Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station Exercise Process to be Discussed at Public Meeting

Media Contacts:

Federal Emergency Management Agency news desk (816) 283-7095
Jodie Fawl, Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (402) 471-7428
Stefanie Bond, Iowa Homeland Security & Emergency Management (515) 725-3231

FORT CALHOUN NUCLEAR STATION EXERCISE PROCESS TO BE DISCUSSED AT PUBLIC MEETING

Kansas City, Mo. –The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Region VII office announced today the states of Nebraska and Iowa, along with Washington County in Nebraska and Pottawattamie and Harrison counties in Iowa, will participate with the Omaha Public Power District in a one-day exercise on Dec. 3, 2013, in support of the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station, located near Fort Calhoun, Neb. The routine exercise will test the abilities of the states of Nebraska and Iowa, the utility, and the participating counties to protect the health and safety of the public living and working in the vicinity of the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station.

The exercise is a biennial requirement to determine the adequacy of the state and local radiological emergency preparedness and response plans. It will require the activation of emergency facilities by the participating state and local officials. The activities of the state, county and local units of government will be observed and evaluated by the FEMA Region VII Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Program. Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station on-site performance will be observed and evaluated by officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

On Thursday, Dec. 5 a public meeting will be held to describe and explain the full-scale response exercise process. Since the process of evaluating the full-scale response exercise will take months, the preliminary findings are very limited in scope.

Members of the public and the media are invited to attend this meeting beginning at 11 a.m. (CST) in the City Council Chambers of Blair City Hall,
located at 218 S. 16th St., Blair, Neb. Representatives from FEMA Region VII will chair the meeting and explain the exercise process. A representative from the NRC Region IV office, located in Arlington, Texas, will discuss activities conducted on-site at the power plant during the exercise.

Visit FEMA Region VII’s website and follow us on social media, at www.twitter.com/femaregion7, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate on Twitter.  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.

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Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station Exercise Process to be Discussed at Public Meeting

Sewerage Authority Mitigation Plan Reduces Risk of Environmental Disaster

LINCROFT, N.J. ­­­­– Among the most devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey was the storm’s impact on sewage treatment facilities along the coast.

During and after the storm, sewage plants and pump stations along the coast were inundated by flood waters and without power for as long as three days, resulting in the discharge of some two billion gallons of untreated and partially treated sewage into New Jersey waterways (New York Daily News, 4/30/2013).

The environmental damage was unprecedented – and the financial impact was devastating.  Total costs to repair and reconstruct the damaged sewage treatment facilities now top more than $100 million.

With the help of Public Assistance Grants, sewerage authorities throughout the state have acted to reduce the risk of a similar disaster through mitigation measures that include constructing flood walls, elevating sensitive equipment, and relocating vulnerable facilities out of the flood zone.

In southern Monmouth County, the South Monmouth Regional Sewerage Authority owns, operates and maintains 11 sewage pump stations in Belmar, Brielle, Lake Como, Manasquan, Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights and Wall Township.

The majority of the Authority’s sewage pump stations were constructed and placed into operation in the 1970s. But in Sea Girt, the authority converted an existing facility constructed in the 1900s.

By 2006, that facility had outlived its useful life and the Authority made plans to replace it.

The Sea Girt pump station had been flooded in the past, and the likelihood was high that it would experience repeated flooding.

While the Authority considered relocating the facility, that idea was not feasible because of the cost, permitting restrictions and the lack of available land in the heavily residential community.

Instead, the project team comprising Authority officials and project engineers worked together to design a facility that could remain within the footprint of the old plant but that would be better equipped to function and survive during a major storm.

The plan they decided upon called for a mobile trailer for the pumping station’s most sensitive equipment. The trailer can be moved out of harm’s way when flooding threatens.

An esthetically designed portable trailer houses an emergency generator, a successful mitigation project South Monmouth Regional Sewerage Authority (SMRSA) implemented in their Sea Girt pump station before Superstorm Sandy struck. Sea Girt, N.J., Oct. 2, 2013– This aesthetically designed portable trailer houses an emergency generator, a successful mitigation project South Monmouth Regional Sewerage Authority (SMRSA) implemented in their Sea Girt pump station before Superstorm Sandy struck. Rosanna Arias/FEMA
 The enclosure consists of two rooms, one sound-attenuated room for the emergency generator and another climate-controlled room for the electrical equipment, including controls, alarm systems, variable speed drives, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, and various other components. Electrical and control connections between the enclosure and the pump station and its equipment are made with cables and plugs that can be opened to permit removal of the enclosure.

