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Get Ready, Missouri: One Week Until Annual Earthquake Drill

More than 440,000 in Missouri to Participate in Nationwide Drill

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With just one week to go, communities throughout Missouri are preparing for the fourth annual Great Central U.S. ShakeOut Earthquake Drill, scheduled for October 16 at 10:16 a.m.

Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills are occurring in more than 45 states and territories — nationwide more than 19 million people are expected to participate in the activity. During the drill, participants simultaneously practice the recommended response to earthquake shaking:

DROP to the ground
Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table, or cover your head/neck with your arms, and
HOLD ON until the shaking stops

The ShakeOut is free and open to the public. Participants include individuals, schools, businesses, local and state government agencies and many other groups. See the list of all the participants in Missouri at, www.shakeout.org/centralus/participants.php?start=Missouri. The goal of the program is to engage individuals to take steps to become better prepared for earthquakes and other disasters.

“Participating in this drill is a quick, simple thing we should all do—at work, at home, alone or with family or co-workers—to prepare for earthquakes,” said Regional Administrator Beth Freeman, FEMA Region VII. “When we practice ‘drop, cover and hold on’ it makes it more likely we will react appropriately during an earthquake and that can and does save lives.”

States participating in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut include Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.

Interested citizens, schools, communities, businesses, etc. are encouraged to visit http://www.shakeout.org/centralus/register to register to participate and receive instructions on how to hold their earthquake drill. On social media, information about the drill is being provided on Twitter through www.twitter.com/CentUS_ShakeOut. In addition, www.twitter.com/femaregion7 and others are tweeting earthquake safety tips and drill information using the hashtag #ShakeOut.

The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is being coordinated by Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium and its other Member and Associate States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey and dozens of other partners.

Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills began in California in 2008 and have expanded each year since then.

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Visit FEMA Region VII online at www.fema.gov/region7. Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/femaregion7, 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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Get Ready, Missouri: One Week Until Annual Earthquake Drill

Texas Receives More Than $1.5 Million in Federal Funding for University of Texas Medical Branch Mitigation Measures

DENTON, Texas – The state of Texas has received more than $1.5 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for mitigation measures for a University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) building.

Hurricane Ike damaged the UTMB Customs House, also known as the 1700 Strand Building, in 2008. These mitigation measures will protect it from potential future storm damage.

The measures include elevating a new chiller onto a new exterior platform; relocating existing mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems from the basement level to upper floors; and restoring the basement with a new floor plan, new lighting and fire protection system. The basement will now serve as a “shell space,” which is essentially an unfinished space enclosed by an exterior building shell.

To date, FEMA has obligated more than $476.8 million for UTMB-related projects, in the aftermath of Ike.

FEMA’s contribution, made possible by a Public Assistance grant, represents a 90 percent federal cost share. FEMA awards funding for projects directly to the state of Texas; the state then forwards the grant to the eligible applicant.

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Texas Receives More Than $1.5 Million in Federal Funding for University of Texas Medical Branch Mitigation Measures

FEMA Awards $2.35 Million in Disaster Funds for Okanogan County PUD

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently awarded more than $2.35 million to the state of Washington to help pay for disaster-related repair costs of the Okanogan County Public Utilities District (PUD).

Under its Public Assistance (PA) program, FEMA funding helps eligible tribes, state agencies, local governments and certain nonprofits pay for the approved cost for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the repair or replacement of infrastructure damaged or destroyed by the wildfires. FEMA provides 75 percent of these costs, while non-federal sources pay for the remainder.

On Aug. 11, President Obama issued a major disaster declaration that authorized FEMA to coordinate federal disaster relief to help the state recover from the Carlton Complex Fire that occurred between July 9 and Aug. 5. The disaster declaration covers Kittitas County, Okanogan County and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

The $2.35 million award will help reimburse the Okanogan County PUD for the repair of 280,000 linear feet—more than 53 miles—of fiber optic cable and associated infrastructure damaged by the wildfires. Its fiber optic network backbone provides a wide variety of data services and stretches from the Columbia River junction in Brewster to the Canadian border.

For more information about this disaster—including the total dollar amount of PA grants—click on Washington Wildfires, or go to www.fema.gov/disaster/4188.

