BATON ROUGE, La. – Nearly six months since the Aug. 29, 2012, federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Isaac in Louisiana, nearly $111.9 million in state and federal disaster assistance has been approved for the parish. Disaster assistance for survivors and their communities in Plaquemines Parish now totals $111,881,276.

Plaquemines Parish by the Numbers

TOTAL Individual Assistance grants: $10,745,555

  • Housing Assistance approved: $9,693,837
  • Other Needs Assistance approved: $1,051,718

TOTAL Public Assistance obligations: $75,888,821

TOTAL U.S. Small Business Administration low-interest disaster loans: $25,246,900

Free crisis counseling is still available to children and adults in Plaquemines Parish by calling 504-826-2675. Trained counselors are provided by a network of state human services authorities and districts to take calls and meet with survivors face to face if a follow-up session is needed.

“Programs such as crisis counseling are in place to meet the continuing emotional needs of survivors,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard Stolar of FEMA. “Receiving the right support can help most survivors continue to move on with their lives following Hurricane Isaac.”

Survivors affected by Hurricane Isaac who would like to speak to a FEMA representative may call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362 or TTY 1-800-462-7585. Survivors who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362.

More information on Louisiana disaster recovery is available online at www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. FEMA is also on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA.

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Disaster Assistance Nears $111.9 Million in Plaquemines Parish

BATON ROUGE, La. State and federal recovery from Hurricane Isaac in Louisiana has hit a new milestone, topping half a billion dollars since the Aug. 29, 2012, disaster declaration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said.

The total includes more than $129.6 million in grants from FEMA’s Individual Assistance (IA) program, more than $160 million in low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and nearly $214.5 million in reimbursements to state agencies and local governments from FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) program.

“FEMA’s top priority is clear: help Louisiana’s survivors, their families, business owners and their communities get a good start on their way to recovering from Isaac,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of FEMA. “This money has provided a crucial boost to Louisiana as residents and communities rebuild, recover and look ahead to the future.”

IA grants include nearly $106.9 million in housing assistance and more than $22.7 million in Other Needs Assistance. Meanwhile, more than $185,000 in Disaster Unemployment Assistance has gone to workers who lost their jobs or people who are self-employed and unable to provide services because of the hurricane.

PA funds obligated so far have helped the state replenish dollars it spent to protect Louisianians before, during and after the storm and to remove tons of disaster-created debris. It also reimburses municipalities for repairs to disaster-damaged infrastructure. SBA long-term, low-interest loans enable homeowners, renters and businesses to replace, repair and rebuild their storm-damaged property.

More information on Louisiana disaster recovery is available online at www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. FEMA is also on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA.

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Hurricane Isaac Louisiana Recovery Assistance Tops Half-Billion Milestone

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Philadelphia County has been added to the Public Assistance declaration for Hurricane Sandy recovery in Pennsylvania, according to officials from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

This announcement makes categories A-G of the federal Public Assistance program available to eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations in Philadelphia County.

Through the Public Assistance program, FEMA provides supplemental federal disaster grant assistance for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities and the facilities of certain private nonprofit organizations. The Public Assistance program also encourages protection of these damaged facilities from future events by providing assistance for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery process.

Applicants for Public Assistance typically include organizations that provide public service, such as municipalities, townships and school districts. Other applicants might include volunteer fire fighter organizations; sewer authorities; emergency management offices; and regional police departments.

To be eligible for federal Public Assistance, applicants must show that their project is required as a direct result of Hurricane Sandy during the period from October 26 to November 8, 2012.

Public Assistance funding may cover costs incurred to return elements of the infrastructure to as close to their pre-disaster condition as possible.

Expenses may include costs for work such as debris removal and repair or replacement of damaged roads, bridges and other public components.

FEMA Public Assistance specialists work closely with individual applicants to review specifics of each project to determine which expenses may be covered.

