Louisiana Major Disaster Declaration Amended to Include Individual Assistance

WASHINGTON – Today, FEMA announced an amendment to the major disaster declaration for the State of Louisiana to include the Individual Assistance Program.

Federal funding is available to affected individuals in Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. John the Baptist, and St. Tammany parishes. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and households recover from the effects of the disaster.

Individuals and households who sustained losses in the designated county can begin applying for assistance by registering online at http://www.disasterassistance.gov, by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

For more information, visit: http://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit/recovery-directorate/assistance-individuals-and.

Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

On Wednesday, the President declared a major disaster declaration for the State of Louisiana for emergency work and hazard mitigation.

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 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.

Louisiana Major Disaster Declaration Amended to Include Individual Assistance

FEMA Disaster Workshop Brings Tribal Leaders to the Bay Area to Prepare for, Respond to, Recover from Catastrophic Events

FEMA Region 9 Media Contact: Mary Simms (510) 627-7006

FEMA Disaster Workshop Brings Tribal Leaders to the Bay Area to Prepare for, Respond to, Recover from Catastrophic Events
FEMA Region 9 strengthens tribal policies, relationships with hundreds of sovereign Indian Nations in California, Arizona, and Nevada

OAKLAND, Calif. — Nearly 200 tribal leaders, emergency managers, first responders and other disaster preparedness officials, representing more than 60 tribal governments are meeting this week in Oakland, Ca. with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials , to discuss how to jointly prepare for, respond to and recover from the next catastrophic disaster that could strike tribal communities with or without warning in California, Arizona or Nevada.

Regional Administrator Nancy Ward spoke at this year’s second annual Disaster Preparedness Partnership meeting along with Mark Ghilarducci, Secretary for the California Emergency Management Agency.

“FEMA recognizes that even with the best planning, disasters are inevitable,” said Nancy Ward, FEMA Region 9 Administrator. “This conference is one of the largest gatherings of its kind, and an excellent venue for tribal, state, and federal leaders and emergency management professionals to share success strategies and apply that knowledge to the unique issues facing our tribal partners today.”

This year’s conference will cover many pressing topics, including the Presidential Preparedness Directive (PPD- 8), tribal grants, the National Disaster Recovery Framework, “Tribes leading Tribes” mentoring program and critical infrastructure resources. During the current fiscal year, FEMA has provided more than $6 million dollars in federal funding aimed at strengthening core tribal capacities.

Tribal governments are essential partners in building resilient communities and the federal government has a unique government-to-government relationship with federally-recognized tribal governments.

“This is truly a wonderful collaboration,” said Mark Romero, Chairman, Executive Board, Inter Tribal Long Term Recovery Foundation. “Especially in light of recent California wildfires it’s so critical that we all work together to establish the best emergency management practices.”

Tribal lands in Region 9 range from small allotments of a few acres to the Navajo Nation, the largest tribal territory in the country. More than 28% of these native homes are at or below the poverty level and face unique challenges when confronted by disasters on tribal lands.

Tribal leaders slated to speak at this week’s conference include: Don Watahomigie, Chairman of the Havasupai Tribe; Robert Holden, Deputy Executive Director for the National Congress of American Indians; Cliff Puckett, Emergency Manager for the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community; Ed Naranjo, Chairman for the Goshute tribes of Nevada & Utah; LaVonne Peck, Chairwoman of the La Jolla Tribe; Gary Fredericksen, Fire Chief for the Yocha Dehe Wintun Tribe; Mike Chandler, Fire Commission Member for the Yocha Dehe Fire Department; Wayne Burke, Chairman, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe; and Randall Vicente, Governor of the Pueblo of Acoma.

FEMA also provides no-cost training for tribal leaders, emergency planners, first responders, and others. The following courses are offered at FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland:

– Emergency Management Framework for Tribal Governments (E580) provides a basic understanding of emergency management principles and how those principles can be used to help develop and implement emergency management systems.

– Emergency Management Operations for Tribal Governments (E581) helps tribal officials develop organizational structures, operational procedures, and resources for effective emergency management operations.

– Mitigation for Tribal Officials (E344) covers FEMA’s disaster mitigation programs, tribal mitigation opportunities, and examples of mitigation success.

To learn more about FEMA’s tribal programs please visit: http://www.fema.gov/tribal.

MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA: To request photos, attend and/or schedule an interview with a disaster expert or tribal liaison, please email your request to External Affairs Officer Mary Simms at mary.simms@fema.dhs.gov. Please include your name, media affiliation and contact information in your request.

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FEMA Disaster Workshop Brings Tribal Leaders to the Bay Area to Prepare for, Respond to, Recover from Catastrophic Events

President Obama Signs Louisiana Emergency Declaration

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal emergency aid has been made available to the state of Louisiana to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Isaac beginning on August 26, 2012, and continuing.

The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the parishes of Ascension, Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, and Washington.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures limited to direct federal assistance will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.

Gerard M. Stolar has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal response operations in the affected area.

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.

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President Obama Signs Louisiana Emergency Declaration

President Declares Major Disaster for New Mexico

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to New Mexico to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the area affected by flooding during the period of June 22 to July 12, 2012.

Federal funding is 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 the flooding in the counties of Lincoln and Sandoval and the Santa Clara Pueblo.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties and tribes within the state.

