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Sikeston Home Improvement Store Offers Free FEMA Advice

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Sikeston home improvement store is teaming up with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide Southeast Missouri residents with free information, tips, and literature to prevent and lessen damage from disasters.

FEMA mitigation specialists will be available between Thursday, February 25 and Tuesday, March 1 to answer questions and offer home improvement tips on making homes stronger and safer. Most of the information is geared toward do-it-yourself work and general contractors.

Location:

Lowe’s at 1240 S. Main Street, Sikeston, MO 63801 (Scott County)

Times:

Thursday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Monday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Mitigation teams will also have free reference booklets on protecting your home from flood damage. More information about strengthening property can be found at www.fema.gov/what-mitigation.

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For breaking news about flood recovery, follow FEMA Region 7 on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion7 and turn on mobile notifications or visit the FEMA webpages dedicated to this disaster at www.fema.gov/disaster/4250.

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.

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).

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.

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Sikeston Home Improvement Store Offers Free FEMA Advice

Threat of Snow Means Prepare Now Before You Travel

CHICAGO — With a forecast that includes the potential for heavy snow and high winds, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region V encourages everyone to get prepared.

“If you must leave home in dangerous weather conditions, take precautions to get to your destination safely,” FEMA Region V Administrator Andrew Velasquez III said. “Taking simple steps to prepare before the storm not only keeps you safe, but others as well.”

Follow the instructions of state and local officials and listen to local radio or TV stations for updated emergency information. If you are told to stay off the roads, stay home, and when it is safe, check on your neighbors or friends nearby who may need assistance.

Find valuable tips to help you prepare for severe winter weather at www.ready.gov/winter-weather or download the free FEMA app, available for your Android, Apple or Blackberry device. Visit the site or download the app today so you have the information you need to prepare for severe winter weather.

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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Threat of Snow Means Prepare Now Before You Travel

Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Carroll, Crawford Counties, Arkansas

NORTH LITTLE ROCK – Joint federal/state disaster recovery centers are open in Carroll and Crawford counties to help those whose homes or businesses were affected by the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding Dec. 26, 2015 – Jan. 22, 2016.

Representatives from the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Small Business Administration and other agencies are at the centers to explain disaster assistance programs and help survivors apply for aid.

The centers are located:

Carroll County

Best Western – Eureka Inn
101 E. Van Buren
Eureka Springs, AR 72632

Crawford County

Former Arkansas Valley Electric Coop Building
615 E. Pointer Trail
Van Buren, AR 72956

Hours at both centers are from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sundays until further notice.

Those seeking disaster assistance should register with FEMA before going to a recovery center. To do so:

Call 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- and hearing-impaired. If you use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362.
Go to www.disasterassistance.gov.

The toll free lines operate from 7 a.m.to 10 p.m. local time, seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.

Each disaster recovery center has assistive technologies for people with disabilities. ASL interpreters are available at the DRCs by calling 1-800-621-3362.

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

Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available to help with residential and business losses not covered by insurance. The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the 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. Applying for these loans is also a way to qualify for other avenues of assistance.

For more information on SBA programs, 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.

Federal disaster assistance is available to eligible residents of Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Faulkner, Jackson, Jefferson, Lee, Little River, Perry, Sebastian and Sevier counties. Residents of those counties may visit any DRC.

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Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Carroll, Crawford Counties, Arkansas

FEMA, State Broadcasters, in Coordination with Emergency Managers Test the Emergency Alert System

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency managers and state broadcasters’ associations, will conduct a test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) in twenty-two states, two territories, and the District of Columbia on Wednesday, February 24, at 2:20 p.m. (Eastern).

Broadcasters from the following locations are voluntarily participating in the test: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Virginia. The EAS test is made available to radio, broadcast and cable television systems is and scheduled to last approximately one minute.

The test will verify the delivery and broadcast, and assess the readiness for distribution of a national-level test message. The message of the test will be similar to the regular monthly test message of EAS, normally heard and seen by the public: “This is a national test of the Emergency Alert System. This is only a test.”

The EAS test might also be seen and heard in states and tribes bordering the states participating in the test.

Public safety officials need to be sure that in times of an emergency or disaster they have methods and systems that will deliver urgent alerts and warnings to the public when needed. Periodic testing of public alert and warning systems is a way to assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a national message and determine what improvements in technologies need to be made.

More information on the Public Alert and Warning System and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) is available at www.fema.gov/ipaws or www.ready.gov/alerts.

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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.

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FEMA, State Broadcasters, in Coordination with Emergency Managers Test the Emergency Alert System

President Declares Disaster for State of Alaska

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of Alaska to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the area affected by a severe storm during the period of December 12-15, 2015.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by a severe storm in the Pribilof Islands Regional Education Attendance Area.

Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the entire State of Alaska.

