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FEMA Awards $2,307,074 Grant to Will County

CHICAGO — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $2,307,074 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Will County, Ill., for the acquisition of nineteen flood-prone homes that have been repetitively damaged from flooding.

“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 Administrator Andrew Velasquez III. “The acquisition of these nineteen structures in Will County, and their removal from the floodplain, will establish a permanent open space that will reduce damages and lessen the impact of flooding on the local community.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the $3,076,098 eligible project cost. The remaining 25 percent of the funds, $769,024, will be provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

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FEMA Awards $2,307,074 Grant to Will County

Public Assistance Helps Ohio Communities Rebuild After Disaster

Dublin, OH – Providing assistance to individuals and businesses is not the only concern of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (OEMA). Public Assistance (PA) grants will soon help Ohio communities recoup emergency response and debris removal costs from storms in late June.

Thirty seven counties were declared eligible on August 20 for disaster assistance as a result of the June 29-July 2 storms and straight line winds. Under the PA Grant Program, FEMA awards grants to assist state and local governments, tribal nations and certain private nonprofit organizations with their response to and recovery from disasters.

“The declaration opens the door to FEMA grants that help public entities with reconstruction of their infrastructure,” said Mike Moore, federal coordinating officer for the disaster. “The PA program strengthens communities which do not have all the means or resources to bounce back from a disaster, helping to ensure a community’s important public needs are met.”

Public assistance is based on a partnership between FEMA, state and local officials. Local governments identify their needs and costs and submit applications. The state ensures compliance and helps prioritize projects. FEMA is responsible for managing the program, approving grants and providing technical assistance on projects to the state and its applicants.

“This program is important to Ohio taxpayers,” said Nancy Dragani, state coordinating officer for Ohio EMA. “The program will provide federal and state funding to assist with debris removal, emergency protective measures and for some work performed by rural electric cooperatives.”

FEMA’s Public Assistance program pays 75 percent of eligible costs. The state of Ohio is contributing 12.5 percent of the 25% percent non-federal share to eligible political subdivisions and the applicant is responsible for the remaining 12.5 percent balance.

Application procedures for local governments were explained at a series of state applicant briefings held in August and September. FEMA PA specialists provided guidance to state and local officials throughout the application process. Approved projects are paid through the state from funding provided by FEMA. The deadline for applying for assistance is September 19^th.

Federal, state and local teams have already started to inspect disaster-related damage, examine expenses identified by the state or local representatives and prepare reports that outline the scope of repair work needed and the estimated restoration cost.

Non-profit organizations may qualify for assistance to restore certain types of facilities that include educational, utility, emergency, medical, custodial care and other facilities that provide essential government types of services.

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Public Assistance Helps Ohio Communities Rebuild After Disaster

FEMA Aid Does Not Affect Government Assistance Programs

CLINTON, Miss. — Receiving disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency following Hurricane Isaac in Mississippi does not affect government assistance programs for lower-income individuals and families.

Receiving assistance from FEMA for temporary housing, home repair, repair or replacement of personal property or for other disaster-related needs does not influence eligibility for government assistance programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

FEMA assistance does not need to be repaid and is not taxable.

Other disaster assistance tips to know:

Survivors can call 2-1-1 to be connected to volunteer or faith-based organizations that may be able to help them with resources and needs.
Representatives from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and FEMA are at disaster recovery centers to provide information on disaster assistance programs, help survivors apply for aid and assist in appealing determinations of eligibility for assistance.
If a survivor is provided an application for a low-interest disaster loan from the Small Business Administration, it is important to return it. Returning the application is required to be considered for grants that do not need to be repaid.

Applicants should register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by mobile device at m.fema.gov. If online or mobile access is unavailable, applicants should call the FEMA toll-free Helpline at 800-621-3362. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services should call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

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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 temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

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FEMA Aid Does Not Affect Government Assistance Programs

Big Businesses Helping Small Businesses After Hurricane Isaac

BATON ROUGE, La. – Small businesses in Louisiana impacted by Hurricane Isaac now have another way to get help with their recovery efforts.

The Big Business–Small Business Emergency Management Mentorship Program is available to pair up small-business owners with big-business mentors who will help them bounce back after the storm by providing guidance such as ways to rebuild and strengthen their facilities.

The program was created by the National Incident Management Systems and Advanced Technologies Institute at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the International Association of Emergency Managers.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center (LABEOC) and other organizations are supporting the effort by spreading the word in affected communities and parishes.

“This is a great, free resource for business owners who sustained damage during Isaac,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mike Hall of FEMA. “We are proud to be part of the whole community team that is working to support people in Louisiana as they work to rebound from the storm.”

The Big Business–Small Business Emergency Management Mentorship Program can also assist business owners in preparedness efforts, including developing an emergency plan of action, improving resiliency and developing the tools to recover from disasters.

To register for the program either as a mentor or protégé, visit www.disasterb2bmentor.org.

