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FEMA Housing Mission Sees Continued Progress

DENVER – As 2014 comes to an end, the temporary housing program managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the aftermath of the September 2013 foods continues to assist Colorado families while helping them secure permanent housing. There are 13 households in Boulder, Weld and Larimer counties still residing in FEMA-provided manufactured housing units, with the program scheduled to be completed by mid-March. Over the course of this housing program, a total of 47 households in the three counties have found housing in FEMA-provided manufactured homes.

FEMA continues to meet with residents on a monthly basis to assist them with developing a long-term housing plan, and those meetings will continue until the housing mission concludes. The agency is also working with the state and local recovery committees and non-profits to utilize other assistance programs to help residents.

In addition to providing direct housing, FEMA has also provided more than $61.8 million in emergency housing assistance to Colorado residents to make repairs to their damaged homes or rent another home. Another $300 million in assistance has been provided for Colorado communities to make repairs to or replace damaged public infrastructure, conduct debris removal and perform emergency work during the initial response.

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 Housing Mission Sees Continued Progress

FEMA Announces Launch of the Interim Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate today announced the launch of the Interim Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate, led by the Acting Flood Insurance Advocate, David Stearrett. The Interim Flood Insurance Advocate office will stand up effective December 22, 2014.

The Interim Office will begin work on specialized assistance to citizens and policyholders on National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) issues; as well as regional mapping outreach and education support. The Interim Office will operate until a permanent Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate is established pursuant to Section 24 of the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 (subject to budget resources). To best carry out its mission, duties and responsibilities, the Interim Office will be an independent office within FEMA with direct alignment to the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA) Associate Administrator and the FEMA Administrator.

“Floods are the most common disaster affecting communities in America,” said David Miller, Associate Administrator for the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration. “Through the National Flood Insurance Program, FEMA is working hard to ensure that families are able to protect themselves from flood damage and accelerate efforts to recover should something happen. As someone who has worked tirelessly on behalf of policyholders for many years, I know Mr. Stearrett will fight each day to ensure that policyholders have the information they need to navigate the flood insurance process and ensure any concerns are addressed.”

Until funding is available to establish the permanent office, a number of FEMA employees will be detailed to the Interim Office. FEMA spent several months developing options to implement this new provision, and met with a number of Advocate and Ombudsman offices at other federal agencies and identified areas of greatest policyholder and property owner needs. These findings were leveraged to build the interim office.

FEMA is designating an Acting Flood Insurance Advocate and an interim Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate as part of its commitment to immediately begin providing assistance to homeowners and policyholders. At launch, the Acting Advocate and staff will focus on assisting the public as they navigate through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) processes by leveraging FEMA resources to address specific public inquiries or concerns. The Acting Advocate will also develop a long-term regional mapping outreach and education strategy to maximize support to the public. The Interim Flood Insurance Advocate office will operate with existing resources and further expansion is subject to future funding, as FEMA is operating under a Continuing Resolution.

The Flood Insurance Advocate will be an independent office within FEMA and have direct access on an advisory basis to the FEMA Administrator.

Initially, the public can reach the Acting Flood Insurance Advocate by email, at insurance-advocate@fema.dhs.gov. In the next month, the Flood Insurance Advocate will establish a phone number to receive inquiries from the public. FEMA recommends that policyholders continue to also work with their insurance agents to resolve any questions or concerns that they have related to flood insurance, or contact Floodsmart at 1-888-379-9531.

The NFIP is a Federal program created by Congress to mitigate future flood losses nationwide through sound, community-enforced building and zoning ordinances and to provide access to affordable, federally backed flood insurance protection for property owners. The NFIP is designed to provide a way for Americans to address the escalating costs of repairing damage to buildings and their contents caused by floods.

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FEMA Announces Launch of the Interim Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate

FEMA Awards $2,889,864 Grant to Village of Lisle: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish 13 flood prone structures and elevate…

CHICAGO –The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $2,889,864 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to the village of Lisle, Ill., for the acquisition and demolition of 13 residential structures in the floodplain. In addition, six structures will be elevated three feet above the base flood elevation along the east branch of the DuPage River.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce the risk of loss of life and property,” said FEMA Region V acting administrator Janet Odeshoo. “The projects funded by this program will greatly reduce the financial impact on individuals and the Lisle community when future flooding occurs in this area.”

