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Galena Disaster Recovery Center to Close Sundays

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The state and federal Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Galena has new hours of operation.

Located in the Galena Interior Learning Academy at 359 Challenger Road, the center has been operating Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to noon on Sundays.

Starting Sunday, July 28, 2013, the center will no longer operate on Sundays. It will, however, remain open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

The center is staffed by disaster recovery specialists who can provide information and answer questions about flood-related assistance for individuals, households, and businesses affected by the 2013 spring floods.

Those with losses due to flooding between May 17 and June 11, 2013, in the Regional Educational Attendance Areas (REAAs) eligible for Individual Assistance are encouraged to register with FEMA by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or online at DisasterAssistance.gov. The eligible REAAs are Alaska Gateway, Lower Yukon, Yukon Flats, and Yukon-Koyukuk.

Registration by mobile device is also available at www.m.fema.gov. Those with a speech disability or hearing loss who use TTY can call 800-462-7585 (TTY). Multilingual registration can be done by phone.

Staff at the recovery centers can review and update applicant information and address individual questions and concerns.

Affected individuals who have not yet registered by phone or online can also register at the DRC. If you intend to register at the center, please bring:

Your Social Security number
Current and pre-disaster address
Block and lot number
A telephone number where you can be contacted
Insurance information
Total household annual income
A routing and account number from your bank (only necessary if you want to have disaster assistance funds transferred directly into your bank account). Look up your bank routing number.
A description of your losses that were caused by the disaster.

FEMA disaster assistance may include awards to help pay for housing, replace personal property and other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance. Assistance may also include low-interest federal disaster loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA).

SBA offers disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, nonprofit organizations for their uncompensated losses. Homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace their primary residence. Homeowners and renters may borrow up to $40,000 to replace personal property. Businesses may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace their disaster-damaged property and/or economic losses.

There are three ways to apply for an SBA disaster loan: After registering with FEMA, go online to SBA’s secure site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela; call 1-800-659-2955 (deaf and hard-of-hearing call 1-800-877-8339); or, visit the DRC for one-on-one service. For more information on SBA disaster assistance, go to www.sba.gov.

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Galena Disaster Recovery Center to Close Sundays

FEMA Extends Registration Deadline

AURORA, Ill. – FEMA has extended the registration deadline by 15 days to August 8, 2013. Affected residents of 35 counties covered in the Illinois disaster declaration for severe storms and flooding are encouraged to register with FEMA.

Federal assistance is only available for individuals who incurred damage in a designated county as a result of storms and flooding that occurred during the period of April 16 to May 5. If you incurred damage as a result of a storm that occurred before April 16 or after May 5, you are not eligible for assistance. Registering for assistance for damages sustained as a result of a storm that occurred before April 16 or after May 5 could be considered fraudulent, and you could face recoupment of grant money you receive and/or fraud charges.

Counties designated for individual assistance for this disaster declaration are: Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Clark, Cook, Crawford, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Fulton, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Kane, Kendall, Knox, Lake, LaSalle, Livingston, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, Peoria, Pike, Putnam, Rock Island, Schuyler, Stark, Tazewell, Warren, Whiteside, Will, Winnebago, and Woodford.

Individual Assistance for homeowners and renters can include grants to help pay for temporary rental assistance and other serious disaster-related expenses not met by insurance or other assistance programs. Assistance for homeowners also can include grants for home repair. Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance.

Individuals affected by the storms and flooding that occurred in the designated counties during the period of April 16 to May 5 can register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants 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. For more information, visit the Illinois Disaster website www.fema.gov/disaster/4116. Multilingual phone operators are available on the FEMA helpline. Choose Option 2 for Spanish and Option 3 for other languages.

SBA low-interest disaster loans may be available for homeowners, renters, businesses and private non-profit organizations of all sizes to repair or replace real estate, contents and/or personal property damaged in the severe storms and flooding. Information and assistance from SBA is available at 1-800-659-2955, (TTY) 1-800-877-8339 or online at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.

Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/femaregion5, 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.