FEMA manages the Public Assistance program, approves grants and provides technical assistance to the Commonwealth and applicants. The Commonwealth educates potential applicants, works with FEMA to manage the program and is responsible for implementing and monitoring the grants awarded under the program. Local officials are responsible for identifying damage, providing information necessary for FEMA to approve grants and managing each project funded under the program.

The addition of Philadelphia County brings the total number of counties in Pennsylvania eligible to apply for federal assistance for Hurricane Sandy recovery to 18. The 16 counties in the major disaster declaration signed by President Obama on January 10 include: Bedford, Bucks, Cameron, Dauphin, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Potter, Somerset, Sullivan and Wyoming. Montgomery County was the 17th county added to the disaster declaration on January 17.  

All counties within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Mitigation funding may cover costs of eligible projects to lessen the impact of disasters.

For a list of frequently asked questions about the federal Public Assistance process, see: http://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-frequently-asked-questions.

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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Philadelphia County Added to Hurricane Sandy Disaster Declaration for Pennsylvania

Logo of NY Recovers from Hurricane Sandy after 100 days

NEW YORK – Most of the debris is gone. Communities are making plans for the future and survivors of Hurricane Sandy are receiving financial assistance for storm-related losses.

In New York, the recovery process is well under way 100 days after the storm made landfall Oct. 29, 2012. The whole community is involved in the recovery effort, including federal, state, tribal and local agencies, the private sector and voluntary and faith-based organizations.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved $888.5 million for individuals and households in New York to help eligible survivors with temporary rental costs and other uninsured losses resulting from the hurricane.

Many people have taken advantage of low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. SBA has approved disaster loans for 12,991 homeowners, renters and businesses totaling $892.2 million.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid claims totaling $1.9 billion to 56,000 policy holders.

After a devastating storm, one of the priorities is to clean up the debris so neighborhoods can begin rebuilding. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local and state agencies have removed 5.2 million of the estimated 5.6 million cubic yards of debris. The Corps also drained 270 million gallons of water from subways, tunnels and underpasses within two weeks of the storm.

To ensure that everyone receives information about assistance, FEMA is providing information in 25 languages.

The private sector is playing a key role in spreading information about the kinds of assistance available. The business community has displayed the message on video screens in Times Square, Madison Square Garden and Lincoln Center, among other places. The Metropolitan Transit Authority placed posters at bus stops and subway entrances and on the Staten Island Ferry. The NYC Taxi Commission put the message on video screens in taxi cabs.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program so far has approved $606 million for the repair or replacement of public facilities, debris removal and emergency costs resulting from the disaster, among other expenses. These grants included $106 million to NYPD for personnel costs during the emergency, $46 million to

the New York Department of Sanitation for labor and equipment expenditures and $24 million to the City of Long Beach for debris removal.

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

Mitigation specialists are counseling property owners on ways to rebuild structures so they are more resilient to future storm damage. So far, 21,000 have been provided information.

Because of a shortage of available rental units after the storm, FEMA temporarily housed 5,917 individuals and families in hotels and motels through its Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program. This is a short-term option for eligible survivors while they work on longer-term housing arrangements.

In the weeks after the storm, federal agencies deployed more than 5,000 personnel to New York. Many of those specialists are still on the job and FEMA has hired more than 500 local residents to help with disaster recovery operations. Storm survivors are still receiving face-to-face help in the recovery process at disaster recovery centers. So far, New Yorkers have visited the centers 151,116 times.

The federal disaster recovery coordinator for New York is working with public and private partners at federal, state and local levels to identify unmet needs and traditional and innovative resources that can be used to support rebuilding. These efforts will result in a strategy that will be used to guide development for years to come.

People who had losses resulting from the storm are urged to register with FEMA by Feb. 27. They can register with FEMA online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. They may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) can call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are available from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. EST, seven days a week.

For more on Hurricane Sandy recovery in New York, visit www.FEMA.gov/SandyNY.