The trailer can be removed when emergency management officials notify the Authority of an impending storm.

When the trailer is removed, an expendable portable generator and transfer switch is put it in its place, allowing the pump station to operate even when utility power is lost. This secondary, sacrificial electrical and control system, mounted on the site, powers the pumps and other equipment on utility or generator power until destroyed or damaged by flooding.

Once the storm subsides, the mobile trailer can be moved back into place and put back on line.

The mobile trailer plan minimizes any damage to the station’s electrical equipment and significantly reduces downtime for the station.

The cost savings is also substantial: A generator may cost $60,000 to replace. The cost of reconstructing a pump station and providing emergency generator capacity until power is restored to the site can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“The mobile enclosure saved the Authority an estimated $1.5 million dollars in repair/recovery monies as a result of the fact that there was no substantial damage to the Sea Girt Pump Station during Irene or Sandy,” said South Monmouth Regional Sewerage Authority Engineer Ryan Krause. “There was no loss of sewer service to residents and no sewer service overflows.”

The station is then able to return to normal operation within hours of the passing storm, rather than days, weeks, or months, as required to rebuild or reconstruct the facilities. A faster recovery for the sewer system reduces the public health risk that can result when untreated sewage is discharged into waterways or into the community.

The Sea Girt pump station complements Governor Chris Christie’s goal to make New Jersey’s infrastructure resilient and is considered a model for Best Management Practice for sewerage and water authorities, enabling continuous operation during adverse weather events, thus eliminating or substantially reducing the potential for an environmental disaster caused by the release of untreated sewage.

As a result of the steps the Authority took to mitigate the site, the infrastructure survived and the Sea Girt Pump Facility became operational within hours.

The SMRSA, has recently been awarded a FEMA grant for a “least cost alternative project” which incorporates the mobile enclosure concept for its Pitney Avenue Pump Station in Spring Lake, NJ and is evaluating the feasibility of incorporating this innovative design for its Belmar Pump Station, both of which were damaged during Sandy.  The FEMA grant for Pitney Avenue PS is for reimbursement of 90% of the eligible cost(s) up to $1,201, 428.00.

The two mobile concept facilities, developed here in Monmouth County, are the only two in the world.

Because of its success in mitigating damage from Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, the concept is being considered by FEMA as a nation-wide Best Management Practice for mitigation of potential damages to equipment as a result of a flood event.

Additional information on the Sea Girt mobile enclosure can be found at the Authorities website; www.smrsa.org

 

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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Sewerage Authority Mitigation Plan Reduces Risk of Environmental Disaster

Deadline For Requests For NM Public Assistance Is Saturday

SANTA FE – Saturday, November 16 is the deadline for state agencies, tribal governments, certain nonprofit organizations, community ditch associations and other local government entities to submit their Requests for Public Assistance (RPA) to the State of New Mexico.

This deadline applies to the counties hit hard by the July 23 through 28 storms and flooding: Bernalillo, Colfax, Luna, Sandoval, and Socorro counties as well as the Cochiti, Kewa (Santa Domingo), San Felipe, and Sandia Pueblos.

Filing these requests with the state is the first step in the process of applying for federal reimbursements under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program.

“We don’t want any eligible entity to miss out on reimbursements for expenses incurred,” said State Coordinating Officer Anita Statman. “This is a very important deadline.”

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; 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.

Although the program is oriented to public entities, 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.

Public entities in these counties and pueblos which haven’t reported damages from the July 23-28 storms are urged to report them to their local emergency managers. Officials in these counties and pueblos who have questions about Public Assistance Applicants briefings and Requests for Public Assistance should contact Brian Williams at 505-476-9601.

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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Deadline For Requests For NM Public Assistance Is Saturday

Colorado Flooding: Two Months Later

DENVER – In the two months since heavy rains brought flooding, Colorado survivors have received more than $117.4 million in state and federal assistance and low-interest loans and an additional $35.1 million in FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) payouts.

To date, more than $52.7 million in Individual Assistance (IA) grants has helped more than 15,000 Colorado households find safe, functional and sanitary rental units or make repairs to primary homes and cover other disaster-related expenses, such as medical needs or personal property loss. Nearly $48.7 million of IA grants have been issued in housing assistance and $4 million in other needs assistance, such as medical or personal property loss. Flood survivors have also received disaster unemployment assistance and disaster legal services.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved $64.7 million in disaster loans to Colorado homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations. Of that amount, $54.3 million was in loans to repair and rebuild homes and $10.4 million in business and economic injury loans. Approved loan totals in some of the impacted areas are currently $40 million in Boulder County, $8.9 million in Larimer County and $7.7 million in Weld County.

