Federal Disaster Aid for Colorado Flooding Tops $245 Million

Federal Disaster Aid for Colorado Flooding Tops $245 Million

Main Content

Release date:

January 14, 2014

Release Number:

NR-108

Federal Disaster Aid for Colorado Flooding Tops $245 Million

(Editor: Cuts of disaster response and recovery are available at

www.flickr.com/photos/coemergency or www.go.usa.gov/DeK9.)

DENVER – Since heavy rains brought flooding in September 2013, Colorado survivors have received more than $245 million in federal recovery assistance.

More than $214 million has come from disaster grants, flood insurance payments and low-interest disaster loans. More than $31 million has been obligated under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance program to repair and rebuild critical infrastructure and restore vital services.

To date:

  • FEMA has granted $54.5 million for housing assistance in 11 designated counties and more than $4.6 million in other needs assistance, such as disaster-related medical expenses or personal property loss. Flood survivors have also received disaster unemployment assistance and disaster legal services.
  • FEMA has obligated $31.3 million to publicly owned entities and certain nonprofits in 18 designated counties. Through its Public Assistance cost-share program, FEMA reimburses 75 percent for eligible, disaster-related costs for debris removal, emergency measures and permanent work to repair and replace disaster-damaged public facilities. The remaining 25 percent nonfederal share comes from state and local sources. The state manages the grants for all projects.
  • The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved $96 million in federal disaster loans to Colorado homeowners, renters, businesses and private nonprofit organizations that sustained damage from the severe storms and flooding.
  • The National Flood Insurance Program has approved $59.3 million to settle 1,973 claims.
  • FEMA is providing manufactured housing units for 44 households who have no other suitable housing available.

Last Updated:

January 14, 2014 – 12:09

State/Tribal Government or Region:

Colorado

Related Disaster:

Colorado Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

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Federal Disaster Aid for Colorado Flooding Tops $245 Million

Colorado Flooding – 100 Days Later

(Editor: Cuts of disaster response and recovery are available at www.flickr.com/photos/coemergency or www.go.usa.gov/DeK9.)

DENVER – In the 100 days following the catastrophic floods that hit much of Colorado, more than $204 million has gone to individuals and households in recovery assistance, flood insurance payments and low-interest disaster loans.

In addition, more than $28 million has been obligated to begin to repair and rebuild critical infrastructure and restore vital services.

Initially, the State, federal and local objectives were to save lives, bring aid to the affected areas, provide temporary safe housing, clear debris and to make immediate repairs to damaged infrastructure to put communities on the path to recovery.

President Obama signed a major-disaster declaration for Colorado Sept. 14 after severe and unremitting rains that began on Sept. 11 inundated much of the northeast portion of the state. The flooding killed 10 people, forced more than 18,000 from their homes, destroyed 1,882 structures and damaged at least 16,000 others.

Progress by the Numbers:

  • Under the Individuals and Households Program, FEMA has granted $53,816,716 for housing needs and $4,572,871 to help survivors who suffered damage to their homes. Under the Public Assistance Program, FEMA has obligated $28,338,878 to publicly owned entities and certain nonprofits that provide vital services. (See below for county-by-county breakdowns.)
  • The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved 2,274 low-interest disaster loans for over $90 million to Colorado homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations. Of that amount, $73 million was in loans to repair and rebuild homes and replace personal property and $17 million was in business and economic-injury loans. Approved loan amounts for some of the most impacted areas include $55.2 million to Boulder County, $14 million for Larimer County and $9.4 million for Weld County.
  • More than 50 national, State and local volunteer organizations pitched in to help in the recovery efforts, involving the work of 28,664 people giving their time and energy to both short- and long-term healing and to address any unmet needs. Volunteers provided donations-coordination, home repair, child and pet care, counseling services, removal of muck and mud from homes and much more. In-kind donations amounted to $3,187,564. Valuing a volunteer hour at $22.43, the 275,860 hours of time represents a contribution of $6,162,725.
  • The National Flood Insurance Program approved more than $55.7 million to settle 1,910 claims.
  • More than 36,500 survivors registered for disaster assistance.
  • FEMA housing inspectors in the field have looked at nearly 26,000 properties in the 11 counties designated for Individual Assistance in the president’s major-disaster declaration.
  • FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams canvassed hundreds of neighborhoods, visiting more than 62,000 homes and 2,741 businesses to provide information on a vast array of services and resources available to eligible applicants and made follow-up contacts in hundreds of cases.
  • More than 21,500 survivors were able to visit 26 State/federal Disaster Recovery Centers to get one-on-one briefings on available assistance, low-interest loans and other information.

