EVERETT, Wash. – As local, state, tribal, and federal partners continue SR530 Slide recovery efforts, Saturday hours at Disaster Recovery Centers have been extended. The centers are located in Arlington, Darrington and Oso. 

Starting Saturday, April 19, all DRCs will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Monday through Friday hours remain the same. The Centers are closed on Sundays.

Locations and new hours of operation of the recovery centers are as follows:

Oso Fire Station (Snohomish County Fire
Protection District 25 – parking lot)
21824 State Route 530 NE
Arlington, WA 98223

Arlington Department of Public Works
154 West Cox Ave.
Arlington, WA 98223

Darrington Ranger District Office (Parking Lot)
1405 Emens Ave. North
Darrington, WA 98241

Hours of Operation:

Monday through Friday:  11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturdays:  10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Closed on Sundays

Localized impacts of the mudslide disaster have necessitated a tailored approach to supporting survivors and grieving family members in Snohomish County – including members of the Sauk-Suiattle, Stillaguamish, and Tulalip Tribes.

For instance, information and financial assistance with transportation and other access-related needs can be found at the Washington State Other Needs Assistance (ONA) Helpline: 800-688-3469 between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Assistance at the centers will meet the needs of survivors with disabilities. For individuals who have hearing and visual disabilities or are deaf, Disaster Recovery Centers can provide such accommodations as: captioned telephones, American Sign Language interpreters, available upon request; magnifiers and assistive listening devices and 711-Relay or Video Relay Services.
 

Originally posted here: 

As Local, State, Tribal, and Federal Partners Continue Supporting SR530 Slide Recovery, Saturday Recovery Centers Hours Are Extended

NEW YORK – Eight New Yorkers were honored Wednesday by the White House as Hurricane Sandy “Champions of Change.”

The White House recognized the individuals for their work in response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Sandy. These hidden heroes implemented innovative, collaborative solutions to meet the unique needs of communities and neighborhoods as they worked to rebuild after the devastating effects of this disaster.

“As soon as a disaster hits, we see citizens come together to help those in need,” said Paulette Aniskoff, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement. “Time and again, we have seen the courage and heroism of first responders, organizations and ordinary people in providing relief, recovery and care, and these Hurricane Sandy Champions of Change are no exception.”

Those honored were:

Amanda “Mandy” Bickerstaff, UWSLoves (New York, NY)

Mandy Bickerstaff is a Program Director for Do Your Part, a nonprofit organization that supports disaster relief and long-term recovery. After Hurricane Sandy hit New York City, Bickerstaff volunteered with the Red Cross and saw how important good food made with love was in times of disaster. She co-founded UWSLoves, which prepared over 1,500 hot meals and more than 3,000 sandwiches for those in need on the Lower East Side, Rockaway, Coney Island and Red Hook. During this time, Bickerstaff also compiled a cookbook of recipes and stories from the relief effort to support continued fundraising. She continues to work with relief organizations around the New York and New Jersey areas, coordinating fundraisers, large donations and volunteers. Her grandparents are her inspiration, instilling in her the importance of public service and dedication to those in need.

Ariel Creamer, Survivors Silver Lining (Queens, NY)

After evacuating her home during Hurricane Sandy, fourteen-year-old Rockaway resident Ariel Creamer founded the organization Survivors Silver Lining, which matches donors with Hurricane Sandy survivors. The mission of the organization is to help children and families replace items lost in the storm and rebuild their lives. Creamer has worked with other hurricane relief organizations to bring and distribute supplies to the Rockaways. Her hope is to continue her work and to bring awareness that the need in the Rockaways is far from over.

