DENTON, Texas — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is awarding more than $8 million to the state of Texas for improvements to a potable water pump station in Galveston, Texas.

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) will pay 75 percent or $8,112,868 of the more than $10.8 million project.  

The water pump station, located on 59th Street in Galveston, will be demolished, replaced, elevated and hardened. The retrofit of this critical facility is designed to withstand a 500-year flood and extreme winds.

The federal share of the funds for the project come from the agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).

HMGP provides grants to states and tribal and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures that reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.

Learn more about FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant program online at http://go.usa.gov/D6D

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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 www.twitter.com/femaregion6, the R6 Preparedness website at www.fema.gov/region-vi/region-6-preparedness and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

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FEMA Awards More Than $8M for Water Pump Project in Galveston, TX

TRENTON, N.J. — Disaster assistance to New Jersey survivors of Superstorm Sandy by the numbers as of May 6:

  • $393.6 million in FEMA grants approved for individuals and households
    • $339.3million for housing assistance
    • $54.3 million for other needs
  • $755.8 million in SBA disaster loans approved for homeowners, renters and businesses
  • $307.3 million approved in FEMA Public Assistance grants to communities and some nonprofit organizations that serve the public
  • $3.4 billion in total National Flood Insurance Program payments made on claims to date
  • 261,442 people contacted FEMA for help or information
  • 182,226 housing inspections completed
  • 123,416 visits to Disaster Recovery Centers made

Individuals can check on the status of their applications at DisasterAssistance.gov, via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov or by calling 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services can call 800-621-3362.

Survivors can ask questions about their SBA disaster home or business loan applications by calling 800-659-2955 or TTY 800-877-8339 or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

Survivors who have questions about their flood insurance claims and the appeals process can call 800-427-4661.

Additional resources are available online at FEMA.gov/SandyNJ and SBA.gov/Sandy.

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.

This article is from:

New Jersey Recovers From Superstorm Sandy: By The Numbers

 

DENTON, Texas — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded $2.3 million to the state of Texas for construction of a community safe room in the city of Victoria in Victoria County, Texas   

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) will pay 75 percent or $2,325,000 of the $3.1 million cost.  

The stand alone, 20,000 square foot safe room will provide protection from hurricanes, tropical storms and tornadoes for the residents of Victoria County and is accessible for people with disabilities. It will be built on the campus of St. Joseph High School. 

The federal share of the funds for the project come from the agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). HMGP provides grants to states, and tribal and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures that reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.

Learn more about FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant program online at http://go.usa.gov/D6D

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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 www.twitter.com/femaregion6, the R6 Preparedness website at www.fema.gov/region-vi/region-6-preparedness and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

 

         

         

 

 

       

 

 

       

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FEMA Awards $2.3M for Community Safe Room in Victoria Co, TX

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana property owners whose homes or other structures were damaged during Hurricane Isaac-related flooding have only a short time remaining to file claims for their losses. Most policyholders have until April 22 to complete their proof of loss claims.

Because of the widespread destruction caused by the storm, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) authorized four extensions to the initial 60-day filing deadline, increasing policyholders’ time to file to 240 days from the date of loss.

Hurricane Isaac first made landfall in Louisiana Aug. 28, 2012, with heavy rainfall and flooding occurring several days before and after it hit. For this reason the date of loss varies for property owners.

The NFIP is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Since Isaac made landfall, 13,181 claims have been filed in Louisiana and NFIP has paid out nearly $472 million.

“Hurricane Isaac disrupted the lives of thousands of people here in Louisiana so it was important to give policyholders time to collect information and file their flood insurance claims,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of FEMA. “However, people who haven’t yet submitted claims to their agents should do so now before it’s too late.”

Policyholders with questions about flood insurance or concerns about their claims should call the Hurricane Isaac Flood Insurance Call Center at 1-866-331-1679 or 1-866-330-7286 or talk to their local insurance representative.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit online at www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

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Deadline Approaching in Louisiana for Hurricane Isaac Flood Insurance Claims

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In case you missed it, today on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) blog, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate called on tribal communities to take part in consultations regarding changes to the disaster assistance process. The Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 included a provision to amend the Stafford Act allowing tribes direct access to federal disaster relief. FEMA is consulting with tribal governments, tribal leaders, and tribal stakeholders to consider these changes and provide feedback.

Full text of Fugate’s blog post below and online here: https://www.fema.gov/blog/2013-04-08/getting-it-right-indian-country

 

Getting it right for Indian Country

Posted by: Craig Fugate, FEMA Administrator

When you’re tackling a new and challenging topic, starting from a solid foundation is crucial to success.  Right now, there is an opportunity to change how the federal government provides disaster assistance and we’re looking for tribal leaders to help set a solid foundation for those changes.

