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FEMA Still Available for Hurricane Isaac Recovery in Mississippi

CLINTON, Miss. – State and federal officials will continue to assist with Mississippi’s Hurricane Isaac recovery long after registration closed in October.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and FEMA are assisting with the repair and rebuilding of public infrastructure damaged in Hurricane Isaac. FEMA provides 75 percent of the cost to repair or rebuild eligible infrastructure while the state and applicant provide the remaining 25 percent. FEMA has provided nearly $4.3 million to the state since the storm for infrastructure projects.

MEMA and FEMA will remain available to help survivors, local governments, volunteer agencies and other interested parties to continue the state’s recovery.

For answers to disaster assistance questions, Hurricane Isaac survivors can call the toll-free Helpline at 800-621-3362 or visit FEMA online at DisasterAssistance.gov. Individuals who use TTY call 800-462-7585; FEMA phone lines are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week; multilingual operators are available.

For information about U.S. Small Business Administration disaster assistance loans, survivors can call 800-659-2955, email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visit SBA’s website at SBA.gov. Deaf or hard of hearing individuals may call 1-800-877‑8339.

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 non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover 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.

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FEMA Still Available for Hurricane Isaac Recovery in Mississippi

President Declares Major Disaster for Connecticut

Contact: FEMA Region I News Desk
617-956-7547

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of Connecticut and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Sandy beginning on October 27, 2012, and continuing.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in counties of Fairfield, Middlesex, New Haven, and New London and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and Mohegan Tribal Nation located within New London County.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, for the counties of Fairfield, Middlesex, New Haven, and New London and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and Mohegan Tribal Nation located within New London County.

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

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

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated county can begin applying for assistance by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov. Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

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.

President Declares Major Disaster for Connecticut

President Declares Major Disaster for New York

Contact: FEMA Region II News Desk
571-405-1882

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of New York and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Sandy beginning on October 27, 2012, and continuing.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Richmond, Suffolk, and Queens counties.

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, for Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Richmond, Suffolk, and Queens counties.

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

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

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated county can begin applying for assistance starting tomorrow 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. EDT seven days a week until further notice.

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 Declares Major Disaster for New York

President Declares Major Disaster for New Jersey

Contact: FEMA Region II News Desk
347-819-4787

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of New Jersey and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Sandy beginning on October 26, 2012, and continuing.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Atlantic, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union counties.

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, for Atlantic, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union counties.

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

Michael J. Hall has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Hall said 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.

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President Declares Major Disaster for New Jersey

FEMA and Federal Partners Continue to Mobilize Resources and Urge Residents to Make Final Preparations

WASHINGTON – At the direction of President Obama, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is coordinating the federal government’s assistance and preparations to support states affected by Hurricane Sandy. Today, the President received a briefing on Hurricane Sandy in the White House Situation Room, including an update on the deployment of teams and resources to potentially affected areas by Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano, FEMA Administrator Fugate, Transportation Secretary Lahood, Energy Secretary Chu and National Hurricane Center Director Richard Knabb.

The President has authorized emergency declarations for Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. The President’s action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts to provide assistance for required emergency measures to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety. The President continues to direct Administrator Fugate to ensure that federal partners continue to bring all available resources to bear to support state, tribal, and local responders in potentially affected areas.

Currently, more than 1,500 FEMA personnel are positioned along the East Coast working to support disaster preparedness and response operations, including search and rescue, situational awareness, communications and logistical support. In addition, 28 teams comprised of 294 FEMA Corps members are pre-staged to support Sandy. Three federal urban search and rescue task forces are positioned in the Mid-Atlantic and ready to deploy as needed and requested. An additional four federal search and rescue task forces in the Mid-west have been placed on alert and are ready for deployment, as requested and needed. 14 Incident Management Assistance Teams and 12 liaison officers are positioned in potentially affected states along the East Coast to support preparedness activities and ensure there are no unmet needs. Mobile Emergency Response Support (MERS) personnel and teams have been deployed to support the states with secure and non-secure voice, video, and information services, operations, and logistics support to state response operations as well as with any potential requests for assistance. FEMA disability integration advisors are also deployed to advise emergency management on alert and warning, evacuation, and sheltering needs.

