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Nearly $7 Million in Federal Funds Approved to Reconstruct Hurricane Irene-Destroyed Bridge in Wyoming County

Nearly $7 Million in Federal Funds Approved to Reconstruct

Hurricane Irene-Destroyed Bridge in Wyoming County

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Nearly $7 million in federal funding has been approved for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to reconstruct a bridge in Wyoming County, according to officials with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Until Hurricane Irene-fueled high velocity flood waters wiped it out, the bridge crossed the Mehoopany Creek on State Route 3001 in Forkston Township. FEMA has obligated $6,924,799 to reconstruct the bridge in its original location.

Because devastation of the bridge was a direct result of Hurricane Irene, the project to replace it qualifies for Public Assistance (PA) in Category C, which covers permanent repair or replacement of eligible non-federal-aid roads and bridges. For a detailed description of PA categories, see http://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-eligible-work.

The FEMA portion of the project will comprise the 75 percent federal cost-share to reconstruct the bridge, which is estimated to cost a total of $9,233,065. The remaining 25 percent non-federal share will be paid by the Commonwealth.

FEMA manages the program, approves grants and provides technical assistance to the Commonwealth and applicants. The Commonwealth educates potential applicants, works with FEMA to manage the program and is responsible for implementing and monitoring the grants awarded under the program. Local officials are responsible for identifying damage, providing information necessary for FEMA to approve grants and managing each project funded under the program.

For a list of frequently asked questions about the federal PA process, see http://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-frequently-asked-questions.

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. FEMA Region III’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts are available at http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary and www.youtube.com/fema. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion3.

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Nearly $7 Million in Federal Funds Approved to Reconstruct Hurricane Irene-Destroyed Bridge in Wyoming County

For Sandy, a Huge Response from the New York Community

NEW YORK – The Met Council distributed 170,000 pounds of food and prepared 85,000 meals.

A rock climbing gym in Brooklyn became a staging ground for first responders.

Taxicabs in New York are displaying disaster assistance information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

All over New York, the whole community is responding to those who lost homes, cars, possessions and a sense of security after Hurricane Sandy swept over the region.

“New York is made up of neighborhoods,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer Michael F. Byrne, a New Yorker himself. “Every neighborhood is distinctly different, with different traditions, dialects and sense of community.”

That sense of community, in this case, is greatly expanded. It involves FEMA, other federal, state and local agencies, the private sector, voluntary groups and faith-based organizations.

“FEMA is not the team,” Byrne said. “FEMA is part of a much larger team, one that represents every aspect of the community. Individuals, groups and government agencies all came together to respond and begin recovery. This disaster was so immense that it required a massive effort by thousands of people. Those people are still at work, and will be for a long time.”

Some examples of the team effort:

Russian-speaking storm survivors in Brighton Beach and Coney Island came to FEMA
Disaster recovery centers to seek assistance and wound up volunteering to stay and translate for other Russian-speaking survivors.
A woman lost her job and her basement apartment after the storm. She found another job as a caregiver and was sleeping on her client’s couch. She came to a recovery center and was able to get transitional housing and legal assistance with the help of the American Red Cross, FEMA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division is operating a hotline
(800-699-5636), coordinating with FEMA and the Legal Services Corporation to provide information and help to Sandy survivors.
Sandy survivors are being given priority for 2,500 vacant apartments by private landlords in New York City, under an agreement between property owners and government officials.
The Humane Society of the United States partnered with the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management, Nassau County SPCA, the North Shore Animal League and the Pet Safe Coalition to care for nearly 300 pets daily in an emergency shelter on Long Island.
More than 500 survivors with access and functional needs are being assisted by FEMA specialists. Some Disaster Recovery Centers are using iPads to help survivors with speech disability or hearing loss. The iPads have a Skype app that can provide video relay to help the survivor with the assistance process.
The private sector displayed FEMA disaster assistance information on large screens at Times Square, Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Lincoln Center, movie theaters and taxicabs, increasing public awareness of disaster assistance information.

More than 500 voluntary organizations have participated in the effort, including NY Cares, NY Disaster Interfaith Services, National Latino Evangelical Coalition, American Red Cross, The Salvation Army and Mennonite Disaster Services, among others.

Federal partners have involved FEMA, Small Business Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, Department of Agriculture, Department of Homeland Security, General Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy and Department of Justice, to name a few.

In many cases, it requires a coordinated effort by several organizations to deliver assistance to people in need.

After the storm, a Five Towns family lost their home to fire, caused by a candle when the power was out. They registered with FEMA and were staying in an aunt’s living room on the floor. The wife gave birth and, with three other children, the family needed a place to stay. The father found an apartment but had no money because he was out of work.

A FEMA Community Relations team directed the family to a distribution center, where they received blankets, cots, baby formula, food and water. The FEMA team contacted a faith-based organization and a community center, both of which provided rent money. The family found an apartment and was being processed for FEMA assistance.

