CHICAGO, Ill.—The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that $2,389,648 has been made available to the Ohio Department Of Natural Resources in federal disaster aid.

On October 29-30, 2012, strong winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge associated with Hurricane Sandy caused severe damages to Gordon Park. FEMA grant funding is being made available as part of recovery efforts in response to President Obama’s federal disaster declaration of January 3, 2013, as a result of the October storms.

“Ensuring that essential services are restored and facilities are repaired is part of our continuing commitment to help the residents of Ohio recover from this disaster,” said FEMA Region V Administrator, Andrew Velasquez III.

Gordon Park is a public park owned by the city of Cleveland.  The city leases the park to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.  The park was opened in 1893 and is situated on 122 acres of land adjacent to Lake Erie.

As sub-grantee, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources plans to restore the park to its pre-disaster design, function and capacity. The grant will cover labor, equipment and materials to repair aluminum handrail pieces and posts, steel inspection plates, a concrete sidewalk and shoreline protection.  

Under Public Assistance Program funding, which will be administered by Ohio Emergency Management Agency (OEMA), FEMA provides a 75 percent federal share of eligible reimbursable expenses for this project. The federal share of the FEMA grant will provide $1,792,236 with the remaining $597,412 paid by the state and applicant. 

FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides funding to local government jurisdictions and eligible private non-profits for the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged infrastructure as well as costs incurred for debris removal, disaster cleanup and emergency actions taken to protect lives or property. The federal share of recovery costs is 75 percent. The remaining share is the responsibility of the state and local government or non-profit organization.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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

OEMA Contact:  Tamara McBride, (614) 799-3695

 

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Ohio Department of Natural Resources Receives $2,389,648 Grant for Gordon Park

CHICAGO—The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that $1,530,928.28 has been made available to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in federal disaster aid for repairs to a historic bridge in Carlton County, Minn.

The swinging bridge, located in Jay Cooke State Park sustained damages during the June 14 – 21, 2012 severe storms and flooding. The 220 foot long swinging pedestrian bridge was originally built in 1923 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Flooding damaged the deck, railing, chain link fencing, suspension cables and three of the supporting concrete piers.

The FEMA funds are available as part of recovery efforts as a result of President Obama’s federal disaster declaration of July 6, 2012. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) will administer funds to the DNR.

“The swinging bridge is a historically significant structure in Minnesota,” said Andrew Velasquez III, regional administrator, FEMA Region V.  “We have worked closely with Minnesota HSEM and DNR to provide grant funding for repairs to this important structure, as well as other essential infrastructure damaged as a result of this disaster.”

Repairs will also include a modification to accommodate American Disabilities Act requirements for a turnaround on the south approach to the bridge.

FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides funding to local government jurisdictions and eligible private non-profits for the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged infrastructure as well as costs incurred for disaster cleanup or emergency actions taken to protect lives or property. The federal share of recovery costs is 75 percent. The remaining share is the responsibility of the state and local government or non-profit organization.

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. 

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

 

 

 

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FEMA and HSEM Provide More Than $1.5 Million Combined for Historic Bridge Repair

TRENTON, N.J. — FEMA, in conjunction with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration has launched its second annual National Severe Weather Preparedness Week. This week focuses on you, your family and your community being prepared in the event of a disaster.

Each year people are killed or injured due to hurricanes, blizzards or other natural disasters despite early warnings. In 2012, there were more than 450 weather-related fatalities and nearly 2,600 injuries.

Putting together a disaster supply kit is essential to making sure that your family has the provisions needed for each individual. Some kits may need additional items if there are seniors or infants in the house.

Developing an emergency plan is the groundwork for your family to prepare itself if a disaster strikes without warning. Collect information from FEMA and your local emergency management offices

and gather your family members and discuss the information to put in the plan. After the plan is in place, exchange contact information and make sure that it remains current.

As FEMA and other federal partners can support, individuals can contribute to preparing themselves and their community for severe weather in their area. After Sandy, countless New Jerseyans have given their time to helping strangers with anything from providing food and water to clearing debris from the streets. It is this “How can I help?” attitude that speeds up the recovery process and leads to a stronger, more resilient community.

Just as important, NOAA suggests that everyone not only be prepared but inspire others to do the same. NOAA’s “Be a Force of Nature” toolkit offers a variety of ways you can help spread the word among your friends and neighbors to always be prepared for severe weather.