At all times, FEMA maintains commodities, including millions of liters of water, millions of meals and hundreds of thousands of blankets, strategically located at distribution centers throughout the United States and its territories, including Atlanta, Ga. and Frederick, Md., if needed and requested. FEMA distribution centers have an overall inventory of more than 5 million liters of water, 3 million meals, 900,000 blankets and 100,000 cots. FEMA and the Department of Defense established Incident Support Bases in Westover, Mass. and Lakehurst, New Jersey to pre-position supplies including water, meals, blankets and other resources closer to potentially impacted areas, should they be needed and requested by states. As of this morning, FEMA has moved roughly 200,000 liters of water, 100,000 meals and thousands of blankets and cots to Westover Air Reserve Base; and more than 400,000 liters of water and more than 390,000 meals and thousands of cots to Lakehurst Naval Air Station in Lakehurst, New Jersey, and more commodities are en route, as weather conditions permit.

“The emergency management team, comprised of federal, state, tribal and local governments, the private sector and voluntary and faith-based organizations are all engaged in preparation for the storm,” said Fugate. “Individuals need to stay safe, check on a neighbor, and should follow the direction of state, tribal and local officials and continue to monitor NOAA weather radio and local news reports for the latest storm conditions.”

The National Guard currently has more than 1,900 personnel on state active duty in states along the projected path of the storm, in preparation for potential missions. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) mobilized Temporary Emergency Power resources to be pre-staged at Incident Support Bases to support critical resources in affected areas. These resources consist of teams with technical expertise to assess critical facility generator requirements and private sector contract support to install and operate generators.

To support potential pre- and post-storm evacuations, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through Emergency Support Function 8, and FEMA have the capability to activate ambulance contracts to support state requirements to evacuate patients if needed and requested. At the request of the state, more than 139 ambulances are positioned in New York, and an additional 211 ambulances are being deployed to New York. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) personnel also are supporting health and human services needs in communities along the East Coast that may be impacted by Hurricane Sandy. More than 160 personnel are deployed as part of the state and federal efforts. A 50-person Disaster Medical Assistance Team deployed to provide triage and basic care in two general population shelters in New Jersey. These medical providers will help ensure the shelter can meet the needs of residents seeking refuge there. Residents who require greater medical care can be transported to medical shelters or hospitals. An additional Disaster Medical Assistance Team remains pre-staged in the mid-Atlantic, prepared to deploy quickly along the East Coast if needed.

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD) remains in close communication with the East Coast state VOAD’s to coordinate on a regional, multi-state level. Currently 15 states have activated their VOAD networks for readiness actions; the National VOAD is sharing their activities and needs with all VOAD members and partners.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is working closely with FEMA, and in support of state and local officials who are responsible for working with utilities as they prepare for storms, deployed emergency response personnel to FEMA Regional Response Coordination Centers (RRCC) in Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania, and additional personnel are on standby to assist. DOE is working with states and local partners as the electric industry begins the process of pre-mobilizing storm and field personnel to assist in power restoration efforts. Daily Situation Reports that detail the storm’s impacts and the restoration activities being taken by the energy sector are available at www.doe.gov.

In preparation for the storm, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has ensured inspectors are in place at all nuclear power plants that could potentially experience impacts from the storm. Inspectors independently verify that plant operators are making the proper preparations and taking actions to ensure plant safety before, during and after the storm. Nuclear power plant procedures require that the facilities be shut down prior to any projected hurricane-force winds on-site.

FEMA activated its National Business Emergency Operations Center. More than from retail, transportation, food and groceries, building management, and other industries receive daily briefings on key federal response efforts. These briefings assist in federal and private sector planning efforts, and provide a forum to discuss response efforts and challenges that may arise for maintaining business operations and provides the opportunity to collaborate on innovative solutions.

According to the NOAA National Weather Service 2 p.m. advisory, hurricane force winds continue to be expected along portions of the coast between Chincoteague, Va. And Chatham, Mass. Tropical Storm force winds are expected north of Chatham to Merrimack River, Mass., the lower Chesapeake Bay and south of Chincoteague to Duck, North Carolina. Hurricane Sandy is expected to produce significant precipitation over widespread areas causing inland flooding, coastal storm surge, snow, and possible power outages.