Housing

  • Since Transitional Sheltering Assistance was activated Sept. 22, a total of 1,067 households have stayed in 177 participating hotels. The Transitional Sheltering Assistance deadline was extended five times to Dec. 14, with checkout Dec. 15. To date, 55 manufactured housing units are either in place or being placed in Boulder, Larimer and Weld counties for families unable to secure other housing resources. FEMA has ordered a total of 66 manufactured housing units.

Infrastructure

  • In the 18 counties designated for FEMA’s Public Assistance program, 238 meetings were held to discuss the details of the program and the amounts involved in each recovery project. This component of federal assistance provides at least 75 percent of the costs of repairing and rebuilding public infrastructure, reimbursement for emergency measures, helping critical services conducted by governments and certain nonprofits get back to normal, and in some cases implementing mitigation against future damage and losses. FEMA and the State fielded 237 eligible Requests for Public Assistance. The amount obligated so far: $28,338,878.

Communicating

  • FEMA and the State supplied disaster-assistance information to 33 chambers of commerce, six economic-development centers and 38 schools of higher education.
  • FEMA’s Speakers Bureau received 85 requests from officials and other interested parties and 443 State/federal specialists have spoken at meetings and other venues. Thus more than 8,300 attendees were able to get information on assistance programs, flood insurance and low-interest loans.
  • FEMA mitigation specialists counseled 15,250 survivors during outreach efforts at area big-box hardware and building-supply stores and couseled more than 4,700 at Disaster Recovery Centers.
  • At fema.gov/disaster/4145, the dedicated Colorado-disaster website, there have been more than 103,000 hits – an average of 1,300 daily. The FEMA Region VIII Twitter feed has fielded more than 600 tweets and has increased the number of followers to 9,100. In the last 100 days, the State has sent out 1,025 tweets, has increased to 21,500 @COemergency followers and the COemergency Facebook page garnered 2,182 “likes.” The coemergency.com page has had 234,757 page views.
  • FEMA Corps teams were instrumental in spreading the word about assistance throughout the affected areas and worked alongside FEMA regulars in the Joint Field Office in Centennial. More than 300 FEMA Corps members helped survivors in responding to and recovering from the disaster.

County-by-county Breakdown of State and Federal Grants

Adams County

Housing Assistance

$1,095,674

 

Other Needs Assistance

$127,796

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance

$1,223,470

 

 

 

Arapahoe County

Housing Assistance

$3,141,538

 

Other Needs Assistance

$284,001

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance

$3,425,539

 

 

 

 Boulder County

Housing Assistance

$31,498,946

 

Other Needs Assistance

$2,075,738

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance

$33,574,684

 

 

 

Clear Creek County

Housing Assistance

$200,715

 

Other Needs Assistance

$2,674

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance

$203,389

 

 

 

El Paso County

Housing Assistance

$1,487,676

 

Other Needs Assistance

$180,202

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance

$1,667,878

 

 

 

Fremont County

Housing Assistance

$53,733

 

Other Needs Assistance

$1,950

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance

$55,683

 

 

 

Jefferson County

Housing Assistance

$1,497,170

 

Other Needs Assistance

$34,640

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance

$1,531,810

 

 

 

Larimer County

Housing Assistance

$5,756,594

 

Other Needs Assistance

$354,049

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance

$6,110,643

 

 

 

Logan County

Housing Assistance

$476,822

 

Other Needs Assistance

$42,875

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance

$519,697

 

 

 

Morgan County

Housing Assistance

$77,319

 

Other Needs Assistance

$8,292

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance

$85,611

 

 

 

Weld County

 Housing Assistance

$8,530,529

 

Other Needs Assistance

$1,460,654

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance

$9,991,183

 

 

 

After the Deluge:

The floods triggered a massive combined State and federal effort to support first responders, protect life and property and minimize environmental damage. At the request of Governor John Hickenlooper, President Obama signed the Major Disaster Declaration, authorizing FEMA to support the State and local responses and to begin recovery work.

The State Emergency Operations Center was activated on Sept. 12 to provide support and technical assistance to local communities.