“Approval of this grant is good news for these Lisle residents who have been devastated by flooding many times in the past,” said Jonathon Monken, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. “The grant will enable them to move out of the floodplain and avoid future heartache and property losses.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the $3,853,152 eligible project cost. The remaining 25 percent of the funds, $963,288, will be provided by the village of Lisle.

Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at 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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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

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FEMA Awards $2,889,864 Grant to Village of Lisle: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish 13 flood prone structures and elevate…

FEMA Awards $2,999,992 Grant to the Village of Glenview: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish 16 flood prone structures

CHICAGO –The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $2,999,992 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to the village of Glenview, Ill., for the acquisition and demolition of 16 residential structures in the Chicago River floodplain. Following demolition, these properties will be maintained as permanent open space in the community.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce the risk of loss of life and property,” said FEMA Region V acting administrator Janet Odeshoo. “The acquisition and demolition of these structures permanently removes them from the floodplain and greatly reduces the financial impact on individuals and the community when future flooding occurs in this area.”

“Approval of this grant is good news for these Glenview residents who have been devastated by flooding many times in the past,” said Jonathon Monken, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. “The grant will enable them to move out of the floodplain and avoid future heartache and property losses.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay $2,999,992 of the eligible project cost. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago will provide $5,768,888 in non-federal funds to support the $8,768,880 project cost in partnership with the village of Glenview and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

FEMA Awards $2,999,992 Grant to the Village of Glenview: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish 16 flood prone structures

FEMA Awards $300,000 Grant to Delaware County: Hazard Mitigation funds will be used to construct two tornado safe rooms

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released an initial amount of $300,000 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Delaware County, Ohio, for the construction of two community safe rooms at the Delaware State Park. Additional federal funding will be provided based on project completion. Following the completion, the community safe rooms will be made available to the citizens of Delaware County.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate the risk of loss of life and property,” said FEMA Region V acting administrator Janet Odeshoo. “The construction of these community safe rooms will protect the lives of citizens by providing secure locations to seek shelter from tornados and other high wind events.”

“These community safe rooms will provide protection to campers and other park users during a tornado and severe storms. The buildings are multi-purpose and when not being used for storm protection can be used for meeting space, naturalist programs, and other similar activities” said Nancy Dragani, executive director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency.

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. The overall eligible cost of this project is $800,000, with 75 percent of the approved total paid by FEMA, and the remaining 25 percent of funds provided by Delaware County and the state of Ohio.

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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

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FEMA Awards $300,000 Grant to Delaware County: Hazard Mitigation funds will be used to construct two tornado safe rooms

Napa, Solano County Residents to Receive Federal Individual, Household Aid Following South Napa Earthquake

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that the Major Disaster declaration for the South Napa earthquake will also include the Individuals and Households Program under the Stafford Act. This amendment makes assistance available to help homeowners and renters recover from the earthquake.

“This is a very welcome announcement for those individuals that had their daily lives changed by this earthquake,” said Cal OES Director Mark Ghilarducci. “Additional federal resources like this program will be a huge help to everyone impacted, especially those struggling with major damages and limited personal resources.”

Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. and local, state and Congressional officials requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration as damages caused by the 6.0-magnitude earthquake that shook through most of Northern California mounted. In response, President Barack Obama declared a Major Disaster on Sept. 11. The Major Disaster Declaration allowed for public assistance to be available to state, tribal and eligible governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged during the earthquake. The Individuals and Households Program will provide assistance to residents in Napa and Solano Counties.

“We are glad to be able to assist individual households as well as state and local governments in recovering from this earthquake,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer Stephen De Blasio. “We ask those Californians who sustained earthquake damage to get registered as quickly as possible.”

Gov. Brown declared a State of Emergency shortly after the earthquake, whose epicenter was near American Canyon and the City of Napa, and issued an executive order to provide additional financial assistance to local agencies and non-profit organizations.

Individuals who are interested in finding out more information about eligibility for the Individual and Households Program should call or register at 800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 800-462-7585 or visit DisasterAssistance.gov.

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Napa, Solano County Residents to Receive Federal Individual, Household Aid Following South Napa Earthquake

More New Mexico Counties and a Pueblo added to Oct. 6 Federal Disaster Declaration for Summer Floods

SANTA FE – An amendment to the October 6 major disaster declaration for New Mexico adds public assistance funding eligibility to three additional counties and a pueblo following the severe storms and flooding that impacted the state from July 27 – August 5.