To join the whole community effort, FEMA encourages volunteers and donors to work directly with our nonprofit partners to ensure that survivors’ needs are addressed in the most effective and efficient way. For online links to those organizations, visit:

www.fema.gov/hurricane-sandy-donate-and-volunteer

www.serve.gov

www.nycservice.org

www.newyorkcares.com

Storm survivors who need assistance can register with FEMA online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. They may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) can call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day seven days a week until further notice.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/SandyNY, www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

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For Sandy, a Huge Response from the New York Community

Debris Removal on Track

NEW YORK – The partnership between New York State, New York City, other municipalities, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has made significant progress in removing the massive amounts of debris left by Hurricane Sandy. To date, along with private contractors, they have removed in excess of four million cubic yards of debris from New York City’s five boroughs and Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester counties.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program has approved more than $17 million to reimburse Nassau County for 75 percent of the costs of overtime for 270 employees and the rental of heavy duty wood chippers to reduce the volume of the debris. Approved this week is a $2.2 million reimbursement to supplement the $15 million approved for the county in November. More Public Assistance funding is anticipated to offset county costs for debris removal and disposal.

Strong winds and heavy rains from Hurricane Sandy brought down trees, tree limbs and power lines throughout the New York area. Collecting and clearing out piles of debris has been one of the most difficult and time-consuming challenges of the recovery. But despite this, the debris piles are disappearing.

After collection, debris is trucked to staging areas where it is inspected, separated into categories and disposed of in the safest manner possible. To reduce the amount of material going into landfills, the Army Corps of Engineers, in cooperation with the New York City’s Sanitation Department, is looking at alternate ways of using the vegetative debris (wood, tree branches, leaves and other organic matter) that will be of benefit to the communities.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program reimburses state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations 75 percent of eligible debris removal costs. The remaining 25 percent is provided by non-federal funds. The state forwards the federal funds to the eligible local governments or organizations that incurred costs.

For debris removal to be eligible, the damage must be direct result of Hurricane Sandy, and the work must be necessary to:

Eliminate an immediate threat to lives, public health and safety,
Eliminate immediate threats of significant damage to improved public and private property when the measures are cost effective, or
Ensure the economic recovery of the affected community to the benefit of the community-at-large.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/SandyNY, www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

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Debris Removal on Track

Change Announced for Staten Island Disaster Recovery Center

NEW YORK – Hurricane Sandy survivors in Staten Island have until 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, to visit the Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at Borough Hall.

The center is at 10 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301. It has been open since Nov. 10 and has provided face-to-face information and help to more than 650 hurricane survivors since then. The center will be open until 6 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

The state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency closely monitor visitor traffic at all New York Disaster Recovery Centers. When traffic slows, a center may change its hours to reflect the fact that most information needs of storm survivors in the area are being met.

Other Disaster Recovery Centers in Staten Island are located at:

Miller Field
600 New Dorp Lane
Staten Island, NY 10306
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon-Sat
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sun

Kia in Staten Island
1976 Hylan Blvd.
Staten Island, NY 10306
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon-Sat

Additional options for hurricane survivors include:

Individuals can register for help online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. They may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. People who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) can call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

Federal disaster assistance for individuals and families can include money for rental assistance, essential home repairs, personal property losses and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/SandyNY, www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

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Change Announced for Staten Island Disaster Recovery Center

Individual Assistance Added for Somerset County

HUNT VALLEY, Md. – Federal Emergency Management Agency officials today announced that Individual Assistance has been authorized for Somerset County under President Obama’s disaster declaration for Hurricane Sandy.

Homeowners and renters may be eligible for grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other disaster-related expenses, as well as low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. SBA disaster loans also are available to businesses of all sizes and to nonprofit organizations.

Residents and business owners in Somerset County can register for Individual Assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling FEMA’s toll-free registration number 800-621-FEMA (3362). The TTY number is 800-462-7585. Smartphone users can go to m.fema.gov.

Survivors who receive SBA disaster loan applications, after registering with FEMA, must complete and submit them to SBA to be considered for assistance that covers the repair or replacement of personal property, including vehicles. Applicants who do not qualify for an SBA loan may be eligible to receive Other Needs Assistance grants for medical, dental and funeral expenses.

For more information about this disaster, go to www.fema.gov/disaster/4091.

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Individual Assistance Added for Somerset County

Learn Rebuilding Techniques at Stores in East Haven, Fairfield and Orange

WINDSOR, Conn. – Outreach teams from FEMA will be at The Home Depot stores in East Haven, Fairfield and Orange this weekend to explain techniques that may reduce potential damage to homes, businesses and property from future storms and flooding.

Mitigation specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will offer “how-to” information for retrofitting buildings and elevating utilities. Specialists can also provide cleanup tips for removing mold and mildew from a storm-damaged home.

FEMA teams will be at the following locations from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, and Sunday, Dec. 16:

The Home Depot – 75 Frontage Road, East Haven, CT 06512
The Home Depot – 541 Kings Highway Cutoff, Fairfield, CT 06824
The Home Depot – 440 Boston Post Road, Orange, CT 06477

Information will include instructions on how to:

Relocate circuit breaker panels, outlets and switches above potential floodwaters;
Move washer and dryer hookups to a higher floor;
Elevate furnaces and water heaters; and
Prevent sewer backups with a backflow valve.