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FEMA Awards $2.35 Million in Disaster Funds for Okanogan County PUD

FEMA Mitigation Specialists Continue Outreach in Yakima

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Federal Emergency Management Agency mitigation specialists are on hand this week at Home Depot and Lowe’s in Yakima to provide information about ways to rebuild or remodel that can reduce the risk of damage from wildfire, flooding, flash flooding and other disasters.

The advisors can answer questions about protecting homes from future disaster-related damage and offer tips to build hazard-resistant homes. They can also 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 Yakima from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 23 through Sunday, Sept. 28.

Home Depot, 2115 S. 1st St., Yakima, WA 98903
Lowe’s, 2235 Longfibre Ave., Yakima, WA 98903

To learn more about protecting your home from future disasters, visit EMD.WA.gov/Preparedness and FEMA.gov/rebuild/recover/build_safer.shtm. For more information on the National Flood Insurance Program, visit FloodSmart.gov.

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FEMA Mitigation Specialists Continue Outreach in Yakima

Erosion Threat Assessment Reduction Team

Erosion Threat Assessment Reduction Team (ETART) is a multijurisdictional, interdisciplinary team formed jointly by FEMA and the State of Washington in response to the 2014 Central Washington wildfires to address the threat of flooding, mudslides, debris flows and other erosion over the approximately 415 square miles of burned lands.(For a landownership breakdown, see the following map and chart.)

In the summer of 2014, the Carlton Complex Fire burned more than 250,000 acres of land in Washington, the largest wildfire in state history. The fire burned private, federal, state and tribal lands, consumed 300 homes and destroyed critical infrastructure in its path. Then intense rainstorms over the scarred landscape caused more damage from flooding, mudslides and debris flow.

Fire suppression costs topped $68 million. But post-fire recovery costs have yet to be tallied.

Given the size and severity of the fire, President Obama issued a major disaster declaration on Aug. 11, which authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate federal disaster relief and to help state, tribal and local agencies recover from the disaster.

Once firefighters contained the Carlton fire on Aug. 25, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) deployed its Burn Area Emergency Response (BAER) team to measure soil quality, assess watershed changes, identify downstream risks and develop recommendations to treat burned federal lands.

FEMA officials and the BAER team acted fast. They knew more floods may follow without vegetation to soak up rainwater. More silt and debris in the runoff can plug culverts and raise water levels, which may further threaten downstream communities and properties.

To reduce the vulnerability of those downstream communities, FEMA created ETART. Modeled after BAER, ETART would measure soil quality, assess watershed changes, identify downstream risks and develop recommendations to treat burned state, tribal and private lands.

FEMA and the State of Washington recruited biologists, engineers, hydrologists, mapping experts, range specialists, soil scientists and support staff from more than 17 entities.

SPIRIT OF COOPERATION

ETART participants include: Cascadia Conservation District, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, FEMA, Methow Conservancy, National Weather Service (NWS), Okanogan Conservation District, Skagit Conservation District, Spokane Conservation District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of the Interior, USFS, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Whatcom Conservation District and Yakama Nation Fisheries.

Team members scored the benefits of working together across jurisdictional boundaries and overlapping authorities right away. To start, they stitched their maps together and overlaid their findings to gain consistency and a better perspective. Field assessments used extensive soil sampling. Computer modeling showed the probability of debris flow and other hazards.

Standard fixes in their erosion control toolbox include seeding and other ground treatments, debris racks, ditch protection, temporary berms, low-water crossings and sediment retention basins. Suggested treatments were evaluated based on their practical and technical feasibility.

Regional conservation districts provided a vital and trusted link to private landowners. They:
• held public meetings and acted as the hub of communications
• posted helpful links on their websites
• collected information on damage to crops, wells, fences, livestock and irrigation systems
• secured necessary permits that grant state and federal workers access to private property to assess conditions.

Local residents shared up-to-the minute information on road conditions and knew which seed mixtures worked best for their area. Residents proved key to the success of ETART.

Note: Teams found a few positive consequences of the wildfire. For instance, debris flow delivered more wood and gravel downstream, which may create a better fish habitat once the debris and sediment settle. The resultant bedload may enhance foraging, spawning and nesting for endangered species, such as Steelhead, Bull Trout and Spring Chinook Salmon.