Note: Photos of Hurricane Sandy and the recovery operation can be found at:

http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4085/updates/100-days-after-hurricane-sandy-new-york-look-back-photos

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. 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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After 100 days, New York Communities on Road to Recovery from Sandy

BATON ROUGE, La. Plaquemines Parish will receive a nearly $1.3 million federal grant to reimburse the cost of repairing a roadway damaged by Hurricane Isaac, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Monday.

Between Aug. 26 and Sept. 10, Hurricane Isaac produced high winds, rain and flooding throughout the state, hitting Plaquemines Parish particularly hard. The elevated roadway on the parish’s secondary levee required repairs after the water receded, and the FEMA Public Assistance grant, totaling $1,280,209, helps reimburse those repair costs.  

“Severe, slow-moving storms like Hurricane Isaac not only can cause tremendous damage to people’s homes and businesses,  they can affect the infrastructure people depend on every day,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of FEMA. “Reimbursing the repair of the levee road puts the parish one step closer to normalcy after Hurricane Isaac.”

The newly awarded funds are a portion of the $195.5 million in total Public Assistance recovery dollars approved for the state since the Aug. 29, 2012, disaster declaration.

Once FEMA reimburses the state of Louisiana it is the state’s responsibility to manage the funds, which includes making disbursements to local jurisdictions and organizations that incurred costs.

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

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FEMA Awards Nearly $1.3 Million to Plaquemines Parish to Repair Levee Road Damaged by Hurricane Isaac

BATON ROUGE, La. East Baton Rouge Parish will receive a nearly $3.2 million federal grant to reimburse the parish for removing and disposing of debris resulting from Hurricane Isaac, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Friday.

The FEMA Public Assistance grant, totaling $3,189,504, will help the parish pay for removing more than 355,800 cubic yards of debris from three public rights of way. A cubic yard of debris is about the size of a residential washing machine.

“Removing debris after a storm protects public health and safety,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar. “These funds support East Baton Rouge’s efforts to eliminate hazardous debris and help return the parish to normal.”

The grant covers the federal share of the parish’s eligible costs for the work. 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.

The newly awarded funds are a portion of the $195.5 million in total Public Assistance recovery dollars approved for the state since the Aug. 29, 2012, disaster declaration.

Once FEMA reimburses the state of Louisiana it is the state’s responsibility to manage the funds, which includes making disbursements to local jurisdictions and organizations that incurred costs.

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

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FEMA Awards Nearly $3.2 Million to East Baton Rouge for Hurricane Isaac Recovery

NEW YORK – Debris removal efforts after Hurricane Sandy in New York are nearing completion. More than 95 percent of the debris has been removed within 95 days of the storm hitting New York.

That includes everything from fallen trees to vehicles, boats, drywall and furniture, washers, dryers and insulation. It all amounts to 5.25 million cubic yards of debris caused by the strong winds and heavy rains created by Hurricane Sandy, beginning Oct. 27, 2012. That’s enough debris to fill the 102-story Empire State Building a little more than 3.5 times.

Collecting and hauling debris to the curbs has involved homeowners, neighbors and volunteers working with city, state and federal agencies. Neighbors and volunteers combined their skill and chainsaws to remove broken trees from yards and streets along with cleaning up disaster debris from public streets.

The demolition of destroyed structures is ongoing and about 20 percent complete.

Early in the cleanup, barges were used to haul debris to landfills in upstate New York.

The debris is also being trucked to landfills in other states.

Vegetation, such as wood, tree branches, leaves and other organic matter, is incinerated or chipped. Chips will be recycled for beneficial reuse.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program reimburses state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations 75 percent of eligible debris removal costs. In order to qualify, damage must be a direct result of Hurricane Sandy.

A U.S. Army Corp of Engineers video of the Hurricane Sandy debris work is at this link: http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/11140

Editors: for a free-use FEMA debris news photo: http://www.fema.gov/photolibrary/photo_details.do?id=61125

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/SandyNY, www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

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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Sandy Debris Removal Passes 95 percent in 95 days

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Nearly $3 million in federal funding has been approved for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) to reconstruct a critical stretch of rail line in Delaware County, according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today.

