After the Storm: How Texans Can Replace Lost or Damaged Documents

AUSTIN, Texas – Disasters such as floods and tornadoes commonly result in the loss of important documents. While it can seem like a daunting task, the good news for Texans is that many official papers and vital records are relatively easy to replace.

Survivors of October’s severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding, who have registered and applied for federal disaster assistance, should keep their personal information updated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) throughout the recovery process. Supplying copies of important documentation is a necessary part of registering with FEMA. Applicants should share any change of address, telephone and bank account numbers and insurance information with FEMA to keep that information up to date.

Check the list below to find out where to obtain official copies of your lost or damaged documents.

SNAP Card (Food Stamps):
Phone: 800-777-7328
Website: https://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/providers/LoneStar/EBT/EBThowto.html

Green Cards:
Phone: 800-375-5283
Website: http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/replace-green-card

Birth and death certificates:
Phone: 888-963-7111
Website: https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/vs/reqproc/default.shtm

Texas Driver License:
Phone: 512-424-2600
Website: https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/replace.htm

Bank Checks, ATM/Debit Cards, or Safe Deposit Boxes:
Phone: 877-275-3342
Website: www.fdic.gov

Credit Cards: Contact the issuing institution:

Texans in the following counties may register for disaster assistance for damage or losses sustained during the period Oct. 22 to Oct. 31: Bastrop, Brazoria, Caldwell, Cameron, Comal, Galveston, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Hays, Hidalgo, Liberty, Navarro, Travis, Willacy and Wilson.

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

For more information on Texas recovery, visit the disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4245, Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website, https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.

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All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. 

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

Visit www.fema.gov/texas-disaster-mitigation for publications and reference material on rebuilding and repairing safer and stronger.

Original source:

After the Storm: How Texans Can Replace Lost or Damaged Documents

FEMA Releases Severe El Nino Disaster Response Plan

FEMA Releases Severe El Nino Disaster Response Plan

 For California, Arizona, Nevada

Combined Federal, State task force to meet today at Governor’s Office of Emergency Services

 

Sacramento Calif., —  The FEMA Region 9 office, in Oakland, CA has established an El Niño task force charged with preparing the regional office and its partners for the impacts of El Niño.  Today, the FEMA Region 9 Office released its Severe El Nino Disaster Response plan and will convene a regional interagency steering committee meeting in Northern California to exercise the plan.

The task force has evaluated the core capabilities needed to prepare for, respond to, recover from and mitigate against any El Niño related incident that occurs across the office’s area of responsibility. The task force has developed an Executive Decision Support Guide, or response plan, and an interactive flood decision support tool to enhance the regional office’s ability to respond to potential El Niño flood events during the winter of 2015-2016. The plan seeks to align actionable decision points that provide critical information that leaders need to make informed decisions by determining the hazard level potentially impacting lives, public health, safety, property, and critical infrastructure.

The objectives of the task force developed in the plan:

  • Establish actionable processes and procedures to identify the location, potential impacts, and probability of occurrence of natural hazards
  • Identify key at-risk populations, critical facilities and natural/cultural resources
  • Identify gaps in core capabilities needed to overcome the threat
  • Develop key messages to motivate partners to prepare and act

The task force consists of subject matter experts from the FEMA Region 9 office as well as other federal, state, local, tribal and community partners.

“California is at risk for many types of disasters,” said Mark Ghilarducci, Director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.  “These joint exercises with our partners allow us to prepare for and respond to emergencies.”

“Utilizing a ‘whole community’ approach to emergency management reinforces the fact that FEMA is only one part of our nation’s emergency management team,” said Bob Fenton, FEMA Region 9 Administrator. “The exercise gives us an opportunity to learn from each other, and from the experts in the areas where solutions will come from.”

“There aren’t many types of disasters capable of impacting all Arizonans, but a strong El Niño could cause flooding, evacuations and power outages anywhere (and everywhere) in the state,” said Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs Deputy Director Wendy Smith-Reeve. “It takes a team effort to plan for, respond to and recover from the kinds of widespread consequences being talked about, which is why we’re invested in the education and training of and outreach to the whole community.”

FEMA recognizes that a government-centric approach to emergency management is not adequate to meet the challenges posed by a catastrophic incident.  Utilizing a “whole community” approach to emergency management reinforces that FEMA is only one part of our nation’s emergency management team.

The El Nino task force has focused on interpreting data in areas of California, Arizona and Nevada that have proved historically vulnerable in order to develop risk projections of current El Niño events.  It is through this assessment the task force seeks to determine the critical decision points needed by senior leaders during all phases of an incident from pre-incident, incident onset, through response and recovery.

Today, the FEMA Region 9 Office will participate in a Rehearsal of Concept (ROC) exercise with its disaster response partners to exercise the response plan and its flood decision support tools.  During this exercise, participants will identify issues, gaps and shortfalls that will be incorporated to enhance the plan’s utility.  The task force will leverage best available data from predictive modeling and other analytical tools to keep senior decision makers informed throughout potential El Niño events.  The efforts undertaking by the task force during the ROC will enable the FEMA Region 9 Office, its partners and ultimately the disaster survivor to make intelligent decisions for any El Niño related event.

 

Link to article: 

FEMA Releases Severe El Nino Disaster Response Plan

FEMA Mitigation Experts Continue Outreach in Moses Lake and Yakima

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Federal Emergency Management Agency mitigation experts will be available this week at home improvement stores in Moses Lake and next week in Yakima to provide information about ways to rebuild or remodel that can reduce the risk of damages from wildfire, flooding, flash flooding, and other disasters.

They will also be there to answer questions about FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program.

Rebuilding or repairing a home after a disaster can be a daunting task – but, with the right information, homeowners can build back safer, smarter and stronger.

Homeowners and contractors can learn more at the following locations in Moses Lake from Tuesday, Sept. 16 through Sunday, Sept. 21. They will be at these locations from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.:

  • Home Depot, 980 W. Central Drive, Moses Lake, WA 98837
  • Lowe’s, 1400 E. Yonezawa Blvd., Moses Lake, WA 98837

Next week, FEMA mitigation experts will be in Yakima from Tuesday, Sept. 23 through Sunday, Sept. 28. They will be at these locations from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.:

  • Home Depot, 2115 S. First St., Yakima, WA 98903
  • Lowe’s, 2235 Longfibre Ave., Yakima, WA 98903

Online help is also available at the following websites:

The official site of the National Flood Insurance Program.

For low-cost measures to reduce risk from natural disasters, building and retrofitting tips.

The Washington Military Department’s Emergency Management Division is responsible for administering federal disaster recovery programs on behalf of the state. The Department’s mission is to minimize the impact of emergencies and disasters on people, property, environment, and the economy of Washington State; provide trained and ready forces for state and federal missions; and provide structured alternative education opportunities for at-risk youth.

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 link – 

FEMA Mitigation Experts Continue Outreach in Moses Lake and Yakima