Severe Weather, Preparedness and Winter Safety Actions

Individuals in the region should continue to monitor NOAA Weather Radio and their local news for updates and directions provided by their local and Tribal officials. State, Tribal and local officials make determinations and announcements about evacuations. We urge the public to listen to the instructions of officials, and if told to evacuate – evacuate.

States, localities and the Red Cross have been opening up emergency shelters along the East Coast as local officials have announced evacuations along the coast and low-lying areas. The FEMA smartphone app provides safety tips and displays open shelter information at www.fema.gov/smartphone-app. To find a shelter, people can download the Red Cross Hurricane app, visit the Red Cross web site, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Take Action. Those in the forecasted areas that will be affected in the next 24 hours should complete preparations immediately. Those in areas that will experience impacts on Wednesday and Thursday should be preparing their family, home or business to lessen the impact of severe weather, making sure to have an emergency plan, and emergency kits in their homes, workplace and cars. Some of the items in a basic emergency kit include: one gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation; at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food; battery-powered radio and a NOAA Weather Radio; flashlight and extra batteries; and First Aid kit.

For people with disabilities, plan for evacuation and sheltering with family or friends if possible and if you require power for any life sustaining resources have a plan and talk with local emergency management to identify where you can get access to generator power or charging stations. If you use consumable medical supplies or you have dietary requirements, make sure you have what you need on hand.

Those in areas where the storm is expected to produce snow should also have supplies in their emergency kits such as rock salt or environmentally safe products to melt ice on walkways, snow shovels, adequate clothing and blankets to keep warm and heating fuel like dry, seasoned wood for the fireplace or wood-burning stove. Both hurricanes and winter storms often cause power outages, take steps now to ensure you can sustain yourself for at least 72 hours if needed.

More information about what to do before, during and after a disaster can also be found visiting www.ready.gov and www.listo.gov. The FEMA mobile site (http://m.fema.gov), smartphone app (www.fema.gov/smartphone-app), and text messages (www.fema.gov/text-messages) also provide regular updates. Sharing information using social media tools is also a good way for residents to stay informed. Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.

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FEMA and Federal Partners Continue to Mobilize Resources and Urge Residents to Make Final Preparations

AmeriCorps — and New FEMA Corps — Are Assisting Hurricane Isaac Recovery

BATON ROUGE, La. – Dozens of AmeriCorps and FEMA Corps members are doing double duty in response to Hurricane Isaac— helping Louisiana survivors with their recovery efforts and assisting their communities plan for future disasters.

Along with scores of local voluntary agencies, some AmeriCorps teams were in Louisiana before Hurricane Isaac struck, and other members have arrived regularly in the eight weeks since the storm. The newest group is from FEMA Corps, a program in which young adults serve alongside FEMA’s existing workforce to perform a variety of disaster response, recovery and mitigation tasks.

“FEMA relies on volunteer-based organizations and the service groups like AmeriCorps and now FEMA Corps to provide critical help for survivors,” said Gerard M. Stolar, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer. “These folks are getting right into the communities affected by Isaac and helping them with their recovery effort.”

The FEMA Corps members are working with FEMA specialists in the Joint Field Office in Baton Rouge and across southern Louisiana. Some of them have been integrated into operations at Disaster Recovery Centers, where they have met with survivors and helped connect them to resources and information. Others are helping compile Project Worksheets, which document applicant costs for Public Assistance reimbursements.

FEMA Corps members also have been working in the southern parishes to learn how to assess homes for private property debris removal. Still others have joined Community Relations teams, going door-to-door to meet survivors and provide information about FEMA registration.

Meanwhile, some AmeriCorps members are in St. John Parish where they are managing local volunteers and assisting in setting up a long-term recovery group for the area. The teams also are helping the parish begin tracking volunteer hours which can be used to offset the local cost share required in some FEMA grants. In Plaquemines, St. John and St. Tammany, AmeriCorps has helped set up Volunteer Reception Centers (VRCs).