More information on ways to protect your home from future disasters is available at www.fema.gov/safer-stronger-protected-homes-communities.

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 800-621-3362. For TTY, call 800-462-7585.

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Learn Rebuilding Techniques at Stores in East Haven, Fairfield and Orange

Tune in to a Weather Radio for the Holidays

WINDSOR, Conn. — With the holidays approaching, shoppers may want to consider a gift that can make a difference for the whole family — a weather radio.

Weather radios transmit alerts of severe weather and dangerous conditions. They broadcast National Weather Service forecasts, severe weather warnings and watches on impending natural hazards 24 hours a day over the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration radio network. Messages are also available in Spanish.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends that consumers purchase a weather radio developed by NOAA and the Consumer Electronics Association. Radios with the Public Alert logo meet certain technical standards.

Weather radios are available at electronics stores and online at prices ranging from $20 to $200. They can be portable or desktop models. NOAA recommends the following features:

A special alarm tone to alert you to severe weather even if the audio is off;

Specific Alert Message Encoding to allow you to choose alerts for your geographic area only;
The ability to select certain types of events and block others;
A hand crank, battery or solar-powered radio that will operate during electrical outages;
National Weather Service frequency tuning; and
External or wireless output for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or blind, allowing connection to an alarm or other attention-getting device, such as a personal computer or text printer.

More information is available online at www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr. The link has a list of frequencies used for NWS weather alerts.

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Tune in to a Weather Radio for the Holidays

Public Assistance Mitigation Funds Can Help Break Cycle of Repetitive Loss

WINDSOR, Conn. — While the Federal Emergency Management Agency expects to help the state pay for repairing infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Sandy, FEMA can also help cover the costs of rebuilding critical infrastructure to a stronger, safer standard.

The work is known as mitigation, which is intended to break the cycle of damage and reduce repetitive losses.

“Studies show that every dollar spent on mitigation saves $4 down the road by preventing disaster-related damage and loss,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Albert Lewis.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program helps local governments and certain private, nonprofit organizations pay for eligible disaster-related costs for debris removal, emergency protective measures and repair or restoration of public infrastructure. FEMA provides a minimum of 75 percent of the cost of repairs.

Generally, the PA program restores disaster-damaged infrastructure to pre-disaster conditions. However, where cost-effective and technically feasible, additional funding can be approved to restore the facility to a higher standard and make it more disaster-resistant.

Such projects can include:

Increasing the size of culverts under bridges and roadways to allow floodwaters to flow through without damage;
Armoring riverbanks with stone to forestall erosion; and
Constructing gated floodwalls to prevent the inundation of structures or neighborhoods.

Eligible applicants for Public Assistance funding and mitigation include state agencies, local and county governments, tribal nations and nonprofit agencies that provide essential services. As part of the federal assistance application process, FEMA and the state help applicants identify projects that qualify for mitigation funding.

FEMA and its state partners are encouraging applicants to take advantage of mitigation funding to help reduce repetitive losses from disasters.

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Public Assistance Mitigation Funds Can Help Break Cycle of Repetitive Loss

FEMA Application Deadline Extended

NEW YORK – The deadline for Hurricane Sandy survivors in 13 designated New York counties to register for Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster assistance has been extended to January 28, 2013.

The extension agreed upon by the state and FEMA is for survivors living in disaster-designated individual assistance counties: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Westchester.

Individuals can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov.

Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. Applicants who use 7-1-1 Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) may call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4085, http://twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

FEMA Application Deadline Extended

FEMA Opens Flood Response Office for Connecticut Flood Insurance Policyholders

National Flood Insurance policyholders who suffered damage from Hurricane Sandy and who have questions about their flood insurance claims can get help from a new office in Meriden.

Those with questions about their homeowners insurance, which does not cover flood-related claims, should direct their inquiries to the state Insurance Department.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program has opened a Flood Response Office to service both National Flood Insurance Program policyholders and the agents who write those policies.

The Flood Response Office is located at 1064 E. Main St., Meriden, CT 06450. Operating hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, until further notice. The contact person at the office is NFIP General Adjuster Jim Cavazos. The office will remain open for as long as there is a need for the service.

The Flood Response Office will coordinate with insurance companies that write flood policies and the NFIP Direct Servicing Agent to provide guidance, define the scope of coverage, assist with the reinspection of losses and answer policyholders’ questions. The office number is 203-634-1118.

The Connecticut Insurance Department has a number that policyholders can call if they are having issues with their insurance companies related to homeowners insurance claims or other insurance matters in the wake of Sandy. Call the Consumer Helpline at 860-297-3900 or 800- 203-3447.

Policyholders can also email their questions or complaints to the Insurance Department at: cid.ca@ct.gov or visit the Department’s Web site at http://ct.gov/cid

For more information on National Flood Insurance, visit www.floodsmart.gov.

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FEMA Opens Flood Response Office for Connecticut Flood Insurance Policyholders

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