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FEMA Extends Registration Deadline

FEMA Presents its Publication Detailing the History of Building Elevation in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS – Federal Emergency Management Agency historic preservation specialists will discuss the recent publication, The History of Building Elevation in New Orleans, on Monday, July 29, 2013, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center, 4300 South Broad Street in New Orleans’ Broadmoor neighborhood.

“Home and building elevations are a part of New Orleans’ history, dating back to the founding of the city; however, until now, very little has been written about it,” said FEMA Louisiana Recovery Office Executive Director Mike Womack. “Following Hurricane Katrina, FEMA has worked with the state and city to comply with federal historic preservation laws while protecting their residents by elevating above floodwaters. As part of the process, The History of Building Elevation in New Orleans was created.”

FEMA produced this book to offset effects to historic properties caused by FEMA-funded grants as required by the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106. All federally funded projects must follow these regulations under NHPA as well as other environmental laws and executive orders.

Written and produced by URS Group in close collaboration with FEMA historic preservation staff and the Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office, the book lays out a broad historical perspective on the topic of elevation from its inception in the city of New Orleans to present day.

Local collections and archives were instrumental in the development of this book, including the New Orleans Public Library and Archives, the Historic New Orleans Collection and the Louisiana State Museum and Archives. Additionally, long-time New Orleans elevation businesses provided information not available elsewhere.

An electronic version of the book is available at www.fema.gov/latro under Program Updates.

Editors: For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/latro. Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/femalro, blog.fema.gov, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. 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 Presents its Publication Detailing the History of Building Elevation in New Orleans

Federal Disaster Aid to Illinois Residents Tops $139 Million

AURORA, Ill. – Federal assistance in Illinois has reached more than $139 million, distributed among more than 57,000 individuals and households, since a major disaster was declared for storms and flooding that occurred April 16 through May 5.

The latest summary of federal assistance includes:

More than $139 million in FEMA grants approved for individuals and households;
Of that amount, more than $120 million has been approved for housing assistance, including temporary rental assistance and home repair costs;
More than $19 million has been approved to cover other essential disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses and damaged personal possessions;
More than 83,000 home inspections have been completed to confirm disaster damage;
More than $40 million in loans to homeowners, renters or business owners has been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

To register or to ask questions about your claim, call 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585. Residents can also register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services should call 800-621-3362. All phone lines are open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Those with storm damage who do not register are disqualifying themselves from any possible assistance if their insurance settlement is not enough.

Those owning homes or businesses in areas that flood frequently may be required to elevate, relocate or demolish the structures to prevent future loss. The National Flood Insurance Program’s standard flood insurance policies will pay up to $30,000 of the eligible costs under the increased cost of compliance (ICC) coverage.

To qualify for ICC, the NFIP-insured structure must be located in a Special Flood Hazard Area and the cost to repair the structure must equal or exceed 50 percent of its market value prior to the flood damage.

Another way to qualify is if your community has a more restrictive floodplain management ordinance provision that requires damaged buildings to be brought into compliance when the cost exceeds a threshold lower than 50 percent, or by calculating the cost to repair cumulatively over a period of time, for buildings that are damaged repetitively.

The insurance agent that sold you flood insurance and your local building official can provide more information.

FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Federal Disaster Aid to Illinois Residents Tops $139 Million

Federal Aid Programs for the State of Missouri Declaration

Main Content

Release date:

July 19, 2013

Release Number:

HQ-13-077Factsheet

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama’s disaster declaration issued for the State of Missouri.

Assistance for the State, Tribal and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:

Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for removing debris from public areas and for emergency measures taken to save lives and protect property and public health. Emergency protective measures assistance is available to state, tribal and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas and similar publicly owned property, as well as certain private non-profit organizations engaged in community service activities. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state and local governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

How to Apply for Assistance:

Application procedures for state, tribal and local governments will be explained at a series of federal/state applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are paid through the state from funding provided by FEMA and other participating federal agencies.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders and 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.

Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts available at www.fema.gov/medialibrary and www.youtube.com/fema; follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fema and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fema.