When President Obama signed into law the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013, he amended the Stafford Act to recognize the sovereignty of tribal governments, and this was a big step in the right direction to better meet the unique needs of Indian Country after disasters.   However, there’s still work to be done to shape disaster assistance programs and processes most effectively.  That’s where we are now — we are consulting with tribal governments, tribal leaders, and tribal stakeholders to consider changes to a range of federal disaster assistance processes and topics:

  • Input on the major disaster declaration process, 
  • Criteria to declare a major disaster, 
  • Program delivery, and 
  • The unique aspects of Indian culture that might not be currently considered by the rules. 

I encourage our tribal partners to join us in developing rules through consultation.  You’re invited to join a series of upcoming tribal consultation calls, provide ideas to FEMA’s online collaboration community, or send an e-mail to tribalconsultation@fema.dhs.gov.  Now is a great time to make sure the unique needs of Indian Country are considered throughout the federal disaster assistance process.

Why are we looking for input from the community?  Up to this point, FEMA has established rules around the disaster declaration process, assistance programs, and other aspects of federal assistance to meet the needs of state governments and individuals in those states.  Now, with the recent amendment to the Stafford Act, we have an opportunity to change those rules with regards to the sovereignty of tribal nations. 

In a little more than two months since the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act became law, the President has already signed two disaster declarations directly for Indian Country. The new changes have already resulted in federal disaster assistance going directly to tribal communities.

But there’s still much to be done. That’s why we’re having these consultation calls, gathering feedback online, and asking for e-mails. Once the consultation concludes, FEMA will draft proposed rules. Learn more about how to join this discussion by visiting FEMA’s online collaboration community, or send us an e-mail at tribalconsultation@fema.dhs.gov.

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.

Original article – 

ICYMI: FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate Calls for Tribal Input on Disaster Assistance

DENTON, Texas — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded $6.75 million to the state of Texas for construction of four community safe rooms in the city of Pharr in Hidalgo County, Texas  

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) will pay 75 percent or $6,750,000 of the combined $9 million cost.    

The concrete, dome safe rooms, which will also serve as multi-purpose community centers, will be 20,000 square feet each and should provide protection from storms and tornadoes for the people of Hidalgo County.

The community safe rooms will be built at two high schools, a fire station and a community center in Pharr. The safe rooms are accessible for people with disabilities.

The federal share of the funds for the project come from the agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). HMGP provides grants to states, and tribal and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures that reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.

Learn more about FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant program online at http://go.usa.gov/D6D

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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 www.twitter.com/femaregion6, the R6 Preparedness website at www.fema.gov/region-vi/region-6-preparedness and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

 

Taken from:

FEMA Awards $6.75M for Community Safe Rooms in Hidalgo Co, TX

NEW YORK – To assist families who are still struggling to locate housing after being displaced by Hurricane Sandy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today they will reinstitute the Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP), a unique rental assistance program that provides temporary rental payments directly to landlords to help families displaced by disasters. DHAP-Sandy will help families find intermediate housing as they rebuild their lives.

“It is critical that we, along with our partners on the federal, tribal, state and local levels, provide a bridge for Hurricane Sandy families as they continue to rebuild their homes and return to a sense of normal,” said U.S. Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary Sandra Henriquez. “The DHAP program, which has a history of providing the temporary assistance families need after a disaster, will be that bridge to help families recover.” 

“In the aftermath of Sandy, New York presents a unique housing challenge,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Michael F. Bryne. “It’s a densely populated, urban environment and available rental resources are scarce. The purpose of this program is to assist those who have not been able to reach their permanent housing solution within FEMA’s standard forms of assistance.”

DHAP-Sandy will be executed through an interagency agreement between FEMA and HUD. Disaster survivors do not need to apply separately for the program. FEMA will determine which applicants qualify and will refer eligible applicants to HUD. HUD will work directly with state, and local housing agencies to administer the program.

Participation in DHAP will require survivors to take part in the State of New York or City of New York’s Disaster Case Management Program. This program is funded by FEMA and links disaster survivors with case managers who will help them develop and implement a disaster recovery plan.

The DHAP program was created in 2007, and provided a temporary housing solution to thousands of families who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina.  It successfully supported 37,000 families who were not previously HUD assisted following the 2005 hurricanes – Katrina and Ike. The DHAP program was also utilized to house families displaced by Hurricane Gustav in 2008.

Original source: 

FEMA, HUD announce rental assistance program for NY Sandy survivors

WINDSOR, Conn. — More than a quarter billion dollars in federal disaster grants, loans and insurance settlements is supporting the ongoing Connecticut recovery from Hurricane Sandy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today.

