NEW YORK – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a $20 million Public Assistance grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the City of New York Department of Sanitation to help pay for costs incurred cleaning up after Hurricane Sandy. With this grant, FEMA has awarded more than $318 million in Public Assistance funds to New York State since the storm.

“As New York City and the downstate region recover from Hurricane Sandy, we will continue to work closely with the federal government to get as much financial assistance as possible,” Governor Cuomo said. “This grant from FEMA will help the city cover clean-up costs that we simply cannot afford on our own. I thank the agency for their commitment to our state.”

“New Yorkers have done an extraordinary job preparing for and responding to the storm,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Michael F. Byrne. “As we begin the recovery, FEMA’s commitment to New York has never been stronger. We will be here until the job is finished.”

The $20 million awarded today is in addition to a previous grant of $26 million to help cover 75 percent of the Department of Sanitation’s estimated expenses for debris removal in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Other FEMA Public Assistance funds awarded to New York so far includes:

  • New York University Langone Medical Center: $149.5 million to reimburse the cost of evacuating patients, performing emergency repairs, cleaning facilities and replacing critical equipment.
  • New York Police Department: $75,660,695 to help pay for uniformed and civilian personnel who patrolled streets, distributed food and water to hurricane survivors and assisted residents in obtaining emergency medical care.
  • City of New York Department of Sanitation: $46,793,952 to reimburse labor and equipment expenditures for the removal of an estimated 1.3 million cubic yards of debris. 
  • City of Long Beach: $24,315,825 for expenses incurred collecting and clearing more than 700,000 cubic yards of debris scattered across the city.
  • Nassau County: $18,086,238 for costs associated with debris removal and disposal throughout the county.
  • Nassau County: $2,812,500 to help pay for the implementation of the Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (STEP) Program.
  • Suffolk County: $1,125,000 for costs associated with STEP

The FEMA Public Assistance program reimburses state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations 75 percent of costs for disaster-related expenses associated with emergency protective measures, debris removal, and the repair and restoration of damaged infrastructure. In order to qualify, damage must be a direct result of Hurricane Sandy.

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.

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Governor Cuomo Announces $20 Million FEMA Grant to Help New York City Pay for Cleaning Up after Hurricane Sandy

NEW YORK – Nonprofit organizations that suffered damage from Hurricane Sandy may apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance (PA) funding to help them get back to the business of helping others.

“We encourage eligible nonprofit organizations to apply,” said Michael F. Byrne, FEMA federal coordinating officer. “FEMA is committed to assisting qualifying nonprofits as they recover from Hurricane Sandy.”

Private non-profit agencies that provide what are defined as critical services to the community may file a Request for Public Assistance from FEMA for reimbursement of costs incurred for emergency work performed as a result of Hurricane Sandy.

Facilities that provide critical services include:

  • Hospitals and other medical-treatment facilities;
  • Fire, police and other emergency services;
  • Power, water and sewer utilities; and
  • Educational institutions.

Private nonprofits that provide what are defined as essential services to the community may also be eligible for PA to repair damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. However, these private non-profits must first apply to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for a low-interest loan.
Facilities that provide essential services include: 

  • Libraries, museums and zoos;
  • Community centers;
  • Disability advocacy and service providers;
  • Homeless shelters and rehabilitation facilities; and
  • Senior citizen centers and day-care centers.

FEMA reimburses no less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for emergency protective measures and permanent restoration costs, including debris removal and infrastructure repair or replacement. FEMA specialists are available to help nonprofits through the application process.

To be eligible for PA, a private nonprofit organization must have a ruling letter from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or provide other, satisfactory, evidence from the state of New York that it is a nonprofit organization doing business under state law.

The deadline for requests for Public Assistance, which was due to expire, has been extended. 

The new deadlines are:

  • Jan. 28, 2013: for Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Richmond, Suffolk and Queens counties;
  • Feb. 1, 2013: for Rockland and Westchester counties; and
  • Feb. 11, 2013: for Orange, Putnam, Sullivan and Ulster counties.

Public Assistance is a program administered by New York State and funded by FEMA.