STRENGTH OF COLLECTIVE ACTION

Final reports from BAER and ETART have helped several state agencies formulate and prioritize their projects, and leverage their budget requests for more erosion control funds.

Landowners and managers might share equipment, gain economies of scale and develop more cost-effective solutions. In the end, collaboration and collective action may avert future flooding.

CULTURE OF RESILIENCE

While public health and safety remain the top priority, other values at risk include property, natural resources, fish and wildlife habitats, as well as cultural and heritage sites.

Estimated costs for the emergency restoration and recovery recommendations on federal lands run $1.5 million. For short-term stabilization, USFS initiated funding requests for seeding and mulching urgent areas before the first snowfall. Other suggested treatments include bigger culverts, more warning signs and the improvement of road drainage systems.

For state and private lands, emergency restoration and recovery recommendations may cost in excess of $2.8 million. Erosion controls include seeding, invasive species removal and the construction of berms and barriers. In its final report, ETART also recommended better early warning systems, more warning signs on county roads and electronic message signs to aid residents evacuating via highways.

Landowners, managers and agencies continue to search for funding to pay for implementation. For instance, BLM regulations may allow it to seed its lands, as well as adjoining properties, after a wildfire. Select state agencies may provide seedlings, technical assistance on tree salvaging, or partial reimbursement for pruning, brush removal and weed control.

Knowing a short period of moderate rainfall on burned areas can lead to flash floods, the NWS placed seven real-time portable gauges in September to monitor rainfall in and around the area, and plans to place eight more rain gauges in the coming weeks. The NWS will issue advisory Outlooks, Watches and Warnings, which will be disseminated to the public and emergency management personnel through the NWS Advanced Weather Information Processing System.

Certain projects may qualify for FEMA Public Assistance funds. Under this disaster declaration, FEMA will reimburse eligible tribes, state agencies, local governments and certain private nonprofits in Kittitas and Okanogan counties for 75 percent of the cost of eligible emergency protective measures.

Successful ETARTs replicated in the future may formalize interagency memorandums of understanding, develop more comprehensive community wildfire protection plans and promote even greater coordination of restoration and recovery activities following major wildfires.

Erosion Threat Assessment Reduction Team

Arkansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma Agencies Receive More than $1.2 Million in FEMA Grants to Assist with Flood Mapping Activities

DENTON, Texas — Agencies in Arkansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma have been awarded more than $1.2 million in non-disaster hazard mitigation funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

These grants are part of FEMA’s Cooperating Technical Partner (CTP) program and pay for efforts to maintain up-to-date flood hazard maps and other flood hazard information.

The cities and agencies that received the grants include:

• The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission – $200,000;
• The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission – $62,173;
• The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission – $638,418;
• The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management – $50,000;
• The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management – $149,000; and
• The University of New Mexico – $150,000.

The CTP Program is an innovative approach to creating partnerships between FEMA and participating National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) communities, regional agencies, state agencies, Tribal Nations and universities that have the interest and capability to become more active participants in the FEMA flood hazard mapping program. Fundable activities include program management, base map acquisition, scoping and outreach.

For more information on the CTP Program, visit http://www.fema.gov/cooperating-technical-partners-program.

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Arkansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma Agencies Receive More than $1.2 Million in FEMA Grants to Assist with Flood Mapping Activities

Texas Cities and Agencies Receive More than $2.3 Million in FEMA Grants to Assist with Flood Mapping Activities

DENTON, Texas — Cities and agencies in Texas have been awarded more than $2.3 million in non-disaster hazard mitigation funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

These grants are part of FEMA’s Cooperating Technical Partner (CTP) program and pay for efforts to maintain up-to-date flood hazard maps and other flood hazard information.

The cities and agencies that received the grants include:

• The city of Arlington – $40,000;
• The city of Dallas – $556,250;
• The city of Fort Worth – $350,000;
• The Harris County Flood Control District – $150,000;
• The North Central Texas Council of Governments – $503,000;
• The North Central Texas Council of Governments – $12,559;
• The San Antonio River Authority – $600,000; and
• The Texas Water Development Board – $100,000.

