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FEMA Provides Millions More to Restore the City of New Orleans’ Municipal Auditorium

NEW ORLEANS – The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the city of New Orleans recently announced more than $3.5 million in additional recovery aid to restore the city’s Municipal Auditorium, which was damaged during Hurricane Katrina.

As a component of the New Orleans Cultural Center, located alongside the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts in Louis Armstrong Park, the Morris F.X. Jeff Sr. Municipal Auditorium, as it’s formally called, served pre-Katrina as a public facility with a 6,000-seat capacity to host civic events.

“The Municipal Auditorium has been an important New Orleans landmark with a rich cultural history for decades,” New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said. “These federal recovery dollars are an encouraging step forward and will supplement the money FEMA has already allocated. We are making progress every day and will continue to work with FEMA to identify new eligible funding for this storm-damaged building so that we can one day get it back into commerce. FEMA continues to be an important partner in our recovery from Hurricane Katrina.”

In recovery partnership with the city of New Orleans, FEMA Public Assistance staffers recently re-evaluated the eligible damages at the Municipal Auditorium and determined the additional funding was necessary to support disaster-related roof damages not previously taken into account. Likewise, the current funding also covers determined architectural finishes that will require asbestos abatement and remediation of disaster-impacted lead-based paint.

“Regarding roof damages, FEMA’s earlier site visits were limited to visual observations of damages, but more recent investigations with the city included roof sampling and the use of technology-based moisture surveys to best identify Katrina’s overall impact,” said FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office Acting Executive Director

Andre Cadogan. “As a result, the total area of damaged roofing was increased to approximately 110,000 square feet, which FEMA’s most recent funding encompasses.”

FEMA’s previous funding addressed architectural damages in the Municipal Auditorium’s basement through fifth floors, excluding damages attributed to mold, asbestos and lead paint.

“In order for the city to move forward safely with these repairs, recent site investigations also focused on identifying architectural areas where damage to lead-based paint and asbestos materials had occurred. These findings are now represented in our recent grant and will enable the city to move this recovery project along as needed,” added Cadogan.

To date, FEMA has obligated approximately $6.4 billion in public assistance funding for Katrina and Rita related recovery work throughout the city of New Orleans.

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.

When FEMA approves projects through its supplemental Public Assistance grant, the funds are made available to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, who disburses them to the applicant for eligible work completed.

The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations’ buildings, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion.

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

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FEMA Provides Millions More to Restore the City of New Orleans’ Municipal Auditorium

FEMA Support Eases Local Nonprofit’s Recovery Costs

NEW ORLEANS – The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently announced nearly half-a-million dollars in recovery aid to a local nonprofit, the Family Center of Hope, bringing the federal agency’s overall Katrina and Rita recovery support for private, nonprofits within Louisiana to approximately $1.3 billion.

“Louisiana’s recovery continues to progress through joint efforts,” said FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office Deputy Director of Programs Andre Cadogan. “Nonprofits, such as the Family Center of Hope in New Orleans, are key recovery partners, driving overall growth through providing essential community services to local residents.”

As a community center, The Family Center of Hope, located at 4137 Washington Avenue, offers social services, including counseling, tutoring, and conflict resolution and outreach programs at local schools.

“The Family Center of Hope is very thankful and excited to receive these funds from FEMA for the completion of our project. We have served this community well for more than 20 years, and we will maintain our strong partnership with the city of New Orleans and our state officials to ensure that our new facility continues to address the many social ills plaguing children and their families in this community,” said Family Center of Hope Executive Director Patricia Watson.

During Hurricane Katrina, the community center’s roof was significantly damaged, allowing rain waters to enter the facility, which caused second floor damages. Likewise, approximately eight feet of floodwaters inundated and destroyed the first floor. As a result, the Family Center of Hope applied for and initially received both Community Block Grants and Capital Outlay Grants to fund the majority of necessary repair work.

Still, there were remaining repair costs, and in 2011, the Family Center of Hope became aware of their eligibility as a nonprofit to also apply for FEMA aid under the agency’s Public Assistance Program. Their request for recovery assistance recently resulted in FEMA providing $445,377 for eligible, Katrina-related building repairs not previously funded under CBDG and COG.

With remaining repairs underway, the Family Center of Hope community center will soon maintain the same capacity and function as it did pre-Katrina. It is anticipated to reopen in the summer of 2013.