In addition:

  • FEMA housing inspectors in the field have looked at more than 24,000 properties in the 11 designated counties for Individual Assistance.
  • In coordination with the State and local officials, FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance specialists have canvassed Colorado neighborhoods, helping 37,180 survivors connect with recovery services. Survivors have talked to local, state, nonprofit, nongovernmental and FEMA specialists at the Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs). At the DRCs, in the field and on the phone, FEMA provides information in Spanish and many other languages.
  • More than 50 national, state and local voluntary and faith-based organizations have spent 269,330 hours helping people as they recover from the flooding. The 27,655 volunteers are providing donations, volunteer management, home repair, child care, pet care, counseling services and removal of muck and mold from homes.
  • In the 18 counties designated for Public Assistance, 190 Applicant Kickoff Meetings have been conducted and so far FEMA has obligated $9,451,743 for eligible projects for debris removal, emergency protective measures and the repair of critical public-owned infrastructure.
  • FEMA and the State’s Private Sector team has contacted organization leaders from 33 Chambers of Commerce, six Economic Development Centers and 38 colleges and universities to share disaster assistance information.
  • The Federal Disaster Recovery Coordination group is coordinating disaster recovery across the entire federal family of agencies, facilitating long-term relationships among agencies, identifying technical expertise and funding opportunities; suggesting strategies for addressing specific needs, and generally encouraging a whole community approach to disaster recovery.
    • Coordinating agencies represented in FDRC include U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and U.S. Department of Commerce.
  • Speakers Bureau has received 71 requests from local officials throughout the affected area and 363 State/FEMA specialists and SBA representatives have spoken at town hall meetings and other venues. More than 7,600 attendees received information about FEMA’s IA program, Hazard Mitigation, flood insurance and SBA.
  • Mitigation specialists have counseled 15,250 survivors during outreach efforts at area hardware stores and more than 4,300 survivors at Disaster Recovery Centers in Colorado.
  • In the first 60 days of the Colorado flooding disaster, there have been 96,375 total page views on the disaster web page, fema.gov/disaster/4145, or an average of 1,606 daily. More than 500 tweets in the last 60 days were posted on the FEMA Region 8 Twitter feed, an average of eight daily tweets. The R8 Twitter feed has increased its followers to 9,000, an increase of nearly 600 new followers in the past 60 days.
  • At the request of the State, the 11 counties with FEMA IA designations are Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, El Paso, Fremont, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan, Morgan and Weld.
  • At the request of the State, the 18 counties with FEMA Public Assistance (PA) designations are Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, Crowley, Denver, El Paso, Fremont, Gilpin, Jefferson, Lake, Larimer, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Sedgwick, Washington and Weld.

County-By-County Breakdown of State and Federal Grants

Adams County

Housing Assistance:

$1,017,068

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$118,156

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$1,135,224

 

 

 

Arapahoe County

Housing Assistance:

$2,928,379

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$255,331

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$3,183,710

 

 

 

Boulder County

Housing Assistance:

$28,419,729

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$1,820,947

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$30,240,676

 

 

 

Clear Creek County

Housing Assistance:

$190,128

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$2,426

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$192,554

 

 

 

El Paso County

Housing Assistance:

$1,338,680

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$142,673

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$1,481,353

 

 

 

Fremont County

Housing Assistance:

$43,859

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$1,950

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$45,809

 

 

 

Jefferson County

Housing Assistance:

$1,378,621

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$26,793

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$1,405,414

 

 

 

Larimer County

Housing Assistance:

$4,816,065

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$267,884

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$5,083,949

 

 

 

Logan County

Housing Assistance:

$474,194

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$42,515

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$516,709

 

 

 

Morgan County

Housing Assistance:

$69,450

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$5,037

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$74,487

 

 

 

Weld County

Housing Assistance:

$8,027,426

 

Other Needs Assistance:

$1,338,890

 

Total State/FEMA Assistance:

$9,366,315

Register with FEMA by phone, 800-621-3362, from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., MST, 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.

Register online: DisasterAssistance.gov. Register by Web-enabled device, tablet or smartphone: type m.fema.gov in the browser.