For more information on the CTP Program, visit http://www.fema.gov/cooperating-technical-partners-program.

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Texas Cities and Agencies Receive More than $2.3 Million in FEMA Grants to Assist with Flood Mapping Activities

FDRC Initiative Brings Colleges, Towns Together For Recovery

EATONTOWN, N.J. — It started with an emergency grant request. Then a marketing plan needed to be developed. Dunes needed repair and construction permits needed to be filed. Then someone decided a wastewater feasibility study was worth pursuing.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, students and faculty at colleges and universities in New Jersey lent their expertise to all of these projects and more. It was done with the guidance of the Academic Recovery Team (ART), a creation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator’s office.

The ART team is a group of experts from various academic institutions and disciplines, including landscape architecture, coastal engineering, environmental policy, economic and community planning, emergency management and homeland security.

FEMA reached out to colleges around the state to create the ART. Participating schools now include Richard Stockton College, Rowan University, Monmouth University, Rutgers’ Department of Landscape Architecture, Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Montclair State University.

“We sought out most of those schools,” FDRC’s Mark Strohoefer said. “We were looking for places that could provide skill sets the towns needed – engineering, architecture, business schools, economics, and social work.” He also said that the schools were interested in a more formal format for handling disaster relief, and that FDRC would be interested in contacting other colleges based on geography and the demands of future projects.

One of the initial impulses behind the creation of ART was that colleges had been getting involved in disaster relief work before, but weren’t communicating and working with the surrounding communities. ART allows FEMA and FDRC to match the skills and competencies of students and faculty with suitable projects, providing a benefit to both the college and the town.

It began immediately after Hurricane Sandy struck, when Tuckerton and Little Egg Harbor Township had an urgent need for a grant writer. The FDRC put the municipalities in touch with Stockton, who sent a student volunteer to assist. Later, a marketing class went to Tuckerton to create marketing plans for the town. The college started a “Downtown and Main Street” roundtable consisting of professors, three FEMA representatives, and mayors, city council members and business leaders from five neighboring towns.

The Stockton Center for Community Engagement announced the Adopt-a-Town program, which will enhance connections between the school’s students and faculty and towns in need of help recovering from disasters. Through the program, which officially launched in mid-September 2014, the school adopted Tuckerton and Little Egg Harbor Township as its partners. Over the next two years, the alliance expects to expand the Tuckerton marketing plan, create an economic development plan for the area and build three rain gardens.

Strohoefer credits the Center for Community Engagement with driving the initiative in its early days. It was Stockton officials who brought FDRC and Rowan together.

This past summer, Rowan students began a 12-month long wastewater feasibility study for Cumberland County. NJIT offered “Alternative Spring Break” and had approximately 40 students go to Sea Bright to work on repairing dunes, and Monmouth students helped the Highlands construction department clear a backlog of permit applications.

The extra assistance is welcome, as many of the municipalities affected by Sandy were small towns, which lack the personnel, money, or expertise to deal with the multitude of issues they faced post-Sandy. When Tuckerton, Little Egg Harbor Township and neighboring Eagleswood Township needed help managing their coastline issues, FEMA helped them combine into one project to present to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Tuckerton and Little Egg Harbor Township were awarded a $2.4 million grant from NJDEP.

Two years after Sandy, Strohoefer sees FEMA’s role with the ART and the schools shifting from coordinating recovery to a greater emphasis on preparedness. When FEMA’s mission in New Jersey is over, a state entity is expected to take over and ensure that the team will be ready for the next disaster. The ultimate goal, Strohoefer says, is to create a system that can work for any disaster in any state.

Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/fema, www.fema.gov/blog, 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.”

Taken from:

FDRC Initiative Brings Colleges, Towns Together For Recovery

Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas Receive FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grants

DENTON, Texas — Agencies in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas have received $412,267 in Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The Houma, Louisiana Fire Department’s grant totals $28,595 and pays for smoke alarms, extinguishers and an inflatable fire house.

The grants in Oklahoma include:

• Oklahoma State University in Oklahoma City for $65,759 to pay for smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and other materials;
• The city of Bartlesville Fire Department in Oklahoma for $25,245 to pay for fire and arson investigation equipment; and
• Oklahoma Assistive Technology Foundation for $282,679 to pay for a smoke alarm campaign.