Nonprofit organizations interested in learning more about FEMA Public Assistance should visit: www.dhses.ny.gov/oem/recovery.

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.

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FEMA May be Able to Help Some Nonprofits with Public Assistance Disaster Grants

NEW YORK – The partnership between New York State, New York City, other municipalities, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has made significant progress in removing the massive amounts of debris left by Hurricane Sandy. To date, along with private contractors, they have removed in excess of four million cubic yards of debris from New York City’s five boroughs and Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester counties.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program has approved more than $17 million to reimburse Nassau County for 75 percent of the costs of overtime for 270 employees and the rental of heavy duty wood chippers to reduce the volume of the debris. Approved this week is a $2.2 million reimbursement to supplement the $15 million approved for the county in November. More Public Assistance funding is anticipated to offset county costs for debris removal and disposal.
 
Strong winds and heavy rains from Hurricane Sandy brought down trees, tree limbs and power lines throughout the New York area. Collecting and clearing out piles of debris has been one of the most difficult and time-consuming challenges of the recovery. But despite this, the debris piles are disappearing.

After collection, debris is trucked to staging areas where it is inspected, separated into categories and disposed of in the safest manner possible. To reduce the amount of material going into landfills, the Army Corps of Engineers, in cooperation with the New York City’s Sanitation Department, is looking at alternate ways of using the vegetative debris (wood, tree branches, leaves and other organic matter) that will be of benefit to the communities.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program reimburses state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations 75 percent of eligible debris removal costs. The remaining 25 percent is provided by non-federal funds. The state forwards the federal funds to the eligible local governments or organizations that incurred costs.

For debris removal to be eligible, the damage must be direct result of Hurricane Sandy, and the work must be necessary to:

  • Eliminate an immediate threat to lives, public health and safety,
  • Eliminate immediate threats of significant damage to improved public and private property when the measures are cost effective, or
  • Ensure the economic recovery of the affected community to the benefit of the community-at-large.

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.

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Debris Removal on Track

NEW YORK – New York University’s Langone Medical Center in Manhattan has been approved for two FEMA grants totaling $35.5 million to defray costs associated with Hurricane Sandy. These FEMA grants are in addition to an award of $114 million for the facility that was approved earlier in December for emergency repairs, patient evacuations and other disaster-related expenditures. This brings the total FEMA has awarded to the institution to $149.5 million.

The grants are for $9.2 million and nearly $25.9 million. The first represents 75 percent of the expected costs associated with removal and disposal of wastewater from seven of the center’s buildings along with cleanup of the fuel oil that leaked throughout the flooded area. It will additionally cover the cost of removing damaged equipment from the Smilow Research Center.

The second award covers 75 percent of the estimated outlays for relocating and replacing critical equipment like MRI and CAT scanners, setup of a temporary emergency room, rental of premises for classrooms and a kitchen, mobile data centers and relocating medical-research laboratories to newly leased facilities in the East River Science Park.

The funds are being provided under FEMA’s Public Assistance program, which defrays disaster costs incurred by certain nonprofit organizations. The NYU Medical Center is a private, nonsectarian, nonprofit healthcare and research entity at First Avenue and 34th Street.

Under FEMA’s authorizing legislation, known as the Stafford Act, private nonprofits can be eligible for federal disaster-relief funds if they provide critical services of a governmental nature.

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.

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NYU Langone Medical Center Approved for $35.5 Million FEMA Grant

NEW YORK – New York residents beginning the rebuilding process will have another opportunity to get expert advice from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Beginning on Tuesday, December 11, FEMA mitigation specialists will be at five new locations to offer guidance on ways homeowners can build safer and stronger in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Residents can receive advice on safe cleanup, as well as repair and building techniques designed to protect homes from future storms. This information is available to the public and provided at no cost.