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Colorado Flooding: Two Months Later

Presentation on Potential Historic District in West Pittston, PA

PHILADELPHIA – FEMA’s Environmental and Historic Preservation division and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is hosting a presentation on the potential West Pittston, PA Historic District, which may be eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

The presentation is open to the public and will be held Thursday, November 14th, 2013 from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) at the Trinity Episcopal Church, 220 Montgomery Avenue, West Pittston, PA 18643.

FEMA will present a brief history on West Pittston, the architectural styles that are present throughout the community, and the boundaries of the potential historic district.

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission will explain the process for formally listing the potential historic district in the National Register, pros and cons of listing, as well as potential financial incentives.

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.  Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion3.

Media Contact: FEMAR3NewsDesk@fema.dhs.gov

Source:  

Presentation on Potential Historic District in West Pittston, PA

Latest Approved Funding Brings Total for Oklahoma Recovery to More Than $85 Million

OKLAHOMA CITY – An additional $5.8 million has recently been approved in federal funding for recovery in Oklahoma following the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding that occurred from May 18 – June 2, 2013. This amount includes three awards: $1.3 million for crisis counseling services; $3.5 million for debris removal; and $1 million for public electric utilities. This funding—along with additional amounts from Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)—brings state and federal assistance approved for Oklahoma to more than $85 million. 

The latest Individual Assistance funding covers eligible crisis counseling services and training. The funding will be awarded to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Initial funding for crisis counseling services was made available on June 11, 2013. Services were available to survivors immediately following the presidential disaster declaration. The latest reward is an extension that will continue to offer support to individuals and families impacted by the spring storms.

There are no cost-share requirements for the latest Individual Assistance amount and FEMA will obligate funding directly to the state.

“We remain dedicated to providing individuals and families with the necessary resources to fully assist them in their recovery,” said State Coordinating Officer and Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management Deputy Director Michelann Ooten.

More than $14.7 million in disaster assistance for housing and disaster-related expenses has been approved for qualified homeowners and renters. This includes more than $10.1 million in rental costs and house repairs, and more than $4.6 million for medical expenses, replacement clothing, vehicle repairs, funeral and burial costs, and other needs generated by the storms.

“We are continuing to assess individual needs to ensure that survivors are fully supported as the recovery process continues. Public Assistance funding is also ongoing as communities continue on the road to full recovery,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Sandy Coachman.

More than $26 million has thus far been approved in Public Assistance funding. An additional $3.5 million has been approved for debris removal. The funding covers eligible debris removal costs under a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance Alternative Procedures Pilot Program which is one of the new programs introduced in the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013. The program funds expenses such as debris removal and debris recycling from public property and right-of-ways.

An additional $1 million award has also been provided to Western Farmers Electric Cooperative for repair and replacement of components of their electrical transmission system.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $47 million in low-interest disaster loans for qualified homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations in Oklahoma.

For more information on Oklahoma disaster recovery, click fema.gov/disaster/4117 or visit the OEM site at oem.ok.gov.

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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 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.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) prepares for, responds to, recovers from and mitigates against emergencies and disasters. The department delivers service to Oklahoma cities, towns and counties through a network of more than 350 local emergency managers.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

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Latest Approved Funding Brings Total for Oklahoma Recovery to More Than $85 Million

New England: One Year After Hurricane Sandy

BOSTON – One year ago today, on October 29th, 2012, the Northeast braced for impact as Hurricane Sandy came barreling toward our coastline. Although New England was spared the brunt of the storm, residents and businesses along the shores of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire suffered severe damages from wind and water, many losing homes and livelihoods. Towns along the coasts of Connecticut and Rhode Island were nearly impassable after the storm, roadways choked with debris and sand from a significant storm surge that swept through beachfront communities.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues to work closely with its partners to help individuals and communities recover from Hurricane Sandy.

In the past year over $125.9 million in FEMA funding has been obligated toward Hurricane Sandy recovery in New England:

Individual Assistance

More than $15.5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency grants approved for individuals and households region-wide, which includes:

Connecticut:

  • More than $13.8 million for housing assistance
  • More than $1.1 million for other needs assistance

Rhode Island

  • $378,748 for housing assistance
  • $42,592 for other need assistance

More than $51.6 million in Small Business Administration disaster loans approved for homeowners, renters and businesses in Connecticut.