Last Updated:

July 19, 2013 – 11:42

State/Tribal Government or Region:

Missouri

and

Region VII

Related Disaster:

Missouri Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding

Taken from:

Federal Aid Programs for the State of Missouri Declaration

State, FEMA Galena Disaster Recovery Center Has New Hours

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The state and federal Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Galena to assist individuals, households and businesses affected by the 2013 spring floods, has new hours of operation.

Located in the Galena Interior Learning Academy, 359 Challenger Road, the center provides
face-to-face help, currently from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week.

Starting Sunday, July 21, 2013, the new hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 12 noon Sunday.

The center is staffed by disaster recovery specialists who can provide information and answer questions about flood-related assistance.

Those with 2013 spring flooding losses are encouraged to register with FEMA by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or online at DisasterAssistance.gov. Registration by mobile device is also available at www.m.fema.gov. Those with a speech disability or hearing loss who use TTY can call 800-462-7585 (TTY). Multilingual registration can be done by phone.

Staff at the recovery centers can review and update applicant information and address individual questions and concerns.

Those individuals unable to register by phone or online may register at the DRC. If you intend to register at the center, please bring:

Your Social Security number
Current and pre-disaster address
Block and lot number
A telephone number where you can be contacted
Insurance information

Total household annual income

A routing and account number from your bank (only necessary if you want to have disaster assistance funds transferred directly into your bank account). Look up your bank routing number.
A description of your losses that were caused by the disaster.

FEMA disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for housing, replace personal property and reimburse medical, storage and other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or charities. Assistance may also include low-interest federal disaster loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA).

There are three ways to apply for an SBA disaster loan: After registering with FEMA, go online to SBA’s secure site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela; call 1-800-659-2955 (deaf and hard-of-hearing call 1-800-877-8339); or, visit the Disaster Recovery Center for one-on-one service. For more information on SBA disaster assistance, go to www.sba.gov.

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State, FEMA Galena Disaster Recovery Center Has New Hours

Giving Alabamians A Safe Place To Go

During the April 2011 tornadoes, Prattville, Ala. resident Ty Story took cover in a closet with his wife Becky and their three daughters using a mattress for extra protection.

“We were about a mile from where it hit,” he said of the EF-3 tornado that destroyed and damaged numerous homes in his community. “We knew it was close to us, but we couldn’t see it because our house is next to a tree line. But you could see all the trees going in different directions from the wind.”

Although the Story family and their home were undamaged, the devastation around their home and community made one decision very easy. They quickly became one of the 4,267 Alabama families to register for and receive an individual safe room grant from the state of Alabama funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s hazard mitigation program.

“The safety of Alabama’s residents was a main priority of Governor Bentley following the April 2011 storms,” said Alabama Emergency Management Agency Director Art Faulkner, whose agency administered the program. “Our directive was to assist every homeowner and municipality who submitted the required application within the deadline to ensure they would soon have a safe place to go.”

Following federally declared disasters, states are given grant money from FEMA, through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, to help their residents and communities be more resilient in preparation for future disasters. The April 27, 2011 event in Alabama resulted in 62 tornadoes creating a path of destruction more than 1,711 miles long and causing more than 250 deaths in the state.

Due to that devastation, the state was eligible for more than $70 million in mitigation funds.

“We knew we never wanted to face this situation again,” Faulkner said. “We wanted to give Alabama families and communities the resources they needed to be prepared.”

Because the state established priorities for mitigation projects early, FEMA was able to provide up-front funding for program management costs, allowing the state to hire and train grant reviewers early in the process. Then, as grant applications came in from communities throughout the state, reviewers were already in place to handle them.

In addition, FEMA committed staff to work in Alabama for nearly two years to help process the mitigation grant applications, said FEMA Region IV Administrator Phil May.

“A key component in Alabama’s recovery has been the state’s commitment to implement mitigation measures to lessen the impacts of future disasters,” he said. “This allowed FEMA and state staff to work hand-in-hand during the project application and approval process.”

The partnership between the federal and state government, along with the rapid ability to receive funding wasn’t lost on the Story family, whose storm shelter is now installed underground, through their garage. The family received 75 percent of the cost through the grant program.