Visit ready.gov/severe-weather or noaa.gov/wrn to learn more about severe weather and to be better prepared.

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

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

Follow FEMA online at 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.

Link: 

NOAA, FEMA Launch National Severe Weather Preparedness Week

ATLANTA – New flood insurance rate maps will soon go into effect in metro Atlanta for communities in the Upper Chattahoochee River Region, specifically in Cobb, Douglas, Forsyth, Gwinnett, DeKalb and Fulton counties.  

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources have been working with county and municipal governments over the last several years to incorporate the best available data into these flood maps. The ultimate goal of the maps is to protect property owners and communities by showing the extent of flood risk in their areas. Flood maps also help to determine flood insurance rating and building requirements.

Flood maps for Cobb, Douglas, Forsyth and Gwinnett counties will be effective on March 4, 2013; maps for DeKalb County will be effective in May, and maps for Fulton County will be effective in September. Coweta County’s flood maps were effective earlier this month. If you live in an area with a new map, visit www.GeorgiaDFIRM.com to find your flood risk online. You can also contact your local floodplain manager with questions about the new maps, and to learn more about flood risks in your community.  

These updated maps are more precise than older maps because better flood hazard and risk data has been incorporated, and the latest science has been used to make them more accurate. Flood risks change over time due to construction, development, environmental changes, floodplain widening or shifting, and other factors. These changes send water flowing in new directions, creating flood risks that didn’t exist previously—precisely why flood maps must be updated periodically. 

The historic September 2009 flooding in North Georgia is a reminder of how devastating disasters can be.  We may not know when the next one will strike, but we can protect ourselves by knowing what risks exist in our communities, and to prepare for them. 

By law, federally regulated or insured mortgage lenders require flood insurance on properties that are located in areas at high risk of flooding. Even people living in lower risk areas can experience flooding, which is the most common and costly natural disaster in the U.S. In fact, about 25 percent of flood insurance claims occur in lower risk flood zones.

Regardless of flood zone, everyone should take steps to financially protect themselves from a flood disaster which affects far too many communities each year. The primary way to do this is by purchasing flood insurance. Since standard homeowner’s, business owner’s, and renter’s insurance doesn’t cover flood damage, flood insurance is an important consideration for everyone. 

Flood insurance is available through the National Flood Insurance Program, a voluntary program administered by the FEMA. You can purchase flood insurance policies from state-licensed property and casualty insurance agents who you deal with for other property insurance needs, or visit www.floodsmart.gov to locate an agent. 

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.

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New Flood Maps Show Updated Flood Risks Throughout Upper Chattahoochee River Region

ATLANTA – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that a grant of more than $2.7 million will be awarded to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources in support of its floodplain mapping program.

FEMA will provide $2,784,000 in federal funds toward projects to improve existing flood insurance rate maps and flood risk data, which will strengthen local communities’ ability to understand and communicate their flood risk and make informed decisions about flood risk reduction.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources will develop and support production of updated flood risk data for several watersheds throughout the state including the Upper Chattahoochee Watershed that includes portions of Dawson, Habersham, Hall, Lumpkin and White Counties; the Etowah Watershed that includes portions of Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Dawson, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Lumpkin, Paulding, Pickens and Polk counties; the Appalachicola Watershed that includes portions of Decatur County; and the Upper Suwannee Watershed that includes portions of Charlton, Clinch, Echols and Ware counties.  Funding will also be used for the development of coastal flood risk data for portions of Bryan, Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long and McIntosh counties.  

Flood maps and flood risk data are being updated for communities across the country with the ultimate goal of protecting property owners and the community from the risks associated with flooding. This is a collaborative process, during which FEMA works closely with states and local communities to incorporate the latest and most accurate information into flood risk products.

Flood risks can change over time due to factors such as construction and development, environmental changes, floodplain widening or shifting, and other natural or manmade changes—which is why it’s important that flood maps and flood risk data are updated periodically to reflect these changes. Additionally, the information developed for these projects will be more precise because the latest science available is applied in gathering flood risk data and creating flood maps.

Updated flood maps and flood risk data will ultimately assist local area governments in planning for future development and rebuilding efforts.

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.

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FEMA Grants More Than $2.7 Million To Georgia To Update Flood Maps And Flood Risk Data

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