Sharon Loper has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Loper said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Follow FEMA online at http://blog.fema.gov, 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.

More –

President Declares Disaster for State of Alaska

Residents Urged to Register for Disaster Assistance, Report Damage

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansans in Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Faulkner, Jackson, Jefferson, Lee, Little River, Perry, Sebastian, and Sevier counties who sustained uninsured or underinsured damage by the late winter storms, winds, and flooding can now apply for assistance from the state of Arkansas and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Both state and federal recovery officials are encouraging any resident of Arkansas who sustained damage as a result of these storms to register with FEMA to report their loss from the winter storm. Other counties may become eligible for disaster assistance if warranted by these damage reports.

Individuals and business owners can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. If you use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

FEMA Individual Assistance specialists in Arkansas are working side-by-side with their state counterparts to assist residents’ recovery efforts. Arkansans are urged to be practical, proactive and realistic during their recovery from the recent storms and tornadoes.

Arkansas and FEMA officials offer these tips and strategies for individuals facing new post-disaster realities:

Don’t wait. Applicants should contact their insurance agents as soon as possible;
Federal disaster assistance covers basic needs only. It normally will not compensate individuals for their entire loss;
A low-cost disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is a major source of long-term recovery funding for both individuals with home damage and small businesses. For FEMA applicants, disaster loan applications from the SBA must be completed and returned. No one will be forced to accept a loan he or she does not want, but the information on the application is needed to determine eligibility for all federal assistance.

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The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations 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.

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Residents Urged to Register for Disaster Assistance, Report Damage

FEMA: More than 50,500 Californians Protect Homes, Properties from increased El Niño Flood Risk

During historic 1998 El Niño season that created $550 million in damages, it was not until February that California experienced flooding damage that warranted a federal presidential declaration

Oakland Calif., — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today released new data on National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policies, showing an increase of more than 27,000 new NFIP policies written in California during the month of December 2015. There is a 30 – 90 day waiting period for new policies to be reported to FEMA and the latest available data, released today, shows an increase of more than 55,500 new flood insurance policies purchased in California from August 31 – December 31, 2015.

The nearly 25% increase for the state is the first of its kind, in any state, in the history of the National Flood Insurance Program, created in 1968.

“FEMA recognizes that a government-centric approach to emergency management is not adequate to meet the challenges posed by a catastrophic incident,” said FEMA Region 9 Administrator Robert Fenton. “Utilizing a whole community approach to emergency management reinforces that FEMA is only one part of our nation’s emergency management team and individuals are arguably the most important part of that team.”
Although the agency does not directly correlate all NFIP claims this year to El Niño, FEMA has already seen 127 National Flood Insurance Program policyholders submit claims in California during January 2016 compared to only 1 claim submitted in California for the same period during the previous year.

Although parts of FEMA Region 9 have recently been in a relative dry period, according to the National Weather Service, the impact of El Niño is not over.

“It has not been uncommon during past strong El Niño events to go through drier periods, even during the winter months,” said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Carpenter. “A change in the weather pattern around the last week of February may start bringing the storm track farther south and across more of California into March.”
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center forecasts climate anomalies associated with the ongoing El Niño episode are expected to result in at least minimal improvements to the drought conditions across much of California and western Nevada through the end of April.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources.
Flooding can happen anywhere, but certain areas are especially prone to serious flooding. Many areas in California are at increased flood risk from El Niño, as a direct result of wildfires and drought.

Residents should be aware of a couple things:

o You can’t get flood insurance at the last minute. In most cases, it takes 30 days for a new flood insurance policy to go into effect. So get your policy now.
o Only Flood Insurance Covers Flood Damage. Most standard homeowner’s policies do not cover flood damage.
o Get all the coverage you need. An agent can walk you through coverage options.
o Know your flood risk. Visit FloodSmart.gov (or call 1-800-427-2419) to learn more about individual flood risk, explore coverage options and to find an agent in your area.

In September 2015, FEMA’s Region 9 office in Oakland, Calif., established an El Niño Task Force with the mission of preparing for the impact of El Niño. The task force is evaluating the core capabilities needed to protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from any flooding that occurs across the Region this winter and spring. In December 2015, FEMA Region 9 released its draft El Niño severe weather response plan and convened a Regional interagency steering committee meeting in Northern California to exercise the plan. The plan is a living document and is continuously updated as new information on the El Niño threat emerges.

FEMA administers the National Flood Insurance Program and works closely with more than 80 private insurance companies to offer flood insurance to homeowners, renters, and business owners. In order to qualify for flood insurance, the home or business must be in a community that has joined the NFIP and agreed to enforce sound floodplain management standards.
NFIP is a federal program and offers flood insurance which can be purchased through private property and casualty insurance agents. Rates are set nationally and do not differ from company to company or agent to agent.