More than $285.3 million in National Flood Insurance Program payments made to policy holders. Including:

Connecticut

  • More than $249.5 million paid to flood insurance policy holders

Rhode Island

  • More than $35.8 million paid to flood insurance policy holders

Public Assistance

More than $59.1 million in Public Assistance grants to reimburse local, state and tribal governments and eligible private nonprofits region-wide for some of the costs of:

  • Emergency response
  • Debris removal
  • Repairing or rebuilding damaged public facilities

The committed efforts of  many additional federal, state and local agencies and organizations continue to assist  states, towns, communities and individuals in the recovery process.

Original source: 

New England: One Year After Hurricane Sandy

A Year After Hurricane Sandy, FEMA Individual Assistance Tops $1 Billion In New York

NEW YORK – When Hurricane Sandy made landfall a year ago on Oct. 29, the unprecedented storm surge and strong winds devastated tens of thousands of New Yorkers.

Amid widespread power outages and storm debris, New York survivors began asking where and how to begin putting their lives back together.

In anticipation of Sandy’s impact, the Federal Emergency Management Agency deployed nearly 300 people to New York in advance of the hurricane to begin coordinating assistance for survivors. Within 48 hours of Sandy’s landfall, the figure swelled to 1,200. Eventually more than 4,000 workers were part of the federal response team.

Also within 48 hours, the first FEMA grants for New York individuals and households, totaling $1.7 million, were approved to help eligible survivors with home repairs, temporary rental costs and other uninsured hurricane-related expenses.

One year later, more than $1 billion has been approved for New Yorkers through FEMA’s Individuals and Households program to help them rebuild their lives. This is part of a total of more than $8.3 billion in disaster assistance that also includes more than $1.5 billion in low-interest U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans, more than $3.7 billion in flood insurance claim payments and more than $2.1 billion for debris removal, repair or replacement of public facilities and reimbursement for emergency expenses.

FEMA, in coordination with its local, state, federal, tribal, private sector, voluntary and faith-based partners, has been working nonstop with New York survivors to help them rebuild their lives.  During the past year, more than 117,500 individuals and households in New York’s 13 designated counties were approved for assistance.

In the months after Hurricane Sandy, FEMA dispatched nearly 1,200 community relations specialists to devastated neighborhoods to determine survivors’ individual needs, and to help them navigate the FEMA application process and access other services.

More than 500 national, state and local voluntary and faith-based organizations helped people in need. They coordinated donations, volunteer management, home repair, child care, counseling services and removal of muck and mold from homes.

FEMA opened 65 disaster recovery centers, many of them located in hard-hit areas, where survivors received face-to-face help. There were more than 183,000 visits to the centers.

With thousands of New Yorkers displaced in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, FEMA worked with the state and city of  New York to implement innovative programs to respond to the unique challenges posed by the shortage of rental housing in a densely populated, vertically built and linguistically diverse region.

Thanks to the Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power program that was coordinated by local governments and funded by FEMA, more than 21,000 families were able to remain in their storm-damaged homes while repairs were made.

In addition, FEMA temporarily housed nearly 6,000 individuals and families in hotels and motels through its Transitional Sheltering Assistance program.

To ensure everyone received information, FEMA provided materials in 26 languages.

A year after the storm, all housing inspections – more than 185,000 – have been completed. Today more than 160 New Yorkers hired by FEMA to assist in recovery operations continue to help their communities rebuild from Sandy.

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A Year After Hurricane Sandy, FEMA Individual Assistance Tops $1 Billion In New York

FEMA and National Public Radio Work Together to Increase Emergency Alert Preparedness for People Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

WASHINGTON —The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced a cooperative pilot project with National Public Radio’s (NPR’s) technology research and development group, NPR Labs, to demonstrate the delivery of the first-ever, real-time emergency alert messages to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in five Gulf states. 

Twenty-five NPR-affiliated public radio stations throughout Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas agreed to participate in the pilot project to transmit emergency alert messages, such as weather alerts, to 475 individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in the stations’ listening areas to determine how effectively the messages are being sent and received.  The Gulf State region was selected for the demonstration because it is often subjected to extreme weather conditions. Individuals participating in the project will receive alert and warning messages through specially designed receivers capable of displaying the text messages. 

“FEMA is committed to providing equal access to effective communication for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing as information must be accessible to be actionable,” said Damon Penn, Assistant Administrator for FEMA’s National Continuity Programs Directorate. “FEMA has been working with NPR’s technology research and development group to identify key resources and radio stations to demonstrate whether special receivers made exclusively for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing will help them receive emergency alerts. We hope the data and experiences gained from the demonstration will be used to help improve this specialized technology.”