Editors: For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/latro.

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FEMA Support Eases Local Nonprofit’s Recovery Costs

Flood Hazard Information Being Updated for Southeast Coastal Communities

ATLANTA – People living in coastal communities throughout the Southeast will have a more accurate picture of their flood risk as Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and other flood hazard information are being updated in these areas.

Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the U.S., with coastal areas being particularly vulnerable. Nearly 40 percent of the nation’s population lives in coastal communities, so it is important that people know their flood risk and take steps to protect themselves and their property.

Flood risks change over time because of construction, development, environmental changes, shoreline erosion, and other natural or manmade factors. These changes send water flowing in new directions, creating flood risks that did not exist previously — precisely why flood maps are updated periodically.

Throughout the next several years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Regional Office in Atlanta, along with regional, state and local partners throughout the Southeast, will update the effective FIRMs for coastal areas using more recent data and the latest scientific engineering tools. Click here to see a list of the organizations that will be involved in this effort with FEMA.

To see the progress, visit the FEMA Region IV Coastal Analysis and Mapping website at www.southeastcoastalmaps.com. This site provides information on the status of coastal mapping projects in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, as well as other flood hazard information.

Updated FIRMs for coastal communities in Mississippi, including Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties, were completed in 2007. Visit the Mississippi webpage for more information.

Community planners and local officials use flood hazard information to improve local planning activities. Builders and developers use the information to make decisions on where to build and how construction can affect flood risk. Insurance agents, insurance companies, real estate agents and lending institutions use the information for insurance rating purposes and to help residents better understand how flood hazards affect their property. Property owners and renters can use flood hazard information to help make better financial decisions about protecting their properties.

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Flood Hazard Information Being Updated for Southeast Coastal Communities

Los Angeles, San Francisco Emergency Managers Appointed to FEMA’s Post-Katrina National Advisory Council

Date: September 26, 2012

RIX-12-11

Media Contact: FEMA News Desk Region 9 (510) 627-7006 or (626) 431-3843

Los Angeles, San Francisco Emergency Managers Appointed to FEMA’s Post-Katrina National Advisory Council
Jim Featherstone, General Manager of the Emergency Management Department of the
City of Los Angeles will Chair Council

Oakland, Calif. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the appointment of nine new members and the reappointment of one member to the FEMA National Advisory Council (NAC). Mandated by Congress in the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006, the mission of the NAC is to ensure effective and ongoing coordination of federal preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation for natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters. The NAC is comprised of state, tribal and local governments, private sector, and non-governmental partners who advise and provide recommendations on a variety of issues within emergency management to the FEMA Administrator.

“The NAC has provided thoughtful guidance on a range of issues, including integrating access and functional needs in emergency planning, considering the needs of children in disaster response operations, and engaging the whole community to develop and implement the agency’s mission,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “I congratulate the new members on their appointment. This council represents the interests and expertise of the whole community and I look forward to hearing their recommendations.”

Members of the NAC are appointed by the FEMA Administrator to serve for three years and represent a geographic and significant cross section of officials from emergency management and law enforcement, and include homeland security directors, adjutants general, and emergency response officers from state, local, and tribal governments, private sector, and non-governmental organizations.

Jim Featherstone, the General Manager of the Emergency Management Department of the city of Los Angeles, has been reappointed as the NAC Chair. Teresa Scott, the Director of Public Works for the city of Gainesville, Florida, has been selected to finish her second term as the Vice Chair for the NAC.

The new NAC members are:

Senator Joseph Bolkcom, Assistant Majority Leader, State Senator, Iowa State Senate
Dr. Sarita Chung, Director and Attending Physician, Disaster Preparedness Division of Emergency Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston
Ms. Anne Kronenberg, Executive Director, San Francisco Department of Emergency Management
Mr. Robert Maloney, Director of the Office of Emergency Management, Baltimore City, Maryland
Mr. Ken Miyagishima, Mayor, City of Las Cruces, New Mexico
Mr. Joseph Nimmich, Director, Maritime Surveillance and Security, Raytheon Homeland Security
Mr. Thomas Powers, Vice President, Corporate Security and Safety, Iron Mountain
Mr. Earl Pat Santos, Deputy Director, Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), Louisiana
Lieutenant General Guy Swan, Vice President of Education and Executive Director, Institute of Land Warfare at the Association of the US Army

Additional information on the NAC, including a list of current members, can be found at http://www.fema.gov/national-advisory-council.

