support (federal support to the state) of $11.2 million such as the expertise brought to New Jersey to support assessment of critical infrastructure throughout the state, and direct federal assistance of nearly $170.0 million.

Immediately following Hurricane Sandy’s landfall, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), working with FEMA and local and state authorities, identified critical locations that needed temporary emergency power. They installed 102 emergency generators between Oct. 31 and Nov. 19 to provide life-saving power to 9-1-1 centers, police and fire stations and medical facilities; life-sustaining facilities such as shelters, water and wastewater treatment and pumping facilities; and other municipal facilities required to reinstitute local command and control and post-event recovery.

FEMA and local and state authorities turned to USACE for its extensive experience removing debris following natural disasters, assigning a debris management technical assistance mission in New Jersey Nov. 6. USACE placed debris subject matter experts in Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Middlesex and Union counties working with FEMA, state, county and local authorities to assess the quantities and types of debris and recommend courses of action for its removal. Quantities of various types of debris are still being calculated but are estimated to total around 6.2 million cubic yards, or enough debris to fill the MetLife stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

The U.S. Fire Service provided 26 chainsaw teams totaling 520 personnel to assist with tree removal in neighborhoods throughout the state. They also provided four Incident Management Teams who assisted the state Fire Marshal with fire coordination and fire planning response.

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank, Deputy National Security Advisor John O. Brennan, Deputy Transportation Secretary John Pocari, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick have toured damaged New Jersey communities and met with local leaders and emergency responders to view recovery efforts while vowing to bring all available resources to bear to support state and local partners in assisting survivors in the 21 counties designated for assistance.

“FEMA and the entire federal family have been our partners from the beginning,” said State Coordinating Officer Lt. Jeff Mottley. “They anticipated many of our needs and when there were challenges, they quickly offered solutions.”

“Getting survivors the assistance they need has been our top priority from the beginning,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Michael J. Hall. “When families and businesses begin to recover, whole communities begin to recover. The faster we can get recovery dollars into the hands of survivors and reimburse communities for disaster expenses, the faster they will move forward in their healing.”

In the first 30 days, FEMA provided $286 million to assist individuals and families repair damaged homes, find temporary housing and assist with expenses such as medical and dental bills. More than 46,000 New Jersey families have benefitted from that assistance so far.

Restoring power to over 2.6 million homes, businesses and government customers represented a critical priority. The Department of Energy worked closely with the state Board of Public Utilities to coordinate the power restoration. Demonstrating a true whole community response, over 23,000 utility professionals came together from New Jersey’s utility companies and, through mutual aid agreements with companies across the country, worked to restore service across the state.

To meet a critical need at a critical time, nearly 3,000 families have taken advantage of the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program by lodging in 340 hotels during the first four-week period.

Helping disaster survivors who were displaced from their homes due to damage or power loss find safe and secure shelter is a key priority of the response. At peak of sheltering operations, 107 shelters were open with 4,370 people. Through efforts across federal, state, local, private sector and voluntary agencies, the last of the shelters closed on November 21.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has opened 10 Business Recovery Centers in the state to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance and has approved more than $21 million in disaster loans to both individuals and businesses.

The first FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers opened just days after the storm passed and continue to assist survivors at more than 36 locations where nearly 25,000 residents have been offered assistance and information about their recovery.

More than 650 FEMA community relations specialists have met with more than 86,000 storm survivors while going door-to-door. In total, nearly 150,000 homes were visited delivering information vital to disaster survivor’s recovery.

Even as Sandy was making its way up the east coast, FEMA and the Department of Defense established Incident Support Bases at Westover, Mass. and Lakehurst, New Jersey to position supplies and other resources close to areas in the hurricane’s path. Following the storm, more than 1.7 million meals and 2.6 million snacks have been served to survivors and first responders.

The Department of Health and Human Services deployed hundreds of personnel, including five Disaster Medical Assistance Teams and three Public Health Strike Teams to support hospitals and shelters in New Jersey. In total they were able to assist more than 750 people with medical needs.

FEMA also has teamed with the private sector network of business, industry, academia, trade associations, and other non-governmental organizations as equal partners in assisting with Sandy recovery.

The storm impact on New Jersey was historic in its severity. Storm surge impacts of up to 11 feet battered the coastline and wave heights of more than 14 feet were recorded. Peak wind gusts of 88 mph were clocked in Essex County. The devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy affected, damaged or destroyed more than 122,000 structures throughout all 21 counties.

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Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

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

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New Jersey Recovery: One Month Later

Donate Wisely to Help Hurricane Sandy Survivors

Warwick, R.I. -The best way to support Sandy survivors is to make financial contributions to reputable voluntary organizations, say officials from the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Cash is the most effective. Cash donations allow nonprofit organizations to purchase what disaster survivors need. Buying from local businesses helps the economy recover.

Donations of used clothing, miscellaneous household items and mixed or perishable foodstuffs must be sorted, packaged, transported, warehoused and distributed. These tasks require helping agencies to divert resources away from providing services, while the donated items may not meet disaster survivors’ needs.

Donate to reliable national or local organizations. Beware of solicitations to help Sandy survivors from people or groups you haven’t verified. These may be from con artists.

To find reputable organizations accepting donations of cash or looking for volunteers, go online to www.aidmatrixnetwork.org/fema and select Rhode Island from the drop down menu.