The funds covered reconstruction that was completed on a 40-foot-tall embankment that supported the Norristown High Speed Line between Roberts and Conestoga roads in Radnor Township. The 150-foot-long stretch of SEPTA train track was destroyed by heavy rains, including Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee floodwaters, during the period from Sept. 3 through Oct. 15.  

So much soil was washed away that the slope of land shifted out and down approximately 16 inches. Additionally, the shift caused the inbound set of tracks to drop approximately 12 inches.

A technique known as “soil nailing” was utilized to rebuild the slope. Soil nailing is a construction technique in which metal anchors, called “soil nails,” are either driven or drilled into rock or stable material to secure an unstable area. Grout is then pumped into and around the nails to permanently hold them. After the grout cures, a metal mesh fabric is affixed to the heads of the nails.     

Because the collapse of the embankment was a direct result of Hurricane Irene, the project to replace it qualifies for Public Assistance in Category G, which covers permanent repair or replacement of eligible damaged rail facilities. For a detailed description of Public Assistance categories see http://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-eligible-work.

FEMA has obligated $2,943,479 for the embankment to be restored to its pre-disaster condition. 

This amount comprises the 75 percent federal cost-share of the reconstruction project, which is estimated to cost a total of $3,924,639. The remaining 25 percent non-federal share will be paid by the Commonwealth.

FEMA manages the Public Assistance program, approves grants and provides technical assistance to the Commonwealth and applicants. The Commonwealth educates potential applicants, works with FEMA to manage the program and is responsible for implementing and monitoring the grants awarded under the program. Local officials are responsible for identifying damage, providing information necessary for FEMA to approve grants and managing each project funded under the program.

For a list of frequently asked questions about the federal Public Assistance process see http://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-frequently-asked-questions.

 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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FEMA OKs Nearly $3 Million to Rebuild Irene-Destroyed SEPTA Embankment

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Hurricane Sandy Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation briefing is scheduled for Wyoming County, according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Date, time and location of the briefing is as follows:

DATE:

Tuesday, Feb. 5

TIME:

10 a.m.

LOCATION:

Wyoming County Emergency Operations Center 

3880 State Route 6 East

Tunkhannock, PA 18657

At the briefing, officials from state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations will receive information about applying for federal assistance to recover from Hurricane Sandy during the period from October 26 to November 8, 2012.  

FEMA manages the Public Assistance program, approves grants and provides technical assistance to the Commonwealth and applicants. The Commonwealth educates potential applicants, works with FEMA to manage the program and is responsible for implementing and monitoring the grants awarded under the program. Local officials are responsible for identifying damage, providing information necessary for FEMA to approve grants and managing each project funded under the program.

For more information about the Public Assistance process, including a list of frequently asked questions, see http://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-frequently-asked-questions.

Federal funding is also available through the Public Assistance program on a cost-sharing basis for Hazard Mitigation measures in all counties of the Commonwealth.

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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Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Briefing Set for Wyoming County

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Hurricane Sandy Public Assistance briefing is scheduled for Montgomery County, according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The briefing will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 1 in Conshohocken.  

Montgomery County Public Safety Training Campus

1175 Conshohocken Road

Conshohocken, PA 19428

At the briefing, officials from state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations will receive information about applying for federal assistance to recover from Hurricane Sandy during the period from October 26 to November 8, 2012.  

FEMA manages the Public Assistance program, approves grants and provides technical assistance to the Commonwealth and applicants. The Commonwealth educates potential applicants, works with FEMA to manage the program and is responsible for implementing and monitoring the grants awarded under the program. Local officials are responsible for identifying damage, providing information necessary for FEMA to approve grants and managing each project funded under the program.

Federal funding is also available through the Public Assistance program on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures in all counties of the Commonwealth.

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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Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Briefing for Montgomery County

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