“Having the peace of mind we have now? That’s just huge,” he said. “We knew we wanted one after seeing the damage. But when we heard about the program and getting reimbursement to do this, well that was just a no-brainer. With three girls in school, I’m just glad FEMA and Alabama made this decision.”

Another example of the unified effort was the FEMA and AEMA co-sponsored “Safer Alabama Summit” held in June 2011 on the University of Alabama’s campus, which allowed storm survivors and elected officials to learn more about the importance of mitigation activities and how to make informed decisions on their recovery. The summit led to numerous other mitigation-related outreach meetings and events throughout the state.

In addition to safe rooms and storm shelters, state officials also obligated money to fund generators for critical infrastructure, alert notification systems, and a project to harden portions of the Druid City Hospital’s trauma center in Tuscaloosa that also sustained damages.

Alabama Mitigation Priorities:

$63 million for 4,267 individual & 282 community safe rooms/storm shelters.
$3.6 million for alert notification systems.
$5 million for generators to critical infrastructure facilities.
$1.3 million to harden Druid City Hospital’s trauma center.

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Giving Alabamians A Safe Place To Go

Know How to Beat the Summer Heat

CHICAGO – The heat of summer is here, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) wants individuals and families to be safe when faced with extended periods of high temperatures.

“A combination of high temperatures and high humidity can be dangerous and even life-threatening for people who don’t take the proper precautions,” said Andrew Velasquez III, FEMA Regional Administrator. “Protect yourself by knowing what to do before and during a period of extreme heat.”

During extremely hot weather, you should take the following precautions:

Become familiar with the emergency plans of your community, school and workplace.
Stay indoors as much as possible and limit exposure to the sun.
Consider spending the warmest part of the day in public buildings that are air conditioned.
Eat well-balanced, light, and regular meals.
Drink plenty of water.
Dress in loose-fitting, lightweight, and light-colored clothes.
Check on family, friends, and neighbors who do not have air conditioning.
Never leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles.
Avoid strenuous work during the warmest part of the day.
Know the symptoms of heat-related illnesses and seek medical attention if your conditions are severe.

For more information and tips on being ready for extreme heat, visit www.fema.gov and http://www.ready.gov/heat.

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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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, 312-408-4455

Continued:

Know How to Beat the Summer Heat

FEMA Awards $1,093,748 Grant to City of Wood Dale: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish five flood prone structures

CHICAGO — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $1,093,748 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to the City of Wood Dale, Ill., for the acquisition and demolition of five residential structures located in the floodplain of Salt Creek. These structures have been damaged multiple times from past flooding and rain events.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce the risk of loss of life and property,” said FEMA Region V Administrator Andrew Velasquez III. “The acquisition of these homes permanently removes the structures from the floodplain and greatly reduces the financial impact on individuals and the community when future flooding occurs in this area.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the $1,458,330 eligible project cost. The remaining 25 percent of the funds, $364,582 will be provided by Wood Dale.

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.

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

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FEMA Awards $1,093,748 Grant to City of Wood Dale: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish five flood prone structures

One Week to Register for Disaster Assistance

Aurora, Ill. – Only one week remains for Illinoisans affected by the storms and flooding that took place from April 16 to May 5 to register for FEMA assistance. The deadline is Wednesday, July 24, 2013.

Some residents may have disqualified themselves for disaster assistance because of misinformation. Those who have received FEMA assistance in the past or have insurance should register anyway. Failure to register by the deadline will prevent possible eligibility for this disaster.

“We urge everyone who experienced storm damage during that period to register with FEMA to determine their eligibility for recovery of uninsured losses,” said W. Michael Moore, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer for the Illinois disaster declaration.

All it takes is one call to FEMA’s toll-free registration number, 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585. Multilingual phone operators are available on the FEMA registration lines. Choose Option 2 for Spanish and Option 3 for other languages.

Applicants also may register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services should call 800-621-3362. It is not necessary to visit a Disaster Recovery Center to register with FEMA

For more information visit the Illinois Disaster website www.fema.gov/disaster/4116.

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One Week to Register for Disaster Assistance

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