This amendment adds Lincoln, Otero and Sandoval counties and the Santa Clara Pueblo for both emergency and permanent work categories according to officials from the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (NMDHSEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“The state applauds the teamwork that went into ensuring that we quickly added these counties and the pueblo to the original declaration,” said State Coordinating Officer Anita Statman.

“We continue to be committed to ensuring reimbursements are made quickly to these new applicants and the entities named in the original declaration,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Nancy Casper.

Under the Public Assistance Program, emergency work may include debris removal and emergency protective measures, while permanent work may include repairs to road systems, bridges, water control facilities and public buildings, contents and utilities, and repairs to parks and recreational facilities.

Entities that may be eligible for Public Assistance include:

State agencies;
Tribal governments;
Local government entities;
Ditch associations; and
Certain private nonprofit organizations.

Three counties, Guadalupe, Rio Arriba, and San Miguel, and the Pueblo of Acoma were previously made eligible under the October 6 declaration.

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More information on New Mexico disaster recovery is available online at www.nmdhsem.org/. DHSEM is the state’s homeland security and emergency management agency. The agency works to identify and lessen the effects of emergencies, disasters and threats to New Mexico by developing effective prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery actions for all disasters and emergencies.

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More New Mexico Counties and a Pueblo added to Oct. 6 Federal Disaster Declaration for Summer Floods

FEMA Housing Team Concludes Successful Mission in New Jersey

EATONTOWN, N.J. — Nearly two years after Hurricane Sandy, FEMA officials marked the conclusion of their housing mission in New Jersey.

On September 11, 2014, FEMA returned the last of the Fort Monmouth properties that have housed displaced survivors of Hurricane Sandy since December of 2012. All of the 115 families who occupied the apartments and duplexes on the main post and in the Megill Commons area in Tinton Falls had either returned to their own homes or found a suitable housing alternative.

FEMA, the Governor’s Office of Recovery and Rebuilding, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), and long term recovery groups worked diligently to provide one-on-one assistance to help individuals and families who lived in FEMA direct housing to move back home or find temporary housing.

Additionally, DCA staff actively worked with those families who have received rebuilding funds through the DCA’s Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation (RREM) Program to ensure that they were moving through the program as efficiently as possible. The goal was to make sure everyone still living in FEMA direct housing were able to either return home or had temporary housing in place before the August 31, 2014, deadline that FEMA had set on closing out its direct housing program in New Jersey.

Under the Stafford Act approved by Congress, FEMA is authorized to provide direct housing to disaster survivors for up to 18 months following the date of a declared disaster. During that period, households participating in the housing program pay no rent or other fees.

The 18-month period expired on April 30, 2014. At the request of Governor Christie, the federal government granted a four-month extension of the housing program.

Starting May 1, 2014, the households who remained in FEMA-provided units were required to begin paying rent at the fair market rate for the region as determined by the federal Housing and Urban Development Agency. Those households who could not afford to do so were able to submit documentation of assets and expenses in order to qualify for a reduced rental payment.

In addition to those families housed at Fort Monmouth, FEMA also provided 89 mobile housing units for eligible applicants in New Jersey. With the exception of one mobile home that was placed on private property, the units were installed in 10 commercial mobile home parks in the state’s hardest-hit counties All of the residents of the mobile housing units have also either returned to their own homes or found suitable alternate accommodations.

Each household faced individual challenges that often required creative problem-solving. FEMA caseworkers met with each on a regular basis for assistance in developing a suitable long term housing plan. State agencies collaborated with FEMA as well as community and faith-based charities to help secure housing for the families. FEMA, DCA, long term recovery groups, the NJ Department of Human Services, Catholic Charities, the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance and the NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency regularly held meetings for months to discuss the individual cases of people who were living in FEMA direct housing, to pool resources to triage cases and to identify temporary housing solutions. On a number of occasions, these individuals and families were driven to look at rental opportunities and meet with landlords to see if the housing unit met their needs.

“It’s very important to have good, strong, compassionate people,” to assist survivors experiencing some of the most trying periods of their lives, noted FEMA Individual Assistance Branch Director Annette Monet.

In some cases, age, illness, financial concerns or family size complicated the task of finding appropriate housing.

With extraordinary efforts and advocacy by the housing team on behalf of survivors, however, all the families were eventually able to secure alternative housing or return to their own homes.