These rates depend on many factors, which include the date and type of construction of your home, along with your building’s level of risk.

Visit Ready.gov for more preparedness tips and information and follow @FEMARegion9 on Twitter.

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Source:

FEMA: More than 50,500 Californians Protect Homes, Properties from increased El Niño Flood Risk

Digital Preliminary Flood Maps for Coastal Areas of Volusia County Ready for Public Viewing

ATLANTA — Newly revised preliminary digital flood insurance rate maps for coastal areas of Volusia County, Fla., will be available for residents to review at a public open house at the Port Orange Regional Library on February 25, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Flood maps show the extent to which areas are at risk for flooding, and when they become effective, updated maps will be used to help determine flood insurance and building requirements.

The open house provides residents of Volusia County and its municipalities the opportunity to see the preliminary maps, learn about their risk of flooding, and ask questions about what the new maps will mean for their property. Residents can meet one-on-one with a variety of specialists who will be available to talk about flood insurance, engineering, building permits and more.

The open house will be held between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. The open house date and location is:

February 25, 2016

Port Orange Regional Library

1005 City Center Circle

Port Orange, FL 32129

The new preliminary maps were released through a partnership among Volusia County, its municipalities, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They are more precise than older maps because better flood hazard and risk data make the maps more accurate. The ultimate goal is protecting property owners and the community from the risks associated with flooding. Over time, flood risks change due to construction and development, environmental changes, floodplains widen or shift, and other factors. Flood maps are updated periodically to reflect these changes.

Home and business owners, renters, realtors, mortgage lenders, surveyors and insurance agents are encouraged to attend the open house. All who attend can meet with specialists to ask questions and learn more about flood risk and hazard mitigation within their communities.

By law, federally regulated or insured mortgage lenders require flood insurance on buildings that are located in areas at high risk of flooding. Standard homeowners’, business owners’, and renters’ insurance policies typically don’t cover flood damage, so flood insurance is an important consideration for everyone. Flood insurance policies can be purchased from any state licensed property and casualty insurance agent. Visit www.floodsmart.gov or call 888-379-9531 for more information about flood insurance and to locate a local agent.

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Digital Preliminary Flood Maps for Coastal Areas of Volusia County Ready for Public Viewing

Chickasaw County Approved for Disaster Aid for December Storm Damage

OXFORD, Miss. – The state of Mississippi and local governments and certain private nonprofits in Chickasaw County are now eligible to receive federal assistance to help cover expenses and repair damage associated with the tornadoes and severe weather that occurred in late December.

Chickasaw County has been added to the disaster declaration issued by President Obama on Jan. 4. The declaration initially authorized disaster funding under the Public Assistance grant program in Benton, Marshall and Tippah counties. Previous amendments added Clay, Coahoma, Itawamba, Monroe, Panola, Prentiss, Quitman and Tallahatchie counties.

The disaster declaration makes state, county and local governments, as well as certain nonprofit organizations in the designated areas eligible to receive reimbursement through the Public Assistance program for repairing infrastructure damage caused by the storms, as well as the cost of responding to them.

Under the Public Assistance program, FEMA pays 75 percent of the cost for repairs, overtime and debris removal. Typically, the remaining 25 percent is split between state and local governments at 12.5 percent each. Eligible nonprofits are responsible for the full 25 percent. The program is administered by MEMA. Eligibility and project approval is determined by FEMA.

MEMA and FEMA are working to schedule applicant briefings with officials of eligible entities and nonprofit organizations in the designated counties. MEMA and FEMA will provide information on the application process, as well as deadlines for submission of necessary documents to receive federal reimbursement.

The applicant briefings may be followed by face-to-face meetings in local communities between FEMA, state officials and eligible applicants.

MEMA, FEMA and their local, state and federal partners are also providing assistance to individuals and households affected by the storms in Benton, Coahoma, Marshall, Monroe, Panola, Prentiss, Quitman and Tippah counties.

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Chickasaw County Approved for Disaster Aid for December Storm Damage

FEMA Offers Free Tips at Springfield Home Improvement Store

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and a local home improvement store are teaming up to provide Springfield area residents with free information, tips and literature on making their homes stronger and safer.

FEMA mitigation specialists will be available at the Home Depot on Independence Street in Springfield between Friday, February 12 and Tuesday February 16 to answer questions and offer home improvement tips to prevent and lessen damage from future disasters. Most of the information is geared toward do-it-yourself work and general contractors.

Location:

Home Depot at 2104 E. Independence Street, Springfield, MO 65804

Times:

Friday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Monday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Mitigation teams will also have free reference booklets on protecting your home from flood damage. More information about strengthening property can be found at www.fema.gov/what-mitigation.

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FEMA Offers Free Tips at Springfield Home Improvement Store

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