The Colorado National Guard, joined by the Wyoming National Guard and other aviation assets from the Army, evacuated more than 3,700 people and more than 1,000 pets in flooded communities. Access trails were cut around sites made impassable by the floods. The Department of Defense supplied 21 helicopters for search-and-rescue operations staffed by the Colorado National Guard, the 4th Infantry Division from Fort Carson, and the Wyoming National Guard. Hundreds of survivors were airlifted to safety. Buckley Air Force Base opened its gates as a staging area for FEMA equipment and supplies.

Five FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams under the direction of local public-safety officials walked door-to-door, checking on thousands of residences in the flood zones to assure that those who wanted to be evacuated were given the opportunity and the means to leave.

FEMA dispensed nearly $9 million in federal mission assignments for life-saving and life-sustaining assistance in support of State and local first-responders. 

Other partner agencies used their technology to measure and monitor flood data. The U.S. Geological Survey dispatched flood-response crews to assess and report flood-flow information needed by federal, State and local agencies to forecast the magnitude and timing of the rising waters and to coordinate flood-response activities such as closing dams and identifying evacuation zones. After the event, the USGS flagged high-water marks in hazardous locations and addressed safety concerns in areas where landslides occurred.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, under a mission assignment from FEMA, worked on water systems in the flooded areas to ensure Coloradans had safe drinking water and to maintain the integrity of the wastewater systems.

Long-term Recovery

State and federal entities – including the Colorado Division of Homeland Security  and Emergency Management and FEMA, along with the appropriate mission-dedicated components of the State and federal governments – brought to bear several programs to deal with the aftermath of the event and help Coloradans to get back on their feet.

On the long road to recuperation, the Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator and the State Disaster Recovery Coordinator are working with public and private partners at the federal, State and local levels to identify unmet needs as well as traditional and innovative resources that can be used to support rebuilding. Coordinating agencies represented in FDRC include the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Commerce.

FEMA’s focus is now turning toward seeing that counties and communities adopt full charge of their recovery work as the Agency takes a closer look at long-term needs. To be accomplished effectively, these endeavors will take time, but will ultimately result in a safer and more resilient Colorado. 

See the original article here:  

Colorado Flooding – 100 Days Later

FEMA Pitches In To Collect Toys For Vermont Children

WILLISTON, Vt. – As the Federal Emergency Management Agency wraps up its mission in Vermont, its personnel are trying to leave behind some holiday cheer for the state’s less fortunate children.

As part of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, staffers at FEMA’s Joint Field Office in Williston have collected new toys to be distributed on Christmas to area children.

“Some FEMA staffers have been in Vermont since before Tropical Storm Irene,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mark Landry, the head of FEMA’s Vermont operations. “This state has been their home away from home, and the way its people have welcomed us it only seems right to give back in this way.”

This is the second holiday season that FEMA has participated in the Toys for Tots Program, which collects new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distributes those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community.

The toys collected by the roughly 30 FEMA staffers in Williston will be delivered to Toys R Us in Williston, which is the collection point for the local campaign.

“It’s always fun to see the box fill up as people bring in their toys, and then to see folks taking a peek at what’s on top and playing with some toys,” said Robin Anderson, a FEMA staffer from Kenmore, Washington who organized the collection. “It really brings out the kid in all of us, and gets everyone in the spirit of the season, which is all about giving.”

 

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders and 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 Pitches In To Collect Toys For Vermont Children

Bayshore Sewerage Authority Mitigation Protects the Environment

BAYSHORE SEWERAGE AUTHORITY MITIGATION PROTECTS THE ENVIRONMENT

LINCROFT, N.J. — The effect Superstorm Sandy had on the environment was greater than what could be seen with the naked eye. While flooding, storm surges and high winds felled trees, destroyed beaches and dunes, and left waterways filled with debris, the damage the storm did to man-made structures also impacted many already environmentally sensitive areas.

The storm also created other environmental issues. In New Jersey, the Bayshore Regional Sewerage Authority was faced with several problems when its Monmouth County facility was damaged during the storm. The wastewater treatment plant’s main electrical systems were completely shorted out, which also damaged the pumps and stopped the flow of sewage. The facility was without electric power for seven days.

R3M Engineering Project Manager Kevin D. Haney credited FEMA with responding quickly to the problems at the plant. “FEMA’s Category B Program provided funding for the authority to immediately put emergency measures in place to restore flows in the system and protect the community from literally having raw sewage in the streets,” Haney said.

The Door Oliver and Niro incinerators at the Sludge Dewatering and Incineration Building at the plant were both flooded, leaving no way to dispose of the sludge. The authority built a makeshift system of belt filter presses, a rented pump and a makeshift pipe to pump sludge out of the building into dumpsters. The sludge was then hauled away to another incinerator for disposal.