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

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Big Businesses Helping Small Businesses After Hurricane Isaac

The Road To Recovery: Know Where To Get Help

ATLANTA—Knowing where to get assistance after a disaster can make the process go faster. Help is available from a wide range of sources.

Contact your insurance company. Insurance can be an important source of assistance for people and businesses.

Register with FEMA. FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program may provide help in the form of temporary housing and financial assistance if you suffered eligible losses or damages to your home, rental home or personal property.

Register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone by going to FEMA’s mobile site at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. If you use 711 or Video Relay Services call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

Federal disaster aid to people may include:

Rental assistance for temporary housing if your home or apartment is unlivable;
Grants for minimal home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional;
Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs; and
Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to cover losses of renters and homeowners.

Federal aid to businesses and nonprofits may include:

Low-interest disaster loans from the SBA for businesses and certain private nonprofit organizations that sustained physical damage or economic injury.

Seek out community sources. In addition to FEMA, you should know that a number of voluntary agencies, faith- based groups and community organizations are providing food, shelter, supplies and are assisting in clean-up efforts. Contact your local government or call 2-1-1 to access a range of aid programs to help Mississippians recover from Isaac.

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The Road To Recovery: Know Where To Get Help

Louisiana Major Disaster Declaration Amended to Include Individual Assistance

WASHINGTON – Today, FEMA announced an amendment to the major disaster declaration for the State of Louisiana to include the Individual Assistance Program.

Federal funding is available to affected individuals in Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. John the Baptist, and St. Tammany parishes. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and households recover from the effects of the disaster.

Individuals and households who sustained losses in the designated county can begin applying for assistance 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. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

For more information, visit: http://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit/recovery-directorate/assistance-individuals-and.

Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

On Wednesday, the President declared a major disaster declaration for the State of Louisiana for emergency work and hazard mitigation.

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.

Louisiana Major Disaster Declaration Amended to Include Individual Assistance

Private Nonprofit Organizations may be Eligible for Disaster Aid

REISTERSTOWN, MD—Kenneth Mallette, Director of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, is urging all private nonprofit organizations who incurred costs from the severe storms and straight-line winds, which impacted Maryland beginning on June 29, 2012, to apply for disaster assistance under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Public Assistance Program.

Here are some qualifiers to help determine eligibility:

Private nonprofit organizations must hold tax exempt status under Section 501 (c), (d) or (e) of the IRS Code or have State certification that your organization is a non-revenue producing nonprofit entity, organized or doing business under State law.
Organizations must have incurred costs related to the June storm. These costs could be for debris removal and clean-up, emergency protective measures (emergency response services, evacuation) or permanent damage to your facility.
The service or facility being claimed must be open to the public.
The organization must provide essential government-like services, and be in a county designated under the Federal disaster declaration. The designated areas are Calvert, Charles, Kent, Montgomery and St. Mary’s Counties and the Independent City of Baltimore.
Eligible damage must meet the $1,000 threshold.

If private nonprofit organizations feel they qualify and may be an eligible applicant, they should contact the Maryland Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance Program office at 410-517-3604 or 1-877-636-2872.

An Applicants’ Briefing will be held at the Rice Auditorium, located on the grounds of Spring Grove Hospital Center, 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228, on Wednesday, August 29, 2012, from 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Potential applicants are encouraged to attend. The Request for Public Assistance (RPA) and PNP Questionnaire (attached) must be completed and received by the Maryland Emergency Management Agency by 09/01/2012. Forms may be emailed to Kelly.devilbiss@maryland.gov or faxed to 410-517-3610.

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. FEMA Region III’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts are available at http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary and www.youtube.com/fema. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion3.

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Private Nonprofit Organizations may be Eligible for Disaster Aid

King County Plan Accepted by the National Flood Insurance Program

SEATTLE—King County has received notification from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that their plan for how to implement the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is sufficient to protect salmon within the unincorporated portions of King County.

“We are on the path to a healthier environment, flood protection, and economic growth, through our comprehensive floodplain management program,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine.

King County submitted a programmatic habitat assessment of current and anticipated future impacts of regulated land-use upon Chinook and steelhead salmon and their habitats. This assessment conducted an in-depth analysis of how numerous King County regulations manage and restrict the potential for further land development within the 100-year floodplain across the county, while also promoting restoration of some natural floodplain functions and processes in some watersheds of the county. FEMA determined that the assessment was able to demonstrate that King County implements a floodplain development program that is compliant with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

This good news means that King County citizens will continue to be eligible to purchase flood insurance. The decision also allows King County to continue issuing permits for development in floodplains, as long as the projects can be shown to be in compliance with the ESA.

“We believe flood risk prevention goes hand in hand with fisheries habitat protection,” said FEMA Region 10 Acting Regional Administrator Sharon Loper, whose agency oversees the flood insurance program. “King County is to be commended for its efforts to comply with the Endangered Species Act.”