Follow FEMA Region 9 on Twitter! https://twitter.com/femaregion9

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Los Angeles, San Francisco Emergency Managers Appointed to FEMA’s Post-Katrina National Advisory Council

The Anniversary of Hurricane Rita – Seven Years of Recovery and FEMA Aid in Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS – In the wake of Hurricane Isaac’s recent recovery efforts, Louisiana’s restoration from Hurricane Rita persists, enabled by approximately $1.3 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency public assistance, hazard mitigation and individual assistance funding since her landfall on Sept. 24, 2005.

“While Hurricane Katrina and more recently Hurricane Isaac tend to headline Louisiana’s natural disaster timeline, FEMA understands that communities in the southwestern part of the state think of Hurricane Rita when it comes to devastating storms,” said FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office Executive Director Joseph Threat. “Just seven years ago, these communities were greatly impacted by Rita’s landfall and are still recovering today.”

FEMA has provided $671.8 million in public assistance grants for Hurricane Rita-related projects in Louisiana, such as debris removal and emergency protective measures and for permanent work to repair or rebuild public facilities damaged by the storm. Of this funding, nearly 50 percent was provided for recovery work in Cameron, Calcasieu and Vermilion parishes.

“The local officials and residents within these communities have worked together, in partnership with the state and FEMA, to rebuild their neighborhoods. Their success stories and recovery accomplishments to date speak to their resiliency and dedication to restoring Louisiana,” added Threat.

In an effort to help prevent future loss of property and to save lives during future disasters, FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program has made more than $137.9 million in funding available to Louisiana in response to Hurricane Rita. Through this program, FEMA is able to provide traditional HMGP grants, for elevations and acquisitions for example, as well as planning grants to assist eligible applicants in setting short- and long-term mitigation goals.

“The ‘on-the-ground’ recovery efforts from disasters like Hurricane Rita, and more recently Hurricane Isaac, are multifaceted in that residents must first recover before communities can progress toward recovery,” said Threat. “That’s why helping individuals affected by disasters remains at the core of FEMA’s recovery mission.”

To aid Louisiana’s residents following Hurricane Rita, FEMA provided approximately $523.5 million in Individuals and Households Program grants to 177,622 individuals and families statewide. These dollars were used as housing assistance for rent, repairs and replacement housing, as well as other needs assistance for such things as furniture, clothing and replacement vehicles.

Editors: For more information about Louisiana’s ongoing recovery efforts, visit FEMA’s website dedicated to the seventh anniversary of hurricanes Katrina and Rita: www.fema.gov/la7year . 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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The Anniversary of Hurricane Rita – Seven Years of Recovery and FEMA Aid in Louisiana

Helping Hurricane Isaac Survivors Find Copies of Lost Records for Disaster Recovery

BATON ROUGE, La. – Recovering from a disaster can be a daunting experience, and it can be even more overwhelming when you have lost important records needed for your disaster recovery.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers the following contact information for Louisianians who have to replace important documents that may be required for identification purposes or to show proof of occupancy, such as birth certificates, social security cards, drivers’ licenses, state-issued identification cards, tax bills, deeds, mortgage payment receipts, insurance policies or utility bills:

Louisiana Vital Records: For birth, death, marriage or other vital records call the Vital Statistics Records Office at 1-504-593-5100, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or visit http://www.vitalrec.com/la.html for more information.

Drivers’ license and/or state-issued identification card: Call the Louisiana Department of Motor Vehicles at 1-225-925-6146, Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., or visit http://www.expresslane.org/.

Social Security card: Call the U.S. Social Security office at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., or visit http://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber for more information.

Federal tax records: Call the Internal Revenue Service at 1-800-829-1040, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., or visit http://www.irs.gov for more information.

Real and personal property tax records: Visit the Louisiana Assessor and Property Tax Records Search Directory at http://publicrecords.onlinesearches.com/Louisiana-Assessor-and-Property-Tax-Records.htm.

You also can call your local utility company, financial institution or insurance provider and speak with the customer service unit for copies of your most recent records. The utility company should have your most recent utility bill; your bank, credit union or savings and loan should provide you with copies of your bank statements, loan applications and mortgage payment receipts; and your insurance company should have your insurance policies, recent billing statements and cash-value statements.