Finally, be patient. Recovery lasts a lot longer than the media attention. There will be a need for donations and volunteers to help Rhode Island recover for many months, even years, to come.

SBA disaster loan information and application forms may be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for people with speech or hearing disabilities) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET or by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Applications can also be downloaded from www.sba.gov or completed on-line at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

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Donate Wisely to Help Hurricane Sandy Survivors

Nearly $680 Million Approved for New York State Hurricane Sandy Survivors

Main Content

Release date:

November 26, 2012

Release Number:

NR- 053

NEW YORK — Since Hurricane Sandy struck New York, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved nearly $680 million to help individuals and families recover from the disaster.

FEMA is reaching out to all 13 designated counties with attention focused on the hardest hit areas of New York State. Assistance to the hardest-hit areas includes:

Bronx $1.6 million
Kings $143.3 million
Nassau $228.3 million
New York $8.7 million
Queens $173.6 million
Richmond $71.8 million
Suffolk $49.1 million

FEMA provides the following snapshot of the disaster recovery effort as of November 26:

More than 231,000 New Yorkers have contacted FEMA for information or registered for assistance with FEMA and nearly $680 million has been approved. More than 118,000 have applied through the online application site at www.disasterassistance.gov, or on their smart phone at m.fema.gov.
35 Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) are open in the affected areas. These include mobile sites as well as fixed sites, and to date nearly 54,000 survivors have been assisted at DRCs in New York.
Nearly 1,300 inspectors in the field have completed more than 135,000 home inspections.
1,080 Community Relations (CR) specialists are strategically positioned throughout affected communities, going door-to-door explaining the types of disaster assistance available and how to register. More teams continue to arrive daily.
7 fixed feeding sites are being operated by the New York City Office of Emergency Management.
2 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs), 1 Rapid Deployment Force (RDF), 2 Prescription Medication Task Force Team (PMTFT) and 1 National Veterinary Response Team (NVRT) from the Department of Health and Human Services remain deployed in New York.
13 New York counties are designated for both individual and public assistance, including: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has staff members at 18 Business Recovery Centers in the New York area to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance and has approved more than $32 million in disaster loans to both individuals and businesses.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers transferred a total of approximately 52,000 cubic yards of debris by barge from a temporary storage site at the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island to permanent disposal facilities in Upstate New York.

Individuals can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smart phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362. Multilingual telephone operators are available to help non-English-speaking survivors register for disaster aid and to get their questions answered.

If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

Last Updated:

November 27, 2012 – 09:13

State or Region:

New York

Related Disaster:

New York Hurricane Sandy

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Nearly $680 Million Approved for New York State Hurricane Sandy Survivors

Volunteers Are A Vital Resource In The Aftermath Of Sandy

TRENTON, N.J. – When a disaster strikes, volunteers are a vital resource. They represent the compassionate face that brings comfort to disaster survivors and provides for their immediate needs.

“Working together as friends and neighbors is spontaneous after a disaster” said FEMA Volunteer Agency Liaison Manager Ken Skalitzky. “This approach is really what makes a community whole again.”

One group of volunteers recently was recognized when Middletown, N.J. Mayor Anthony P. Fiore presented the Key to the City to Dave Karr, whose volunteer staff from the Southern Baptist Convention, Oklahoma Disaster Relief, prepared more than 1.5 million meals for disaster survivors.

“It was a real honor,” Karr said. “I was told they rarely do this. I accepted on behalf of the whole Oklahoma team.”

Karr’s team and the organization they represent are typical of the volunteers working in New Jersey, both locally and from out of state. More than 100 organizations manage thousands of dedicated volunteers. Here are some of the major organizations and their services:

Adventist Community Services – manages warehouse distribution of supplies for disaster survivors.
Mennonite Disaster Service – doing clean up, repairs, and rebuilding homes.
The Salvation Army – provided Thanksgiving dinner or lunch in several locations throughout the state. The Transitional Sheltering Assistance social services programs connect needs with available resources.
Samaritans Purse – doing muck outs, removing dirt and debris; cleaning up and sanitizing homes to prevent mold.
Southern Baptist Convention/Oklahoma Disaster Relief – 117 volunteers prepared more than 1.5 million meals to date, and is deploying 41 emergency relief vehicles across New Jersey to continue feeding disaster survivors.
The Red Cross – more than 4,000 volunteers assisting with meals, sheltering, essential supplies, and health services.
United Methodist Committee on Relief – volunteers working on “muck outs.”
Catholic Charities – 363 volunteers serving at relief sites offered financial and other material assistance to some 3,000 families. The sites are now closed.

Voluntary Agency Liaison staff at FEMA work with the state umbrella organization, New Jersey Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). FEMA provides information on the extent

of damage from the disaster to VOAD. The organization then contacts its local partners who provide direct services to disaster survivors.

Disaster assistance is coordinated over the long term by VOAD to make sure everyone who needs help receives help.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Video of volunteers in action and of Volunteer Agency Liaison Manager Ken Skalitzky are available

for your use at: http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/10552.

For still photos of volunteer activities, go to: http://www.fema.gov/photolibrary/photo_search.do.

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.

Volunteers Are A Vital Resource In The Aftermath Of Sandy

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