Erin Corcoran Daly, Operation Breezy Gut and Pump (Queens, NY)

Erin Daly sprang into action after Hurricane Sandy struck her hometown of Breezy Point. Daly, a Florida state prosecutor, immediately began her relief efforts by collecting donations of generators, sump pumps, tools, food and water, and arrived at the disaster zone with a truckload full of supplies and gasoline. The next day, Daly and off-duty FDNY firefighter Kevin Adams pitched a tent in a field and offered to pump and gut houses for free. Operation Breezy Gut and Pump was born. Kevin recruited fellow FDNY member Phil Pillet, and soon volunteers began showing up by the hundreds. Over the next 36 days, Daly and her crew worked tirelessly day and night, coordinating the integration of federal, state and local resources and matching victims with volunteer groups and relief organizations. Thanks to Operation Gut and Pump’s efforts, over 600 homes in Breezy Point were pumped, gutted and cleaned out free of charge.

Mike “Loco” Hoffman, Boots on the Ground (Staten Island, NY)

His community devastated after Hurricane Sandy, Mike “Loco” Hoffman has contributed to disaster relief and recovery every day since the storm struck. From rescuing stranded and frightened survivors to providing household needs, heaters and generators to gutting and rebuilding homes, Hoffman has been a one-man powerhouse of recovery. He even brought Christmas gifts and cheer to residents by dressing as Santa Claus and driving a decorated truck playing Christmas music through the streets of storm-ravaged neighborhoods. A lifelong resident of Staten Island, Hoffman founded Boots on the Ground Staten Island to put his local knowledge to use and serve as a resource for the thousands of volunteers who arrived to the area. In this way, he is assisting with the formation of an organized at-the-ready volunteer response network as a resource for future disaster victims.

Adam Marlatt, Global DIRT: Disaster Immediate Response Team (New York, NY)

Adam Marlatt is a Marine Reserve infantry sergeant and the founder of Global Disaster Immediate Response Team (DIRT). Using the skills he learned on the battlefield, on a District Stability Team with the U.S. State Department, and with his local volunteer fire department, Marlatt leads his team into the immediate aftermath of disasters to provide technical solutions, medical assistance and coordination support. Founded after the Haiti earthquake of 2010, Global DIRT has deployed to Haiti, Pakistan, New Zealand, Japan and the tri-state area after Hurricane Sandy.

Walter Meyer, Power Rockaway Resilience (Brooklyn, NY)

Together with a group of designers, sustainability experts, and solar engineers, Walter Meyer, an urban designer based in Brooklyn, New York, helped form the community-based organization “Power Rockaways Resilience.” Days after Hurricane Sandy, while gas generators sat idle due to a fuel shortage, the group began delivering hand-built, shopping-cart-sized solar generators to the hardest-hit blocks of the Rockaway peninsula, a barrier island off New York City that bore the brunt of a 14-foot tidal surge topped by three-story-high waves. This small-scale initial effort grew, and with the help of a nationwide fundraising campaign, Power Rockaways Resilience oversaw the widespread installation of large-scale solar generators at relief centers and volunteer hubs. The use of solar power to keep lights shining and helping hands working throughout the darkest days of the storm has inspired peninsula-wide interest in alternative energy technologies. Power Rockaways Resilience is still on the ground connecting solar suppliers and installers with Rockaway businesses and residents seeking to rebuild for a more sustainable, resilient future.

Carolina Salguero, PortSide NewYork (Brooklyn, NY)

PortSide NewYork is a nonprofit in Red Hook, Brooklyn, focused on waterfront issues. Since 2005, the organization has operated from the Mary A. Whalen, an oil tanker on the National Register of Historic Places. After protecting the ship during Hurricane Sandy, they came ashore to help the community of Red Hook. Led by founder Carolina Salguero, PortSide created an aid station that evolved to provide services in response to emerging needs. They provided computer equipment to enable people to apply to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, organized the work of electrician Danny Schneider who donated his services for free, and set up free legal clinics and a small business recovery center. Based on what they learned, they are now planning programs for Red Hook and the New York City government.

Marcie Allen Van Mol, Beach 119th Street Angels (New York, NY)

Marcie Allen is the president of MAC Presents, a New York City-based sponsorship and fulfillment agency. After Hurricane Sandy, Marcie raised over $100,000 in donations and supplies for families on Beach 119th Street in Rockaway Beach, New York. Allen directed the short documentary film Beach 119 about the families of one block in Rockaway and their recovery.