In Texas, the Greenwood Rural Volunteer Fire Department’s grant totals $9,989 and pays for fire prevention education and 911 sign installation.

FP&S grants are part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. These grants support projects that enhance the safety of the public and protect firefighters from fire and related hazards. The primary goal is to reduce injury and prevent death among high-risk populations. For more information about FP&S grants, visit http://www.fema.gov/welcome-assistance-firefighters-grant-program/fire-prevention-safety-grants.

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Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas Receive FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grants

Southeast Michigan Residents Urged to Apply for Federal Disaster Assistance

WARREN, Mich. – Residents of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties who suffered damages to their dwellings in the Aug. 11-13 storms and flooding are encouraged to register for federal disaster assistance.

Insurance may cover some of the damage, but people may be missing out on additional assistance if they haven’t registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Until a resident registers for assistance, FEMA has no way of knowing who suffered damages or what people need to help in their recovery. Keep in mind:

Calling your insurance agent does not register you with FEMA.
Contacting county or municipal agencies does not register you with FEMA.
Receiving assistance from volunteer agencies does not register you with FEMA.

The only way to determine eligibility for federal disaster assistance is to register with FEMA by phone or online, or by visiting a local Recovery Support Site to work with FEMA’s disaster survivor assistance teams. These teams do not make decisions on applications.

Register at www.disasterassistance.gov or via Web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). TTY users may call 1-800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EDT seven days a week until further notice.

For updates on locations, times and days where FEMA teams will be available to provide
in-person support to southeast Michigan residents, visit FEMA’s disaster-specific Web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4195 and follow FEMA on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion5. As of Oct. 3, FEMA teams will be at the following locations:

Macomb County:

Dodge Park Recreation Center

40620 Utica Road

Sterling Heights, MI 48313

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 6-11

Fitzgerald Recreation Center

4355 E. 9 Mile Road

Warren, MI 48091

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 6-10

Owen Jax Recreation Center

8207 E. 9 Mile Road

Warren, MI 48089

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 6-8

Warren Fire Station

23293 Schoenherr Road

Warren, MI 48089

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 6-9

Warren First United Methodist Church

5005 Chicago Road

Warren, MI 48092

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; through Oct. 16

Oakland County:

City of Oak Park

14000 Oak Park Blvd.

Oak Park, MI 48237

8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 6-7

Hazel Park Community Center

620 W. Woodward Heights

Hazel Park, MI 48030

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 4-7

Royal Oaks Senior Center

3500 Marais Ave.

Royal Oak, MI 48073

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 4, 6-7; noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 5

Royal Oaks Community Center

1545 E. Lincoln Ave.

Royal Oak, MI 48067

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 4; noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 5

Wayne County:

Allen Park Community Center

15800 White St.

Allen Park, MI 48101

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 4 6-7

Detroit Rescue Mission/Devos Community Center

13130 Woodward Ave.

Highland Park, MI 48203

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 4-7

Frederick Douglass Academy

2001 W. Warren Ave.

Detroit, MI 48202

9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 6-10

Martin Luther King High School

3200 E. Lafayette St.

Detroit, MI 48207

9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 6-10

Before applicants call, go online or visit a Recovery Support Site, they should gather the following information to speed up the registration process:

Social Security number
Telephone number where they can be reached
Address of the damaged property
Current mailing address
Brief description of disaster-related damages and losses
Insurance information
Direct deposit information to help speed delivery of funds if approved

Assistance available through FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program can include:

Temporary Housing – rental payments up to 18 months for temporary housing for those whose homes are uninhabitable;
Repair – grants to repair damage from the disaster that is not covered by insurance. The goal is to make the damaged home safe, sanitary and habitable; and
Other Needs Assistance (ONA) – grants for necessary and serious needs caused by the disaster. This can include personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, moving and storage, and other expenses that FEMA approves.

The application deadline is Nov. 24, 2014.

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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 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 application.

FEMA contact: Sandra Jasmund, (312) 213-5291

EMHSD contact: Ron Leix, (517) 336-6464

Excerpt from:

Southeast Michigan Residents Urged to Apply for Federal Disaster Assistance

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