Since 2008, as a result of a Biological Opinion issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the NFIP has required participating communities in the Puget Sound area to take measures to protect critical salmon species and their habitat in order to continue participating in the program. Last September, all 122 communities in the Puget Sound area were required to enforce regulations that require all floodplain development be compliant with the ESA.

“King County continues to be a leader in overseeing development in its floodplains while balancing requirements to protect fish and wildlife,” said King County Flood Control District Chair Julia Patterson. “Our efforts save floodplain property owners time and money, while at the same time safeguarding precious habitat.”

King County’s plan for overseeing development in its floodplains is an important document, because other communities that also need to adapt their regulations could review it as an example of one programmatic approach open to them to demonstrate compliance with the Biological Opinion issued by NMFS. The King County model is complex and thorough, but smaller communities that now need to be in compliance with the ESA could apply the methodology used by King County and scale the level of effort to meet their size and needs.

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King County Plan Accepted by the National Flood Insurance Program

National Flood Insurance Program Probation for West Pittston, PA

PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEMA has issued a letter to West Pittston that establishes a new deadline of December 1, 2012, for the community to correct the floodplain management violations and program deficiencies. FEMA listened to the concerns from stakeholders about the deadline established for the NFIP probation action and has approved a two month extension for West Pittston Borough, PA.

The deficiencies cited in the probation letter include failure to manage floodplain development in accordance with the Borough’s floodplain program, and lack of adequate record keeping. Direct violations of the community’s flood damage prevention ordinance include lack of enforcement on substantially flood damaged structures.

Property owners will still be able to purchase and renew flood insurance coverage during the probationary period, but a $50 surcharge will be added to any policy sold or renewed in the community for the next year beginning on December 1, 2012. There are currently 358 flood insurance policies in the Borough.

If the Borough fails to make progress during the first six months of the NFIP probation, or by June 1, 2013, the Borough could be suspended from the program. The result of suspension is the loss of federally backed flood insurance in the community, meaning that residents will not be able to purchase or renew their flood insurance policies after the suspension occurs. Additionally, if a flood disaster occurs in a suspended community, most types of federal disaster assistance for structures within the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), including federal assistance to individuals and households is not available. Furthermore, the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 prohibits federal agencies from making grants, loans, or guarantees for the acquisition or construction of structures located in a SFHA.

FEMA remains committed to work with the officials of West Pittston to help the Borough achieve a good standing in the NFIP.

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. FEMA Region III’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts are available athttp://www.fema.gov/medialibraryandwww.youtube.com/fema. Follow us on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/femaregion3.

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National Flood Insurance Program Probation for West Pittston, PA

FEMA Teams up with Fed, State and Local Partners to Support Tropical Storm Irene-damaged Fish Habitats in Vermont

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency is collaborating with state, federal and community partners to support Tropical Storm Irene-damaged fish habitats in Vermont, a state where fishing annually generates at least $63 million.

Trout populations were significantly impacted by Irene in some areas, and are as historically and culturally important to Vermonters as they are economically.

“Equally important to your average Vermonter is the heritage and culture of fishing,” said Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department Commissioner Patrick Berry. “The most popular sport fish in Vermont is the brook trout, a fish that often lives in the kinds of rivers and streams that were most directly impacted by the tropical storm. When you have miles and miles of stream that are affected, that hurts not only the state’s pocket book, but it hurts your average Vermonter who wants to get out on a weekend with his kids and go catch their favorite fish, the brook trout.”

Berry represents the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, one of several organizations working alongside FEMA to support Tropical Storm Irene-damaged fish habitats in Vermont. The White River Partnership; the town of Rochester; Green Mountain National Forest; Vermont’s Department of Fish and Wildlife; the U.S. Forest Service; Trout Unlimited; and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Fish Passage Program are also part of the unique collaboration.

The White River Partnership, a South Royalton-based non-profit, has worked with the town of Rochester to secure funding to enhance culverts that clogged and failed during Tropical Storm Irene. The culverts will be rebuilt stronger and larger to allow more storm debris to pass. What’s more, the culverts will be reconstructed using sand, rocks and other elements to mimic natural, more eco-friendly passages for the fish. This modern approach of stream reconstruction and restoration creates a more balanced, natural stream system that, among other benefits, provides a more seamless transit for fish.

The first of the culverts was ordered in mid-July. The culvert is scheduled to arrive in mid-August to be installed on North Hollow Road. As many as three culvert installations may be completed during the 2012 season; the remaining four will likely be completed in 2013.

One creative approach will be to replace a culvert that was damaged at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Rochester with a discarded bridge unearthed from a salvage yard by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Reclaiming and repurposing the discarded bridge will cost just $8,500. This is just one example of how recycled materials are being repurposed in the reconstruction process.

FEMA has produced a video highlighting much of the work these organizations are accomplishing together. To view the video, visit: https://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/9347.

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FEMA Teams up with Fed, State and Local Partners to Support Tropical Storm Irene-damaged Fish Habitats in Vermont

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