Survivors can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smartphone at m.fema.gov. They may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

HELPING HURRICANE ISAAC SURVIVORS FIND COPIES OF LOST RECORDS FOR DISASTER RECOVERY

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow FEMA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

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Helping Hurricane Isaac Survivors Find Copies of Lost Records for Disaster Recovery

FEMA Grants Nearly $2.7 Million To Alabama To Update Flood Maps And Flood Risk Data

ATLANTA – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that a grant of nearly $2.7 million will be awarded to the Alabama Office of Water Resources in support of its floodplain mapping program.

FEMA will provide $2,696,310 in federal funds toward projects to improve existing flood insurance rate maps and flood risk data, which will strengthen local communities’ ability to understand and communicate their flood risk and make informed decisions about flood risk reduction.

The Alabama Office of Water Resources will develop and support production of flood maps and a flood insurance study report for the Wheeler Lake Watershed including portions of Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan, Cullman, Madison and Jackson counties in Alabama as well as portions of Lawrence, Giles, Lincoln, and Franklin counties in Tennessee. Funding will also be used to develop topographic information for the Cahaba River Watershed including portions of Jefferson County; and to update flood risk information along the coast including Baldwin and Mobile counties.

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

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

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

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FEMA Grants Nearly $2.7 Million To Alabama To Update Flood Maps And Flood Risk Data

Louisiana Superdome Receives FEMA Grant for Remaining Recovery Work

Release Date: June 20, 2012
Release Number: 1603-979

» More Information on Louisiana Hurricane Katrina

NEW ORLEANS, La. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently announced nearly $1 million in additional recovery aid to the Louisiana Office of Facility Planning and Control for remaining, Katrina-related repairs at the Louisiana Superdome.

“Our recent grant is part of FEMA’s continued effort to support Louisiana’s full recovery from Hurricane Katrina,” said FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office Deputy Director of Programs Andre Cadogan. “The funding reimburses completed ticket booth repairs at the Superdome as well as provides for parking garage #6 repairs, which are scheduled to take place this year.”

Home to the National Football League’s New Orleans Saints, the Louisiana Superdome-now officially named the Mercedes-Benz Superdome-is a sports arena located in downtown New Orleans. Generally referred to as the largest fixed domed structure in the world, the Superdome also gained international attention in 2005 when it was used as a “shelter of last resort” for those in New Orleans unable to evacuate from Hurricane Katrina.

The force of Hurricane Katrina’s 150 mph winds destroyed the outer membrane of the Superdome, leaving it exposed to serious damages by rain and debris. As a result, FEMA has provided approximately $42.8 million overall, including the agency’s recent grant. Recovery efforts at the arena include debris removal operations; the replacement of the dome’s exterior skin, seating, synthetic turf and fixtures; and repairs to the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.

To date, FEMA has obligated approximately $11.5 billion in public assistance funding for Katrina and Rita related recovery work throughout Louisiana.

Last Modified: Wednesday, 20-Jun-2012 13:22:27

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Louisiana Superdome Receives FEMA Grant for Remaining Recovery Work

FEMA Dollars Continue To Support Crucial Health Care Services In Southeast Louisiana

Release Date: June 15, 2012
Release Number: 1603 – 978

» More Information on Louisiana Hurricane Rita
» More Information on Louisiana Hurricane Katrina

NEW ORLEANS –The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently announced $289,150 in Katrina-related recovery aid to the Metropolitan Human Services District, the lead Louisiana state agency charged with providing addiction, behavioral health and developmental disability service to citizens of Orleans, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes.

Pre-Katrina, the MHSD operated out of a facility owned by the Louisiana Office of Facility Planning and Control—the New Orleans Mental Health Center, located at 3100 General DeGaulle Drive in New Orleans.

In addition to FEMA’s recent funding for MHSD, FEMA previously obligated $1.3 million directly to FP&C for work necessary to restore the actual New Orleans Mental Health Center facility, which was damaged significantly during Katrina. As a result, MHSD had to move its service-oriented operation to temporary facilities in order to continue providing services.

