President Declares Major Disaster for Colorado 

Release Date: June 29, 2012
Release Number: HQ-12-050

» More Information on Colorado High Park And Waldo Canyon Wildfires

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to Colorado to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by the High Park and Waldo Canyon Fires beginning on June 9, 2012, and continuing.

Federal funding is available for Crisis Counseling and Disaster Unemployment Assistance for affected individuals in El Paso and Larimer counties impacted by the High Park and Waldo Canyon Fires.

Federal funding also is available to state, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, for El Paso and Larimer counties impacted by the High Park and Waldo Canyon Fires.

Michael F. Byrne has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Byrne said that damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.

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

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.

Last Modified: Friday, 29-Jun-2012 09:22:17

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President Declares Major Disaster for Colorado

FEMA Authorizes Funds to Help Fight Montana’s Dahl Fire 

Release Date: June 26, 2012
Release Number: R8-12-018

» 2012 Region VIII News Releases

DENVER, Colo. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for Montana’s Dahl Fire in Musselshell County.

FEMA Regional Administrator Robin Finegan approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) upon receiving the state’s request. At the time of the request the fire was threatening 203 homes in the area of the town of Roundup. The fire was also threatening the Signal Mountain Coal Mine, schools and a fire station. Mandatory evacuations are ordered for 203 homes at this time.

Earlier this evening, Regional Administrator Robin Finegan approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant for the Corral Fire in Lewis and Clark County, when it was determined that the fire threatened to create major disaster. There are currently 10 large fires burning uncontrolled in Montana.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state’s eligible firefighting costs for managing, mitigating and controlling the fire. These grants do not provide assistance to individual home or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.

Fire Management Assistance Grants are provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible items can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; mobilization and demobilization activities; and tools, materials and supplies.

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

Last Modified: Wednesday, 27-Jun-2012 09:02:54

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FEMA Authorizes Funds to Help Fight Montana’s Dahl Fire

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FEMA Authorizes Funds to Help Fight Utah’s Wood Hollow Fire

FEMA Urges Residents along Gulf Coast to be Prepared and Monitor Tropical Storm Debby 

Release Date: June 24, 2012
Release Number: HQ-12-047

WASHINGTON — FEMA, through our regional offices in Atlanta, Ga., and Denton, Texas, has been closely monitoring Tropical Storm Debby which is currently located in the Gulf of Mexico about 200 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, and remains in close coordination with federal as well as state and local partners as the storm develops.

Although the National Hurricane Center has issued tropical storm watches and warnings for several areas along the Gulf Coast, FEMA continues to urge all residents in the area to closely monitor this storm due to the uncertainty in the track and strength of the storm, and to follow the direction of local and state officials.

Debby is the earliest fourth named storm on record, with the previous record being held by Hurricane Dennis, which became the fourth storm of 2005 on July 5.

“As always, we urge all individuals in the region to follow the directions provided by local officials, listen to NOAA Weather Radio and their local news to monitor for updates,” said Administrator Craig Fugate. “History has taught us that storm tracks can change quickly and unexpectedly and people are urged to stay informed and monitor storm conditions.”

Typically, with tropical systems these storms will produce high winds and heavy rains. The National Weather Service is predicting the storm may produce rain accumulations of 5 to 10 inches along the immediate Gulf Coast from Southeast Louisiana to the central West of Florida, with isolated maximum amount of 15 inches possible.

Individuals in coastal areas of the Southeast United States, especially in the Gulf Coast where tropical storm watches and warnings are in effect, should take steps to prepare. Residents can find information to prepare their family, home or business to reduce the impact of severe weather by going to Ready.gov.

FEMA, working with our federal partners including the National Hurricane Center, will continue to monitor the strength and path of Debby and will remain in close contact with state and local partners as they prepare for potential severe weather.

Last Modified: Sunday, 24-Jun-2012 15:59:15

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FEMA Urges Residents along Gulf Coast to be Prepared and Monitor Tropical Storm Debby

FEMA Authorizes Funds to Help Fight Utah’s Dump Fire 

Release Date: June 22, 2012
Release Number: R8-12-013

» 2012 Region VIII News Releases

DENVER, Colo. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Dump Fire in Utah County.