As of close of business March 20:

  • 12,380 Connecticut residents in the counties of Fairfield, Middlesex, New Haven and New London, and in the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribal Nations located within New London County, signed up for federal disaster assistance during the registration period which ended Feb. 12;
  • $12,068,937 was approved for housing assistance, including short-term rental assistance and home repair costs;
  • $997,312 was approved to cover other essential disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses and lost personal possessions;
  • $40,829,200 in low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters, businesses and private nonprofit organizations has been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration;
  • $10,969 in Disaster Unemployment Assistance has been approved as a result of Sandy;
  • $3,529,608 in Public Assistance grants has so far been obligated to municipalities statewide for Sandy-related expenses. Under the PA program, FEMA expects to reimburse the state, local governments and tribal nations more than $52 million in storm-related expenses, which represents the 75 percent federal share of such projects. FEMA continues to obligate funding for approved PA projects; and
  • 4,939 flood insurance claims totaling $195,555,764 have been paid to date, representing nearly 90 percent of total National Flood Insurance Program claims in the state of Connecticut following Hurricane Sandy.

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

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.

For accessibility: The recommended font type is sans serif 12 point for regular print and sans serif 18 point when specifically printed for people with vision impairments.

From – 

Federal Disaster Assistance in Connecticut Following Sandy Tops One Quarter Billion Dollars

ATLANTA – Graham County, N.C. is now a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which means property owners in unincorporated areas of Graham County can purchase federally-underwritten flood insurance.

On March 21, 2013, Graham County was re-instated into the NFIP and is now among nearly 22,000 communities participating in the program nationwide.  The NFIP does more than make flood insurance available; it also supports local communities in their efforts to reduce the risk and consequences of serious flooding. In order to participate in the program, a community must agree to adopt and enforce sound floodplain management regulations and ordinances to reduce future flood damage. In exchange for these practices, flood insurance is available to homeowners, business owners and renters in participating communities.

Standard homeowner’s, business owner’s, and renter’s insurance doesn’t cover flood damage, so a separate flood insurance policy can provide property owners with financial protection against the devastating effects of flooding. Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the U.S., so flood insurance is an important consideration for everyone.

Even if you don’t live in an area at high-risk of flooding, you should still consider flood insurance because anyone can be financially vulnerable to floods. In fact, about 25 percent of flood insurance claims occur in lower risk flood zones.

The NFIP is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency which works with nearly 90 private insurance companies to provide flood insurance to property owners and renters in NFIP-participating communities.  Flood insurance policies may be written by state-licensed property and casualty insurance agents.

For more information on the National Flood Insurance Program, visit www.floodsmart.gov.

Continued: 

Graham County Makes Flood Insurance Available to its Residents and Property Owners

TRENTON, N.J. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has produced materials to give technical guidance to home builders and property owners planning post-Sandy construction or repairs in coastal areas.

Investigations conducted by FEMA and other organizations have consistently shown that properly sited, well-designed and well-constructed coastal residential buildings generally perform well in coastal disasters.

For residential builders and do-it-yourselfers, FEMA offers a series of Fact Sheets (available free at Fema.gov) that provide technical guidance and recommendations concerning the construction of coastal residential buildings.

The Home Builders Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series is aimed at improving the stability of buildings in coastal environments that may be subject to flood and wind forces.

The 37 fact sheets are divided into 10 categories that cover various aspects of the construction process. Each fact sheet provides specific information on topics like National Flood Insurance Program regulatory requirements, the proper siting of coastal buildings and recommended design and construction practices.

Many of the fact sheets also include lists of FEMA and other resources that provide more information about the topics discussed. Where appropriate, resources are accompanied by active web links.

Updated in 2011, a Coastal Construction Manual — prepared with assistance from other agencies, organizations and professionals involved in coastal construction and regulation — is intended to help designers and contractors identify and evaluate practices that improve construction quality.

The two-volume publication provides a comprehensive approach to planning, siting, designing, constructing and maintaining homes in the coastal environment.

Volume 1 provides information on hazard identification, siting decisions, regulatory requirements, economic implications and risk management.

Volume II contains in-depth descriptions of design, construction and maintenance practices that, when followed, will increase the durability of residential buildings in the harsh coastal environment and reduce economic losses associated with coastal natural disasters.

The primary audience for Volume I includes design professionals, officials and those involved in the decision making process. The primary audience for Volume II is the design professional who is familiar with building codes and standards and has a basic understanding of engineering projects.

The Coastal Construction Manual (FEMA publication P-55) and the Home Builders Guide to Coastal Construction Technical Fact Sheet Series (FEMA publication P-499) may be downloaded in Portable Document Format as PDF files or as plain text (.txt) files at fema.gov.

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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FEMA Coastal Construction Information Available For Post – Sandy Rebuilding

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