“Our recent funding to the Metropolitan Human Services District reimburses the agency for costs associated with using temporary facilities, including trailer rentals and land leases, following Katrina,” said FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office Deputy Director of Programs Andre Cadogan. “Our assistance is significant because, through supporting Louisiana’s overall recovery, we are also supporting state efforts to offer vital public services, including mental health services, throughout Southeast Louisiana.”

The building of the new, post-Katrina New Orleans Mental Health Center is scheduled for completion at the end of this summer; and once it’s completed, MHSD plans to then move back into the facility at the same location as it was before Katrina.

“These FEMA funds help ensure that residents of New Orleans’ West Bank can have their needs met in an appropriate setting. The opening of this facility also contributes significantly to MHSD’s commitment to establish the first true continuum of care model for the communities we serve,” said Judge Calvin Johnson (ret.), Metropolitan Human Services District executive director.

To date, FEMA has obligated approximately $11.5 billion in public assistance funding for Katrina and Rita related recovery work throughout Louisiana.

Last Modified: Friday, 15-Jun-2012 10:31:00

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FEMA Dollars Continue To Support Crucial Health Care Services In Southeast Louisiana

Area Residents Helping FEMA Support Souris Valley

Release Date: June 11, 2012
Release Number: 1981-ANF001

» More Information on North Dakota Flooding

» 2012 Region VIII News Releases

“Helping people.”

That’s the answer Tamra “Tammy” Kloehn gave when asked what she liked most about her job with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Minot. Tammy knows what it is like to need assistance after a disaster, because her household was affected by last year’s flood and was an applicant for FEMA disaster assistance.

When the Federal Emergency Management Agency arrives to render aid following a declared disaster, survivors are often curious about the people who represent the agency. While it is usually true that the initial group of workers who arrive on the scene come from across the country, those impacted by disasters may be surprised to learn that many new FEMA employees are their family, friends and fellow disaster survivors. In “FEMA-speak” these folks are known as local hires.

Local hires are employees drawn from the local, disaster-affected area. Their willingness to train and work as FEMA employees, along with the wealth of local knowledge they bring, make them an integral part of helping communities recover.

Tammy has lived in Minot all of her life, working in various fields such as restaurant management, assisted living care and accounting. When she saw a job posting for FEMA last December and read the description, she applied, “It sounded interesting and it was working with people.”

As a Recertification Advisor, Tammy visits individuals and families living in FEMA housing units throughout Minot to work with them on their housing plan and help them return to a more permanent living arrangement. She provides those who were previously renting with lists of available rentals and offers assistance to homeowners that are repairing their damaged dwellings.

…

Christopher Geck was also born in Minot, but has lived the past 22 years in Mandan. In 2009 he was working as a security officer in the FEMA Bismarck Joint Field Office that was set up to help in recovery from the Red River flooding that year. Chris applied for a reservist position that was open in the Finance and Admin section and was hired as a Human Resources Specialist.

Reservists are FEMA employees who travel the country assisting in recovery efforts of all 50 states following disaster declarations. Chris finds it especially satisfying to be assigned to work in the city he was born in 28 years ago and where his own family was affected by the flood last year. He now serves as the HR supervisor in the Minot FEMA Housing Management Office, handling deployments of fellow employees who arrive from other parts of the country to assist in flood recovery, overseeing payroll and interviewing and processing new local hires.

…

When you look into the eyes of Laura Grueneberg, you can see the care and concern she carries for disaster survivors. In her position as a Voluntary Agency Liaison (VAL) that is appropriate, but even more so knowing her own home was substantially damaged during the flood in Minot last year. Living with her husband and 4 children in a hotel room for almost 4 months and then in a FEMA housing unit for another 5 months, Laura knows intimately what many disaster survivors are living through today.

“A way to make a difference in the lives of people” is what prompted Laura to apply for the position she saw posted online in November. As a VAL, Laura is FEMA’s link to local volunteer organizations. She also works hand-in-hand with FEMA Recertification Advisors to help applicants who have needs that cannot be met by FEMA programs, but that voluntary agencies may be able to assist.

“I am grateful for the opportunity FEMA has given me. Working in a field where I am able to help others is incredibly rewarding and working outside of the home has helped my family get back on our feet.”

FEMA is also grateful for the area residents serving in its ranks who have helped the Souris Valley in the disaster recovery.

Last Modified: Monday, 11-Jun-2012 10:00:22

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Area Residents Helping FEMA Support Souris Valley

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