The public radio stations participating in the pilot will receive emergency alert messages from FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), where the network operations center of the Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS) will uplink the warnings to the participating stations. The stations will then broadcast the emergency alerts to specially designed FM Radio Data System (RDS) radio receivers that alert the participants with a flashing indicator. The receivers can display the alert message through the receiver’s display, and the participants can connect a strobe light or bed-shaker alerting device to the receiver, helping ensure alerts are noticed day and night.

“This demonstration project is a crucial first step in improving the technology for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing during emergencies,” said Mike Starling, Executive Director, NPR Labs. “I want to sincerely thank the 25 stations for agreeing to participate in this demonstration project that is working to test the latest technology to ensure that all individuals, including those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, can be informed of emergencies when electricity, the Internet and other communications channels are unavailable.”

FEMA, designated by DHS to implement a U.S. public alert and warning system, established the IPAWS system to provide the President with a way to address the American people during a national emergency.  FEMA has been working with numerous public and private industry stakeholders to ensure that emergency alerts can be delivered simultaneously through multiple communications pathways. The National Weather Service uses IPAWS to send Wireless Emergency Alerts to participating cell phone carriers, who sends the alerts to cell phones.

NPR manages the Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS), which is the distribution network that delivers news, music, and specialized programming to public radio stations throughout the United States reaching 27 million listeners each week.  The initiative is a joint effort with NPR Labs under a contract with DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate and FEMA’s National Continuity Programs.  NPR Labs’ mission is to identify, evaluate, and advance the application of innovative technologies in support of the public service mission of NPR and its 900 member stations. NPR Labs was established in 2005 and is located at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C.

FM participating stations: Alabama:WUAL, Tuscaloosa; WBHM, Birmingham; WLRH, Huntsville; WJAB, Huntsville; Florida: WUSF, Tampa; WLRN, Miami; WPBI, West Palm Beach; WUFT, Gainesville; WMFE, Orlando; WFSU, Tallahassee; WGCU, Fort Meyers; WJCT, Jacksonville; WQCS, Fort Pierce; Louisiana: KDAQ, Shreveport; WWNO, New Orleans; WRKF, Baton Rouge; KRVS, Lafayette; in Mississippi: WMPN, Jackson; and in Texas: KERA, Dallas; KUHF, Houston; KETR, Commerce; KUT, Austin; KMBH, Harlingen; KEDT, Corpus Christi and KVLU, Beaumont.

For more information on FEMA programs, go to www.fema.gov/ipaws

FEMA does not endorse any non-government entities, organizations, or services. 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:

FEMA and National Public Radio Work Together to Increase Emergency Alert Preparedness for People Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

Added Counties Now Eligible for FEMA Individual and Public Assistance

DENVER – Residents of Fremont and Morgan counties whose homes were damaged in the September floods are now eligible for Individual Assistance from FEMA.

Also, eight additional counties are now eligible for FEMA Public Assistance: Arapahoe, Crowley, Denver, Fremont, Gilpin, Lake, Lincoln and Sedgwick. The eight new counties receive public assistance in all categories A-G.

Individual Assistance

Individual Assistance was extended to Fremont and Morgan counties after damage assessments were completed by officials from the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and FEMA.

Homeowners, renters and business owners in the designated counties who sustained damage as a result of the severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides that began on Sept. 11, 2013, may apply for federal disaster assistance.

The two additional counties bring the number of Colorado counties eligible for individual assistance to 11.  The nine previously-designated counties are Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan and Weld.

Public Assistance

The eight added counties are now eligible for all seven categories of Public Assistance.

Categories A and B cover debris removal and emergency protective measures while categories C through G include more permanent work on infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, public buildings and contents, as well as water facilities, public utilities and parks.

Public Assistance provides cost sharing grants with FEMA paying 75 percent of repair costs.

The eight additional counties bring the number of Colorado counties eligible for Public Assistance to 18.  The 10 previously-designated counties are Adams, Boulder, Clear Creek, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan, Morgan, Washington and Weld.

To Register:

For any questions, contact FEMA 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.

Register online:  DisasterAssistance.gov or by Web-enabled device, tablet or smartphone: type m.fema.gov in the browser.                                                    

Link to article: 

Added Counties Now Eligible for FEMA Individual and Public Assistance

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