R3M Engineering Manager Manuel Ponte expects one of the incinerators to be operational in January. He pointed out that much of the crucial equipment and infrastructure in water treatment plants is underground, and the basements of all of the facility’s buildings flooded with up to 3 feet of water during Sandy.

Ponte says the authority is working with FEMA to review future mitigation options for the plant.

“What we are proposing to do is to wrap the superstructures in an impermeable membrane, whether it’s synthetic or concrete, depending on how high it has to be and how strong it has to be,” Ponte said.

The authority serves approximately 90,000 people in Hazlet, Union Beach, Holmdel, Aberdeen Township, Keansburg, Keyport, Matawan and parts of Marlboro Township.

A video of the Bayshore Sewerage Authority Mitigation Project is accessible at http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/videos/86382

http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4086/updates/sandy-one-year-later

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 www.fema.gov/blog, 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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Bayshore Sewerage Authority Mitigation Protects the Environment

Myth vs. Fact: The Truth about Registering for Federal Disaster Assistance

Springfield, Ill. – In the aftermath of a disaster, misconceptions about disaster assistance can often prevent survivors from applying for help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration. A good rule of thumb: register, even if you’re unsure whether you’ll be eligible for assistance.

 

Registering with FEMA is simple. You can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov or with a mobile device by downloading the FEMA app or by visiting m.fema.gov. You can also register over the phone by calling FEMA’s helpline, 800-621-FEMA (3362). Survivors who are deaf or hard of hearing and use a TTY can call 800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

Clarification on some common misunderstandings:

  • MYTH: I’ve already cleaned up the damage to my home and had the repairs made. Isn’t it too late to register once the work is done?
    FACT: You may be eligible for reimbursement of your clean up and repair costs, even if repairs are complete.
  • MYTH: I believe FEMA only makes loans so I didn’t apply for help because I don’t want a loan.          FACT: FEMA only provides grants that do not have to be paid back. The grants may cover expenses for temporary housing, home repairs, replacement of damaged personal property and other disaster-related needs such as medical, dental or transportation costs not covered by insurance or other programs.

The U.S. Small Business Administration provides low-interest disaster loans to renters, homeowners and businesses of all sizes. Some applicants may be contacted by SBA after registering with FEMA. You are not obligated to take out a loan, but if you don’t complete the application, you may not be considered for other federal grant programs. You can apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. For more information on SBAs Disaster Loan Program, visit SBA.gov/Disaster, call the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or send an email to DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov.

  • MYTH: I don’t want to apply for help because others had more damage than I had; they need the help more than I did.
    FACT: FEMA has enough funding to assist all eligible survivors with their disaster-related needs. 
  • MYTH: I’m a renter. I thought FEMA assistance was only for homeowners for home repairs.
    FACT: FEMA assistance is not just for homeowners. FEMA may provide assistance to help renters who lost personal property or who were displaced.
  • MYTH: FEMA assistance could affect my Social Security benefits, taxes, food stamps or Medicaid.
    FACT: FEMA assistance does not affect benefits from other federal programs and is not considered taxable income.
  • MYTH: I heard registration involves a lot of red tape and paperwork.
    FACT: There is no paperwork to register with FEMA. The process is very easy and normally takes between 15 and 20 minutes.
  • MYTH: Since I received disaster assistance last year, I’m sure I can’t get it again this year.
    FACT: Assistance may be available if you suffered damages from a new federally-declared disaster.
  • MYTH: My income is probably too high for me to qualify for FEMA disaster assistance.
    FACT: Income is not a consideration for FEMA grant assistance. However you will be asked financial questions during registration to help determine eligibility for SBA low-interest disaster loans.

For the latest information on Illinois’ recovery from the Nov. 17 storms, visit FEMA.gov/Disaster/4157. Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, facebook.com/fema and youtube.com/fema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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. 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.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of funding 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 uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).

Media Contact: Don Jacks, 304-542-6258

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Source: 

Myth vs. Fact: The Truth about Registering for Federal Disaster Assistance

Acquisition: Rebuilding Homes and Lives on Safer Ground

LINCROFT, N.J.– In New Jersey, Superstorm Sandy destroyed or damaged 40,500 primary residences. Two years ago, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, FEMA granted nearly $152 million to New Jersey for housing assistance. After Hurricane Floyd, just over a decade before Irene, FEMA issued Disaster Housing Assistance Grants to more than l72,700 households.