Other members are assisting the Louisiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster with a temporary roof repair pilot project in eight parishes. They are helping collect data about the efforts of voluntary agencies to provide temporary roof repairs and tarps to damaged homes.

“I think these projects can be very helpful tools for future disasters,” said AmeriCorps St. Louis Team Leader, Abby Simons, whose teams are working on the roofing pilot project and the VRCs. “Knowing that we’re helping increase the effectiveness of local community groups now – and maybe influencing others years down the road ¬– is worthwhile service.”

AmeriCorps is one of dozens of agencies FEMA has partnered with to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters like Hurricane Isaac. A national service program, AmeriCorps offers real-world experience in public service in exchange for low pay, long hours, sparse lodging, student loan forgiveness and the rewards of helping people in need.

AmeriCorps, through its parent agency the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), has deployed more than 300 members to Hurricane Isaac-affected areas since the beginning of the storm.

Some 35 AmeriCorps members assisted with earlier evacuations from St. Charles Parish and supporting a call center to provide information to survivors. In New Orleans, AmeriCorps members have been at a call center, a shelter and in the neighborhoods helping with damage assessment, debris removal and home repair.

Others have been in Baton Rouge, assisting with shelter operations and the Louisiana 2-1-1 call center and yet another team was in Hahnville in St. Charles Parish helping collect and distribute donated items to survivors.

FEMA Corps is the result of a new, innovative partnership between FEMA and CNCS. The program aims to enhance the nation’s ability to assist disaster survivors while expanding career opportunities for young people.

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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AmeriCorps — and New FEMA Corps — Are Assisting Hurricane Isaac Recovery

Saturday is the Last Day to Visit the Disaster Recovery Center in Noble

OKLAHOMA CITY – Cleveland County residents impacted by the Aug. 3-14 wildfire have until Saturday to take advantage of the Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at 15601 E. Etowah Road, Noble, OK 73068. The center is scheduled to close at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20.

More than 180 residents have visited the DRC to speak with representatives from the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and others.

Visiting the center is not required to be considered for assistance. Homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and certain nonprofit organizations can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov, via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov, or by calling FEMA’s toll-free numbers: 1-800-621-3362 or TTY 1-800-462-7585. Anyone using 711 Relay or Video Relay Services can call the same number: 1-800-621-3362. Specialists are available by phone from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time seven days a week.

To date, more than 175 Cleveland County residents registered for assistance and nearly $1.5 million in disaster assistance has been approved.

SBA representatives are also available at the center and will assist applicants with filling out their loan applications. SBA provides low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses and private nonprofits for their uncompensated physical disaster losses (homes, personal property and business assets). For small businesses and most private nonprofits, SBA disaster loans are available to cover working capital needs caused by the disaster, whether or not the business suffered physical damage.

It is important that anyone receiving an SBA disaster loan application complete and return it. Returning the application does not obligate you to accept an SBA loan; however, it is a necessary step to be considered for other additional forms of federal disaster assistance.

After registering with FEMA, homeowners, renters and businesses affected by the wildfire, can apply for an SBA disaster loan by going online to SBA’s secure site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela; calling 1-800-659-2955 or TTY 1-800-877-8339. For information on SBA disaster assistance, go to www.sba.gov.

For more information on Oklahoma disaster recovery, click on www.fema.gov/disaster/4078 or www.oem.ok.gov. Information can also be accessed via smartphone at m.fema.gov or the FEMA app.

Follow the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management on Twitter and Facebook at twitter.com/okem and www.facebook.com/oklahomadepartmentofemergencymanagement. FEMA tweets about the Oklahoma disaster are at twitter.com/femaregion6. Additional FEMA online resources include blog.fema.gov, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema.

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Saturday is the Last Day to Visit the Disaster Recovery Center in Noble

FEMA Encourages Participation in the Great SouthEast Earthquake Drill

WASHINGTON – FEMA is encouraging families, schools, businesses, tribes and state and local governments to participate in the first ever Great SouthEast ShakeOut, a regional earthquake drill in which participants – from the District of Columbia, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia – simultaneously practice the recommended action to take during an actual earthquake.