FEMA Deputy Regional Administrator Doug Gore approved the state’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) upon receiving the state’s request at 11:10 a.m. MDT Friday morning. At the time of the request, the fire was threatening 250 homes in and around Saratoga Springs, UT, population 2,000. Voluntary and mandatory evacuations were taking place in the area and affecting approximately 250 people. The fire was also threatening utilities, recreation areas and a watershed. At the time of the request, the fire had burned in excess of 800 acres on state and private lands.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state’s eligible firefighting costs for managing, mitigating and controlling the fire. These grants do not provide assistance to individual home or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.

Fire Management Assistance Grants are provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible items can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; mobilization and demobilization activities; and tools, materials and supplies.

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

Last Modified: Friday, 22-Jun-2012 16:04:37

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FEMA Authorizes Funds to Help Fight Utah’s Dump Fire

Million-Dollar Federal Grant Awarded To Lykens Borough 

Release Date: June 20, 2012
Release Number: 4025-144

» More Information on Pennsylvania Tropical Storm Lee
» More Information on Pennsylvania Hurricane Irene

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A federal grant of more than $1.02 million to stabilize Battling Creek was recently announced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

During Tropical Storm Lee, Lykens Borough in Dauphin County suffered severe damage to its gabion basket channel containment walls on both sides of Rattling Creek.  Gabion basket walls are designed to provide bank stabilization and erosion control for the protection of improved property.  The damaged gabion walls will be replaced with a more durable pre-engineered segmented wall utilizing blocks to help protect the embankments and improved property.

The grant represents a 75 percent federal share of the project cost, which totals $1,368,012.  The remaining 25 percent will be paid by the Commonwealth. 

Under FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Program, funding is provided to the Commonwealth, eligible local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis.

FEMA manages the program, approves grants, and provides technical assistance to the Commonwealth and applicants. The Commonwealth educates potential applicants, works with FEMA to manage the program, and is responsible for implementing and monitoring the grants awarded under the program. Local officials are responsible for identifying damage, providing information necessary for FEMA to approve grants, and managing each project funded under the program.

More information on FEMA’s PA program is available at www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/index.shtm.

To date, more than $90 million has been obligated to the Commonwealth by FEMA under the federal PA program.  There are an estimated 1,700 applicants, with assistance expected to top $200 million.

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.                                               

Last Modified: Wednesday, 20-Jun-2012 10:29:17

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Million-Dollar Federal Grant Awarded To Lykens Borough

FEMA Awards $456,863 Grant To City Of Oronoco 

Hazard mitigation funds will be used to remove homes from flood-prone areas

Release Date: June 13, 2012
Release Number: R5-12-008

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $456,863 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to the city of Oronco, Minn., for the acquisition of five flood-prone homes that have been substantially damaged from flooding.

“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 five structures in Oronoco, and their removal from the floodplain, will establish a permanent open space that will reduce damages and lessen the impact of flooding on the local community.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the $609,150 eligible project cost. The remaining 25 percent of the funds, $152,287, will be provided by the city of Oronoco.

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.

Last Modified: Thursday, 14-Jun-2012 10:56:30

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FEMA Awards $456,863 Grant To City Of Oronoco

FEMA Awards Over $7 Million to Suffolk County Towns for Hurricane Irene Recovery Projects 

Release Date: June 12, 2012
Release Number: 4031-107

» More Information on New York Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee
» More Information on New York Hurricane Irene

ALBANY, N.Y. — The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced over $7 million in Federal grant funding to the State of New York for expenses associated with Suffolk County’s recovery from Hurricane Irene.

FEMA recently approved three debris removal projects within Suffolk County. Applications were approved for the Town of Smithtown, Town of Brookhaven, and Suffolk County. Combined, FEMA approved more than $7 million in federal funds to assist with these debris removal projects. The funds represent 75 percent of the total cost of the projects.

“FEMA is pleased to provide funding for these important projects in support of New York State’s recovery from Hurricane Irene,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Philip E. Parr.

Town of Smithtown: During the period from Aug. 26 to Sept. 5, 2011, Hurricane Irene’s high winds and soaking rains caused 1,855 tons of debris within the Town of Smithtown. FEMA has approved $1,009,769 in funding to reimburse the Town for the federal share of the project to remove debris.

Town of Brookhaven: On Aug. 26, 2011, Hurricane Irene’s heavy rain and gale force winds caused over 16,894 tons of debris throughout the Town of Brookhaven. FEMA has approved $4,296,116 in funding to reimburse the Town for the federal share of the project to remove debris from within the Town limits.