New Jersey is no stranger to the loss of life and property caused by coastal storms, nor to the time, money and energy it takes to rebuild in the days and months that follow. Many residents of low-lying coastal regions have found their living situations unsustainable as storm after storm devastates houses, neighborhood and communities. But some communities have made a way out of the damage cycle with the use of acquisition or buyout grants.

One of New Jersey’s main priorities after major storm damage is to acquire land where repetitive flood loss is common and convert it to open space, thereby reducing the loss of life and property. This process is called acquisition.

FEMA, through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, has granted $55,249,816 to the state so far for the acquisition of properties in the aftermath of Sandy, and plans to award $100 million total.

Homeowners do not apply directly to FEMA for acquisition. Instead, the state and local communities work together to identify areas where buyouts make the most sense. Local officials then get input from the community and those homeowners with destroyed or severely damaged properties, as well as from the state and FEMA, to ensure that the acquisition applications are environmentally sound and cost-effective. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, instituted by FEMA, covers 75 percent of the costs, and 25 percent is matched by non-federal sources.

After the state, (the grantee) decides its priorities in terms of funds usage, FEMA Hazard Mitigation Program Guidance allows the subgrantee to offer homeowners pre-disaster fair market value for their homes. Buyouts are always voluntary, and homeowners may opt out of participation.

All properties acquired by communities for mitigation are then converted to open land.

Acquisition Success Stories

More and more New Jersey communities are recognizing acquisition as a permanent solution to a recurring problem.

In 2005, two successive flooding disasters destroyed six homes in Harmony Township in Warren County. At the request of Harmony Township, Green Acres and FEMA provided funding for acquisition. Those six properties have been cleared to prevent further property damage and now provide access points to the Delaware River for visitors to the area.

Even without FEMA’s 75 percent cost share, state organizations like the Green Acres Program successfully convert properties throughout New Jersey into safe and accessible open areas, such as parks and wildlife habitats, which by law must remain open land forever through deed restriction.

Green Acres and the State Agriculture Development Committee converted 1,900 acres in central New Jersey using open space funds, creating a 512-acre State Wildlife Management Area, and a 500-acre addition to Monmouth County public greenways.

In Manchester Township, a joint acquisition effort coordinated between the Green Acres Program and the U.S. Navy added 246 acres to the Manchester Wildlife Management Area in Ocean County, which will also serve as a protective buffer for the Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station.

Communities that opt into the acquisition process not only protect their citizenry, but also make it possible to create an even more beautiful New Jersey coast, with open space for community residents and visitors alike.

And for many New Jersey residents, buyout is the opportunity to at least partially recoup an investment in a property that has lost value after multiple storms. It also provides the possibility of safety, peace of mind and a new start.

Homeowners do not apply directly to FEMA to participate in the acquisition process. Instead, they can contact their local emergency management office to learn more about Hazard Mitigation programs available to their community.

http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4086/updates/sandy-one-year-later

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 www.fema.gov/blog, 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###

http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4086/updates/sandy-one-year-later

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 www.fema.gov/blog, 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.

Link:  

Acquisition: Rebuilding Homes and Lives on Safer Ground

Sierra County and Navajo Nation Added to NM Disaster Declaration

SANTA FE – State and federal officials announced today that Sierra County and the Navajo Nation have been added to the disaster declaration signed by President Barack Obama on September 30, 2013. Sierra County and the Navajo Nation are now eligible to apply for reimbursements under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program.

The grants are obligated to the state to reimburse eligible applicants for expenses incurred while taking emergency measures to protect lives and property; cleaning up downed trees, power poles and other debris; and repairing public infrastructure, including roads, bridges and public utilities. Under a cost-sharing formula, FEMA reimburses the state for 75 percent of the total costs, while the state and/or applicant pay the remaining 25 percent.

“Adding Sierra County and the Navajo Nation to the disaster declaration means assistance is now available to help with eligible costs for repairs,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Nancy Casper.

Although the program is oriented to public entities, certain nonprofit organizations may qualify for FEMA assistance to make infrastructure repairs if they provide critical services, such as fire and emergency rescue; medical treatment; power, water and sewer resources and communications systems.

Damage assessments are underway in counties that are not covered by this declaration, and additional counties may be added at a later date. Officials in other counties who have questions about the assessments should contact Brian Williams at 505-476-9601.