Earthquakes strike suddenly, without warning, and can have disastrous and far-reaching effects. While earthquake hazards vary from region to region, the Southeast is prone to this dangerous hazard.

The regional earthquake drill comes on the heels of the 2012 National Preparedness Month in September and the 1-year anniversary of the 5.8 magnitude earthquake in Mineral, Virginia. That earthquake was felt as far north as New England and as far south as Georgia, and caused widespread light to moderate damage from central Virginia to southern Maryland and Washington, DC, including millions of dollars in damage to area landmarks such as the Washington Monument and the National Cathedral.

“It is vitally important for people to have a plan and know what to do during an earthquake,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “The Great SouthEast ShakeOut provides a timely and relevant opportunity for all levels of government, non-profit and faith-based organizations, the private sector, individuals and families to review preparedness plans and practice what to do during an actual event.”

When an earthquake happens, you only have seconds to react, so it’s important to know what to do when the ground starts shaking. The action you need to take is known as “Drop, Cover and Hold On.”

DROP to the ground;
Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table; and
HOLD ON to it until the shaking stops.

If it’s not possible to get to the floor to safely take cover, before the exercise, identify an inside corner of the room near your work station or the other locations you may be in, away from windows and objects that could fall on you. The Earthquake Country Alliance advises getting as low as possible to the floor. People who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices should lock their wheels and remain seated until the shaking stops. Protect your head and neck with your arms, a pillow, a book, or whatever is available. To learn more about what to do before, during and after an earthquake, including information for seniors and those with disabilities, visit http://www.ready.gov/earthquakes.

Plan now to invest in safety for 90 seconds on Thursday, October 18 at 10:18 am, your local time. Drop, Cover and Hold On, as part of the 2012 ShakeOut earthquake drill. There are many ways for individuals, households, businesses, schools, faith-based organizations, community groups, and others to participate in the ShakeOut. For information about the drill and how to pledge to participate, please visit http://www.shakeout.org/ or http://www.shakeout.org/southeast/.

In addition to the areas participating in the Great SouthEast ShakeOut, similar drills will also be held on October 18 in California, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Guam, Puerto Rico, Alaska and Arizona. For details on U.S. earthquake information by state and territory, visit http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/.

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 .

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FEMA Encourages Participation in the Great SouthEast Earthquake Drill

FEMA Announces 2012 Individual and Community Preparedness Award Winners

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced the recipients of the 2012 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards. These Awards recognize the innovative practices and achievements of individuals, Citizen Corps Councils, and non-profit, faith-based, and private sector organizations working throughout the nation to make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to manage any disaster or emergency event.

“It has been shown time and time again that after a disaster, the very first responders are our neighbors,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “The award recipients promote preparedness across America’s communities – the bedrock of our national resiliency. I commend each and every one of the awardees for their service and innovation. They serve as a model for communities everywhere.”

Each applicant demonstrated their ability to engage the Whole Community through partnerships, achievements, and activities that took place from January 2011 to June 2012. For example, the American Red Cross Gateway to the Golden State Region chapter trained more than 16,000 individuals in lifesaving skills, such as disaster preparedness, CPR, and basic first aid, and developed a cadre of more than 200 bilingual volunteers. The Texas State Citizen Corps Program trained Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers who were integrated into the response to the Bastrop Complex Fire last fall and North Texas tornadoes earlier this year.

Other awardees participated in emergency planning activities and established creative methods to address the needs of their communities. For example, North Dakota State University developed two Smartphone applications, one to address the needs of individuals and families affected by local flooding and one with information for residents stranded during a winter storm.

The Second Annual John D. Solomon Preparedness Award is being presented to Florida’s Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE) for collaborative work as a team of nearly 500 disaster preparedness and response organizations, engaging in efforts that reach the business community, children and youth, under-served populations, faith-based organizations, first responders, and individuals with access and functional needs, and more. The John D. Solomon Preparedness Award is named for the late creator of the groundbreaking blog, In Case of Emergency, Read Blog: A Citizen’s Eye View Of Public Preparedness. John’s body of work was striking in its reporting, analysis, engagement and impact, in preparing the public, informing professionals, and effecting change in the public and private sectors. Administrator Fugate once stated that he “set the standard for what it meant to be part of our nation’s emergency management team.”