Suffolk County: During the initial response to Hurricane Irene, Suffolk County activated personnel from all departments to assist in cleanup operations, utilizing its own equipment as well as hiring additional contractors with specialized equipment to provide additional help to collect, reduce and dispose of debris. The county submitted an application for reimbursement for costs associated with the emergency debris removal. FEMA has approved the county’s application, granting $1,745,715 to Suffolk County for a major debris removal project.

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.

Last Modified: Thursday, 14-Jun-2012 09:31:47

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FEMA Awards Over $7 Million to Suffolk County Towns for Hurricane Irene Recovery Projects

Hope Village: Helping Volunteers Help the Souris Valley 

Release Date: June 11, 2012
Release Number: 1981-ANF004

» More Information on North Dakota Flooding

» 2012 Region VIII News Releases

Volunteers are often the lifeblood of a disaster recovery effort. Following the Souris River flooding, volunteers have already helped countless families return to their flood-damaged homes. But the same housing shortage that is affecting displaced residents has limited the number of volunteers that can come in to the area and help. On the grounds of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in south Minot, a unique solution to that problem has sprung up in the form of Hope Village.

Hope Village is a temporary community that will house incoming volunteers. It includes trailers that provide sleeping quarters, bathroom and shower facilities, and a large dining tent that serves three meals a day. It is the culmination of efforts from a coalition of local faith-based and community volunteer organizations. Much like Henry Ford’s original assembly line, the different volunteer agencies have divided up the tasks for managing the facility, playing to their strengths. For example, cooking duties are being handled by the Southern Baptists.

“Hope Village was borne out of necessity and we now have a place to house and feed the teams that are coming in from the various agencies and churches,” says Bob Lower, a United Methodist volunteer coordinator and lay leader at Faith United Methodist Church in Minot. “There was nowhere for people that wanted to come and help to stay. With the oil boom, everything was tied up. As a part of the Hope Village mission, we took on the challenge of housing these people and feeding them for the whole summer.”

But Hope Village does much more than provide food and shelter for volunteers. It is also a hub of activity, working closely with the Resources Agencies Flood Team (RAFT) to direct the volunteers to pre-identified individuals and families who are in need of assistance. It’s a streamlined process to ensure donated labor and resources are used as efficiently as possible.

“Our focus is on helping those people who have been affected by the flood get back into a safe and secure space,” says Lower. “We do that by providing assistance in coordination with the case management system. The case management system takes people through the process, assessing what they need to get back in, be it materials, labor and the appropriate skill sets. It dovetails with what the homeowner can do by themselves. We will complete enough of the home to get them back in. For example, with a couple living in a four bedroom home, we completely finish one bedroom along with the common use areas needed for safe and secure living.”

With the large number of homes impacted by the flooding, Hope Village and its resident volunteers have their work cut out for them. However, those involved are prepared for a marathon rather than a sprint.

“We will be here for a number of years to get through all of the need that there is,” says Lower. “We can’t do all of the homes in one year, but we are going to make a significant impact this first year. This year we opened the first week of April and will go to the first of October. We’ve already set the 2013 work year. That’s going to be from the April 8 to September 28. During the winter months, we will organize local volunteers from the community to keep work going inside homes.”

To learn more about Hope Village visit hopevillagend.org.

Last Modified: Monday, 11-Jun-2012 10:01:20

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Hope Village: Helping Volunteers Help the Souris Valley

FEMA Authorizes Funds to Help Fight Colorado’s Hyde Park Fire 

Release Date: June 11, 2012
Release Number: R8-12-012

» 2012 Region VIII News Releases

DENVER, Co. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Hyde Park Fire located in Larimer County.

FEMA Regional Administrator Robin Finegan approved the state’s request for a Federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) at 7:19 p.m on June 9, 2012. The fire has burned in excess of 4,000 acres of federal and state/private lands.

At the time of the request the fire was threatening 150 homes in and around Fort Collins, population 299,630. The fire is also threatening campgrounds in the area, the Stove Canyon and Poudre Canyon watersheds and an unknown amount of other infrastructure.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state’s eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires.

FMAGs are provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible items can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair and replacement; mobilization and demobilization activities; and tools, materials and supplies.

These grants do not provide assistance to individual home or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.

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

Last Modified: Monday, 11-Jun-2012 12:31:27

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FEMA Authorizes Funds to Help Fight Colorado’s Hyde Park Fire

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