The counties and pueblos previously included in the declaration are: Bernalillo, Colfax, Luna, Sandoval, and Socorro counties and the Cochiti, Kewa (Santa Domingo), San Felipe, and Sandia Pueblos. These counties and pueblos were affected by the severe storms and flooding of July 23-28, 2013.

Details of the PA program are on FEMA’s website at www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/index.shtm.

More information on New Mexico disaster recovery is available online at www.nmdhsem.org/

The New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (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.

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.

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 us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

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Sierra County and Navajo Nation Added to NM Disaster Declaration

NM Officials Face Nov. 28 Deadline for Requests for Public Assistance

SANTA FE – Severe storms and flooding that took place September 9th through 22nd damaged public facilities and roads in 15 New Mexico counties. President Barack Obama signed a disaster declaration for Catron, Chaves, Cibola, Colfax, Eddy, Guadalupe, Los Alamos, McKinley, Mora, Sandoval, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, and Torrance counties on October 29, 2013.

State agencies, local governments, tribal entities, community ditch associations and certain private nonprofit agencies must file Requests for Public Assistance with the State of New Mexico for reimbursement under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program.  Officials in these counties must file their RPAs with the State of New Mexico no later than close of business on November 28.

Filing such a request with the state is the first step in the process of applying for federal reimbursements under FEMA’s PA Grant Program.

These grants are obligated to the state in order to reimburse eligible applicants for expenses incurred while taking emergency measures to protect lives and property. These measures include cleaning up downed trees, power poles and other debris and repairing public infrastructure, including roads, bridges and public utilities. Under a cost-sharing formula, FEMA reimburses the state for 75 percent of the total costs, while the state and/or applicant pay the remaining 25 percent.

This deadline does not apply to counties not included in this declaration. Damage assessments are underway in counties that are not covered by this declaration, and additional counties may be added at a later date. Officials in these counties who have questions about Requests for Public Assistance should contact Brian Williams at 505-476-9601.

“Recovering from such widespread flooding takes a lot of effort and can be expensive,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Nancy Casper. “The process of getting reimbursed for these expenses starts with filing an RPA.”

Although the program is oriented to public entities, certain private nonprofit organizations may apply directly to FEMA via the RPA for uninsured costs of debris removal and emergency protective measures. Additionally, nonprofits may qualify for FEMA assistance to make infrastructure repairs if they provide critical services, such as fire and emergency rescue; medical treatment; power, water and sewer resources and communications systems.

Details of the PA program are on FEMA’s website at www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/index.shtm.

More information on New Mexico disaster recovery is available online at www.nmdhsem.org/

The New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (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.

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.

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 us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

Original article: 

NM Officials Face Nov. 28 Deadline for Requests for Public Assistance

Extension for Coloradans filing NFIP claims

DENVER – FEMA has an important message regarding filing a federal flood insurance claim.

An additional 21 days is added to the normal 60-day deadline to file your proof of loss flood claim with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

This extension applies to flood damage related to Colorado flooding occurring between Sept. 10, 2013 and Sept. 30, 2013.

If you sustained from the September flooding, you should file your NFIP claim now.  

  For any questions, visit your insurance agent.

Please also refer to floodsmart.gov for more information about flood insurance.

Visit source:

Extension for Coloradans filing NFIP claims

Fourth Extension Approved for Transitional Sheltering Assistance

DENVER – At the state’s request, FEMA has approved a fourth extension to the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which pays for eligible flood evacuees to stay in participating hotels and motels.

Individuals and families who are still being assessed regarding their housing needs may continue to be eligible for TSA through Nov. 30 (checkout Dec. 1). The previous checkout date was Nov. 17.

  • TSA allows eligible individuals and families to stay temporarily in participating hotels, with FEMA and the state picking up the bill for eligible room costs and taxes.
  •  An automated phone message notifies applicants if they are eligible for this period of assistance ending Nov. 30.
  • A total of 140 households stayed in hotels and motels last night under TSA.

Individuals and families who are not eligible for the program may be considered for additional FEMA rental assistance.

  • Applicants may need to provide rental agreement information.

For questions, contact the FEMA helpline by phone, 800-621-3362, from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., MDT, seven days a week.  Multilingual phone operators are available on the FEMA helpline. Choose Option 2 for Spanish and Option 3 for other languages. People who have a speech disability or are deaf or hard of hearing may call (TTY) 800-462-7585; users of 711 or Video Relay Service can call 800-621-3362.

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Fourth Extension Approved for Transitional Sheltering Assistance

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