All winners will be invited, as FEMA’s honored guests, to a community roundtable event in Washington, D.C. During the roundtable the honorees will share their innovative and successful approaches to community preparedness with emergency management leadership.

FEMA congratulates the following awardees:

Outstanding State Citizen Corps Council Initiatives

Texas Citizen Corps (TX)

Outstanding Local Citizen Corps Council Initiatives

New York City Citizen Corps Council (NY)

Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Initiatives

CERT Program and Volunteers, City of Newport Beach (CA)

Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness

Chinatown Community Development Center (CA)

Preparing the Whole Community

American Red Cross Gateway to the Golden State (CA)

Promising Partnerships

Partners in Preparedness (NY)

Awareness to Action

American Red Cross of the Poconos (PA)

Innovative Use of Technology

North Dakota State University Agriculture Communication (ND)

Volunteer Integration

West Pierce County Fire and Rescue CERT Program (WA)

Community Preparedness Heroes

Michael Parker (CA)
Mohamed Ali (WA)
Scott Ellis (NJ)

Second Annual Recipient of the John D. Solomon Preparedness Award

Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE) (FL)

The award winners were selected by a panel of leaders representing the Whole Community, including the National Emergency Management Association, the International Association of Emergency Managers, Target, the American Red Cross and FEMA.

For a description of the award categories, please see the Application Guide.

Originally posted here –

FEMA Announces 2012 Individual and Community Preparedness Award Winners

When in Doubt, Register for Disaster Assistance

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urge Cleveland and Creek County residents who sustained property damage or losses from the Aug. 3-14 wildfires to apply for disaster assistance even if they think they may not qualify.

You have insurance
Your well and septic system was damaged
You already started to rebuild – save receipts for work already done
You think you may not qualify

You can call the same number you called when you registered to:

Confirm your registration
Check your status if you called before your county was declared a major disaster
Change your contact information or report additional damages

“Don’t prejudge your eligibility. You may be eligible for assistance you didn’t think was available,” said State Coordinating Officer and OEM Deputy Director Michelann Ooten.

“Registering provides access to a host of Federal, State and voluntary programs. We are here to provide assistance for all eligible applicants,” said Federal Coordinating Officer William J. Doran III. “FEMA may provide assistance that can address a person’s specific needs, not just housing.”

Federal disaster assistance may include FEMA’s grants to help pay for temporary housing, emergency home repairs or other serious disaster-related expenses, such as wells or septic tanks, medical and dental expenses or funeral and burial costs, not covered by insurance or other sources.

Since the disaster declaration, 596 individuals in Creek County and 150 in Cleveland County affected by the wildfires applied for assistance with FEMA.
Homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofit organizations, that have not yet registered should do so now by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585, visiting www.disasterassistance.gov or m.fema.gov via web-enabled phones or using the FEMA app. Anyone using 711 Relay or Video Relay Services can call 1-800-621-3362. Phone lines are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT seven days a week; multilingual operators are available.

To apply for a disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): After registering with FEMA, go online to SBA’s secure site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela; call 1-800-659-2955 or TTY 1-800-877-8339; or visit the Disaster Recovery Center in Noble. For more information on SBA disaster assistance, go to www.sba.gov.

SBA’s low-interest disaster loans are available to homeowners, renters, businesses and private nonprofits for their uncompensated physical disaster losses (homes, personal property and business assets). For small businesses and most private nonprofits, SBA disaster loans are available to cover working capital needs caused by the disaster, whether or not the business suffered physical damage.

For more information on Oklahoma disaster recovery, click on www.fema.gov/disaster/4078 or www.oem.ok.gov. Information can also be accessed via smartphone at m.fema.gov or the FEMA app.

Follow the OEM on Twitter and Facebook at twitter.com/okem and www.facebook.com/oklahomadepartmentofemergencymanagement. FEMA tweets about the Oklahoma disaster are at twitter.com/femaregion6. Additional FEMA online resources include blog.fema.gov, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema.

When in Doubt, Register for Disaster Assistance

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