To learn more about the White House Champions of Change program and nominate a Champion, visit www.whitehouse.gov/champions.

Continue reading here – 

New Yorkers honored as White House Hurricane Sandy “Champions of Change”

WINDSOR, Conn. — The FEMA-state Disaster Recovery Center in Fairfield closes Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 6 p.m., but FEMA will still be available to help residents recover from Sandy.

The FEMA helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-621-3362, to register for assistance, ask questions about an application or update contact information so FEMA knows how to reach you. For TTY, call 800-462-7585.

When FEMA’s Fairfield center closes, the U.S. Small Business Administration will open a Disaster Loan Outreach Center in the same location at the Senior Center, 100 Mona Terrace, Fairfield, CT 06824, on Thursday, Dec. 20.

 Fairfield Disaster Loan Outreach Center hours of operation will be:

 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday (starting Dec. 20)

Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

Registering for disaster assistance with other agencies or organizations does not register survivors for FEMA disaster assistance. Having FEMA flood insurance does not register policyholders for disaster assistance; flood insurance claims are handled separately.

If an applicant receives an application for a low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration, it is important this application be completed and returned.  No survivor is required to take out an SBA loan, but completion of the SBA application may make the applicant eligible for further FEMA assistance.

Survivors can register online anytime day or night at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or with a smartphone or other Web-enabled device at m.fema.gov. Survivors can also register anytime by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362. The TTY number is 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Wait for the English message to finish to reach multilingual operators.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362. For TTY, call 800-462-7585.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private, nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and covers the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

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.

Taken from – 

Fairfield Disaster Recovery Center to Transition to SBA Loan Outreach Center

MINOT, N.D. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that an important milestone has been reached, as the number of temporary housing units still occupied has fallen below 1,000. 

“This is yet another step in the recovery process,” said Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator Dan Alexander of FEMA. “It’s a demonstration that people are returning home and moving forward in their recovery.”

As of October 16, there are still 996 units occupied in Ward County.  Of those, 345 are located on private property, 144 are located at five commercial home parks in Minot and Burlington, and the remaining 507 are at two housing sites developed by FEMA – Virgil Workman Village just outside of Minot and De Sour Valley Heights in Burlington. 

“We continue to work closely with those still residing in FEMA housing, and with our recovery partners, including the city of Minot, to find long-term housing solutions,” said Alexander. “Our mission is to serve as a short-term bridge until sufficient housing can be re-established in the community.”

FEMA’s housing mission was extended through June 24, 2013.  At the peak of the operation, more than 2,000 units were occupied.  In addition to the temporary housing mission, FEMA has provided more than $90 million in financial assistance to individuals and households impacted by Souris Valley flooding.

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.

From: 

Less Than 1,000 FEMA Housing Units Still Occupied In Ward County

State, FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers Adjust Hours of Operation 

Release Date: March 28, 2012
Release Number: 4059-008

» More Information on West Virginia Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, And Lanslides
» More Information on West Virginia Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, And Landslides

CHARLESTON, W. Va. — The five state and federal Disaster Recovery Centers open in West Virginia to assist individuals, households and businesses that suffered damage from the recent storms will operate on new schedules beginning Saturday, March 31, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said Thursday.

The new hours are: Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at:

Lincoln County
Duval Fire Company
5237 Straightfork Road
Griffithsville, WV

Logan County
Verdunville Volunteer Fire Department
Rte. 5, 2270 Mud Fork Road
Logan, WV

Marion County
City Public Safety Office
500 Quincy Street
Fairmont, WV

Wayne County
Cabwaylingo Presbyterian Church
1475 Left Fork Dunlow Bypass Road
Dunlow, WV

Wayne County Health Department
217 Kenova Ave.
Wayne, WV

A free bus shuttle is available seven days a week from Kiahsville to the DRC at the Wayne County Health Department. The bus leaves from the post office and general story every two hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The centers are staffed with disaster-recovery specialists who can provide information and answer questions about storm-related assistance, according to FEMA. 