“It took a bunch of very experienced people working together who were very knowledgeable about how things should work to find solutions for all of our families,” noted Monet. “They put all of their ideas together and worked as a team. That’s what you need when it gets down to helping the families help themselves.”

The leasing of the units at the former military base marked an unusual chapter in the history of FEMA’s housing program.

Mayor Gerald Tarantolo of Eatontown was among those who championed the idea of housing survivors displaced by the storm at the former army base. Tarantolo contacted the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority to inquire as to whether that would be feasible. The state Economic Development Authority oversees FMERA.

With FMERA support, the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management began discussions with the Army and FEMA, which would fund the lease, and an agreement was formulated.

After four weeks of renovations FEMA contracted with the Army Corps of Engineers, move-ins at two buildings on the main post and in larger units in the Megill Commons area of the fort began on December 21, 2012.

On September 16, 2014, the Chief of Staff for the Sandy Recovery Office Chris Hartnett and Carl Kahn of the FEMA acquisitions team presented Lt. Col. John Occhipinti, site manager for Fort Monmouth, with a certificate of appreciation for all his efforts on behalf of Sandy survivors housed at the fort.

In addition to the Direct Housing Mission, FEMA also provided $189 million in Rental Assistance payments to eligible applicants who were displaced by Hurricane Sandy. FEMA also provided 19,321 households with funds for repairs totaling $172.7 million.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, FEMA provided more than 5,500 families with short-term accommodations in 435 hotels and motels around the state through its Transitional Sheltering Assistance program. The program provided 253,425 room nights for displaced survivors at a cost of $34 million. The TSA program ended on April 30, 2013.

The Rental Assistance program ended April 30, 2014.

Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/fema, www.fema.gov/blog, 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.”

Originally posted here –

FEMA Housing Team Concludes Successful Mission in New Jersey

FEMA Awards $368,487 Grant to the Village of Middle Point: Hazard Mitigation funds will be used to construct a tornado safe room

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $368,487 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to the village of Middle Point, Ohio, for the construction of a community safe room in the village’s new fire/EMS station. Following the completion of the project, the community safe room will be made available to the citizens of Middle Point.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate the risk of loss of life and property,” said FEMA Region V acting administrator Janet Odeshoo. “The construction of this community safe room will protect the lives of vulnerable citizens by providing a secure location to seek shelter from tornados and other high wind events.”

“The safe room project is a clear example of disaster prevention. The efforts of local, state and the federal government working together for the benefit of citizens is what saves lives,” said Nancy Dragani, executive director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency.

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the $491,316 eligible project cost. The remaining 25 percent of the funds, $122,829, will be provided by the village of Middle Point and the state of Ohio.

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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

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FEMA Awards $368,487 Grant to the Village of Middle Point: Hazard Mitigation funds will be used to construct a tornado safe room

FEMA Encourages Participation in Oct 16 Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill

With earthquakes possible in most states, all Americans should practice what to do.

Over 40 U.S. states are at risk of an earthquake—yet fewer than 1 in 3 adults participated in an earthquake drill within the past year, according to a recent survey by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. To increase earthquake preparedness, FEMA encourages all Americans to participate in this year’s Great ShakeOut earthquake drill this Thursday, October 16, at 10:16 a.m. local time.

“Past practice and previous participation in a drill can make all the difference in an emergency,” FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said. “Everyone should know how to drop to the ground, cover themselves under a sturdy table or desk, and hold on to it until the shaking stops. It needs to happen with enough regularity so that it becomes second nature during an actual earthquake.”

People who have mobility disabilities and cannot drop should still cover and hold on. They should then stay put and not try to transfer during the shaking. Everyone who is staying put should cover their head and neck with their arms or a pillow until the shaking stops. People who use wheelchairs should lock their wheels.

Nearly 25 million people worldwide are expected to participate in this year’s Great ShakeOut—including over 13 million students and nearly 1 million businesses. Anyone can register their involvement and learn how to participate for free at www.shakeout.org.

FEMA supports the Great ShakeOut as part of America’s PrepareAthon!, which is a community-based campaign that asks everyone to take an action—such as a disaster drill or group discussion—to increase their preparedness. Information on America’s PrepareAthon! is available at www.ready.gov/prepare.

Additional tips for preparing for earthquakes are also available www.ready.gov/earthquakes.

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The Great ShakeOut is an annual public earthquake drill coordinated and supported by the Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC) and the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). NEHRP is a partnership of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

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FEMA Encourages Participation in Oct 16 Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill

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