Nancy M. Casper has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Casper 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. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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President Declares Major Disaster for New Mexico

Hurricane Andrew 20th Anniversary Is A Reminder To Prepare For Emergencies

ATLANTA— August 24 marks 20 years since Hurricane Andrew made landfall in South Florida, devastating Homestead, Florida City and parts of Miami.

When Andrew struck, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) coordinated across the entire federal government to deploy response assets, move personnel, equipment and supplies. FEMA provided more than $290 million in federal assistance to more than 108,000 people affected by the storm in Florida, and provided more than $746 million to help rebuild public infrastructure. At the time, Hurricane Andrew was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

“Hurricane Andrew was a life-changing event for many people,” said FEMA Region IV Administrator Phil May. “As the Federal Coordinating Officer for the disaster, I saw the destruction first hand as FEMA worked with disaster survivors and community officials throughout the area. We knew we had years of recovery ahead of us given the severe impact that this storm had on South Florida communities, and it was clear the government couldn’t do it alone. At FEMA we often highlight the importance of working together as a team in emergency management—storms like Andrew remind us how critical that team really is. Federal, state and local partners, the private sector, the faith-based and non-profit groups, and especially the public–everyone rolled up their sleeves and worked together to help people recover from the storm.”

“We learned a lot from Hurricane Andrew and today our team is stronger than ever,” said May. “Over the years, the emergency management community has evolved and improved the way it communicates and leverages resources to prepare for the next emergency or disaster. We’ve expanded our relationships with the private sector, our coordination with our state emergency management partners is better, and we communicate more effectively with the public. Weather forecasting technology has also improved to give us more lead time before a storm. But the most critical members of the team are still the public. The better prepared individuals and families are, the safer our communities will be across the country.”

Hurricane Andrew’s anniversary is a reminder that now is the time to get ready for disasters and other emergencies. Next month marks the ninth annual National Preparedness Month, and this year’s slogan is “Pledge to Prepare”. Individuals, families, and organizations in all sectors can support this effort and find resources on emergency preparedness by ‘pledging’ on the National Preparedness Coalition Online Community. The goal this year is to transform awareness into action by encouraging all Americans to take specific steps to ensure that their homes, workplaces and communities are ready for disasters and emergencies of all kinds.

“Preparedness is important not just for governments and first responders, but for the public. I encourage everyone to pledge to prepare and visit www.Ready.gov for more information.”

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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Hurricane Andrew 20th Anniversary Is A Reminder To Prepare For Emergencies

President Declares a Major Disaster for Maryland

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal aid has been made available for the state of Maryland to supplement the state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms and straight-line winds during the period of June 29 to July 8, 2012.

Federal funding is available to state 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 the severe storms and straight-line winds in the counties of Calvert, Charles, Kent, Montgomery, and St. Mary’s and the Independent City of Baltimore.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Regis Leo Phelan has been named Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Phelan 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.

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President Declares a Major Disaster for Maryland

President Declares Disaster for Ohio

Release Date: June 30, 2012
Release Number: HQ-12-053

» More Information on Ohio Ohio Severe Storms

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal emergency aid has been made available to the state of Ohio to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from severe storms beginning on June 29, 2012, and continuing.

W. Michael Moore has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

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.

Last Modified: Saturday, 30-Jun-2012 21:45:15

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President Declares Disaster for Ohio

FEMA Supporting State and Local Officials Responding to Severe Weather in Midwest and Mid-Atlantic

Individuals in Affected States Urged to Listen to Local Officials and Take Precautions Due to Extreme Hot Weather

Release Date: June 30, 2012
Release Number: HQ-12-051

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its federal partners continue to work closely with states affected by yesterday’s damaging winds, hail and severe thunderstorms, including parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.

At the request of the State of Ohio, a FEMA liaison officer is deployed to the Ohio state emergency operations center to support state response efforts as needed. FEMA has also deployed an Incident Management Assistance Team to West Virginia to work side by side with the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management as it continues to respond and identify potential needs from the storm outbreak. FEMA also remains in close contact with federal partners at the National Weather Service forecast offices, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Department of Energy.

The National Weather Service has issued Excessive Heat Advisories in many areas that have been affected by the severe weather and may be without power, and urges everyone to take safety precautions due to the extreme high temperatures.

“Response efforts are underway from last night’s storms. FEMA urges affected individuals to continue to monitor weather conditions, heed advice from local officials and take appropriate precautions due to the severe hot weather and humidity,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “We will continue to work closely with our state and local partners in impacted areas to ensure there are no unmet needs as they continue to respond.”

FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center in Washington, D.C. is activated, and our Regional Response Coordination Centers in Chicago, Ill. and Philadelphia, Pa. are activated to support impacted states if requested.

More information on severe weather preparedness is available at www.ready.gov, www.listo.gov, and for other languages at www.ready.gov/translations.

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.

Last Modified: Saturday, 30-Jun-2012 16:43:44

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FEMA Supporting State and Local Officials Responding to Severe Weather in Midwest and Mid-Atlantic

President Declares Major Disaster For Vermont

Release Date: June 22, 2012
Release Number: HQ-12-046

» More Information on Vermont Severe Storm, Tornado, And Flooding

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to Vermont to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storm, tornado and flooding on May 29, 2012.

Federal funding is available to state 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 the severe storm, tornado and flooding in Addison, Lamoille and Orleans counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

James N. Russo has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Russo 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 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.

Last Modified: Friday, 22-Jun-2012 18:17:03

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President Declares Major Disaster For Vermont