“Before stopping by at the disaster recovery centers, people seeking assistance are strongly urged to register with FEMA,” said Charleston-based FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Deanne Criswell. “Having spoken with or otherwise having contacted state or local officials does not count. You must register with FEMA in order to apply for help.”

By phone, call the FEMA Hotline at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For those with speech or hearing disabilities, use the TTY number, 800-462-7585. Applicants can also register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or with any web-enabled device at m.fema.gov.

Information needed when registering with FEMA includes the address of the damaged property, names of those living in the household, a general description of the damage, the Social Security Account number of any family member living in the home, the extent of insurance coverage and certain other information needed to expedite the process.

Also on hand at the Disaster Recovery Centers are representatives from the Small Business Administration who can explain the low-interest disaster loans available to homeowners, renters, private nonprofits and businesses of any size. These loans are for the repair or replacement of real estate and/or personal property damaged by the storms and related flooding, officials said.  People who register with FEMA may be sent a loan application from the SBA. No one is obligated to take out a loan, according to the SBA.

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, 28-Mar-2012 16:58:45

Link to article: 

State, FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers Adjust Hours of Operation

FEMA Video On Houston Toad Monitoring Operation Focuses On Survivor Recovery 

Release Date: March 22, 2012
Release Number: 4029-107

» More Information on Texas Wildfires

AUSTIN, Texas — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has just released a short video detailing a project in Bastrop County to monitor for the endangered Houston toad while pushing forward with survivor recovery from the Labor Day 2011 wildfires.

The 5 1/2-minute video, “Monitoring for the Endangered Houston Toad in Texas,” features scenes of hazardous tree cutting and debris removal operations that are under way as part of Bastrop County’s recovery. Also included is footage of a female juvenile Houston toad that was removed from a debris pile and safely relocated outside of the severe burn zone.

The video, posted on FEMA’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf2ikf65vyU), presents commentary from Bastrop County and FEMA officials, and from several professional biologists who are serving as Houston toad monitors, including Dr. Mike Forstner, a Texas State University biology professor who has spent more than a decade and a half studying and developing management protocols for the Houston toad.

“The citizens of Bastrop County pride themselves on a rural lifestyle with rural values,” Forstner says in the video. “The reason they moved to Bastrop County is because it looks a certain way. Maintaining that look maintains the habitat for the Houston Toad. And if we are able to do those two things, toads and people will continue to recover in the county.”

Kevin Hannes, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer for the wildfire recovery mission, explains that FEMA is obligated under the federal Endangered Species Act to ensure federally funded recovery projects do not jeopardize an endangered species or its habitat. The challenge was to keep survivor recovery moving forward and yet meet that obligation.

“We only had two options,” says Hannes. “One was to stop work completely during the chorusing season, while the toad was active. That was not a viable option. Or we could agree to find a way to protect the toad while we continued the work.”

The answer, reached through a collaborative effort among the state, federal and local stakeholders, was to bring in highly qualified biologists to monitor for the toad. The successful result is that each day brings progress toward survivor and Bastrop County recovery.

“We are working together really in the spirit of cooperation between all the agencies. And it’s great team work,” Ronnie Moore, Bastrop County director of planning and project management, says in the video.

Texans can follow FEMA tweets about the wildfire recovery effort at www.twitter.com/femaregion6. Other online resources are http://blog.fema.gov and www.facebook.com/fema.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

The mission of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, Texas Department of Public Safety, is to support the citizens of Texas and local jurisdictions as they plan for, respond to, recover from and mitigate the impacts of all hazards, emergencies and disasters. For more information, see: www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.

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, 22-Mar-2012 14:20:52

Source article:

FEMA Video On Houston Toad Monitoring Operation Focuses On Survivor Recovery

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