FEMA advisors will be available at Home Depot and Lowe’s stores at the following locations:

Bronx County – Home Depot

2560 Bruckner Blvd, Bronx 10465

Kings County – Home Depot

2970 Cropsey Ave, Brooklyn 11214

Nassau County – Lowe’s

920 South Broadway, Hicksville 11801

Queens County – Home Depot

50-10 Northern Blvd, Long Island City 11101

Suffolk County – Home Depot

255 Pond Path, South Setauket 11720

Hours of operation will be Tuesday, 12:00 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Every dollar spent on mitigation now saves four times that amount in repairs from the next disaster. More information on ways to protect your property from disasters to come is available at: www.fema.gov. Click on “Plan, Prepare and Mitigate.”

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4085, http://twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

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FEMA to Provide Rebuilding Workshops at Local Home Improvement Stores

WINDSOR, Conn. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance program is helping Connecticut communities pay for disaster recovery. For Hurricane Sandy, a large percentage of those dollars will be for debris removal and emergency protective measures.

Disaster response and recovery can burden local jurisdictions, which encounter extra costs for contract labor or for employee overtime. Communities take emergency protective measures before, during and after a disaster to save lives, protect public health and safety, and eliminate immediate threats. After the disaster, debris must be removed to protect health and safety, and promote the economic recovery of the community.

Public Assistance grants reimburse eligible jurisdictions a minimum of 75 percent of the costs for eligible work.

Under the program, the state is the grantee, and state agencies, local and tribal governments, and eligible nonprofit organizations are the subgrantees. Applicants must submit a formal Request for Public Assistance to the state. After the request is submitted, FEMA and state program officials meet with each applicant individually to discuss damage, assess needs and develop a subgrant application.

FEMA grants the money to the state, which then distributes the funds to the applicants as documentation is received.

The deadline for applicants to submit a Request for Public Assistance is Dec. 30.

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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FEMA Helps Pay for Debris Removal, Emergency Work

WINDSOR, Conn. — Public Assistance grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency help Connecticut communities recoup much of the costs for Hurricane Sandy response and recovery.

The grants reimburse eligible jurisdictions a minimum of 75 percent of the costs for emergency protective measures, debris removal, and the repair and replacement of disaster-damaged infrastructure – such as utilities, hospitals and city halls – to pre-disaster condition.  The state and its agencies, local jurisdictions, tribal nations and certain nonprofit organizations may apply for reimbursement under the program.

“Public Assistance helps communities overwhelmed by the cost of response and recovery efforts,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Albert Lewis of FEMA. “It’s vital that critical services and facilities that contribute to the life of the community be restored.”

Eligible work is divided into two categories:

  • Emergency work, which includes emergency protective measures, and removal and disposal of disaster-related debris; and
  • Permanent work, which includes repair or replacement of roads and bridges; water control facilities; public buildings and contents; public utilities; and parks, recreational and other facilities.

Emergency work must be completed within six months of the disaster declaration, and permanent work within 18 months.

The state of Connecticut, with FEMA support, is conducting Applicants’ Briefings for local jurisdictions interested in applying for Public Assistance. The applicants can ask questions, clarify issues and submit their formal Request for Public Assistance to the state.

After the request is submitted, FEMA and state program officials meet with each applicant individually to discuss damage and prepare applications. To qualify for Public Assistance, applicants must document eligibility of the facilities and work, and the costs must be reasonable.

Under the program, the state is the grantee, and state agencies, local and tribal governments, and eligible nonprofit organizations are the subgrantees. In other words, FEMA grants the money to the state, which then distributes the funds to the applicants after all documentation is received.

The deadline for applicants to submit a Request for Public Assistance is Dec. 30.

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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FEMA’s Public Assistance Dollars Help Rebuild Connecticut Communities

NEW YORK – The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that it has approved more than $114 million in Public Assistance (PA) funds to reimburse the New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center for emergency repairs, patient evacuation and other expenses incurred as a result of Hurricane Sandy.

“When Hurricane Sandy struck New York, workers quickly evacuated and safely relocated 250 patients,” said Michael F. Byrne, FEMA federal coordinating officer. “Their work during and after the storm was extraordinary. I am glad that we are able to expedite this money to help NYU Medical Center.”

Once the storm had passed, water was pumped out of flooded buildings, crews cleaned and sanitized facilities and emergency repairs were completed. Thorough inspections were conducted to ensure that the facilities were safe to enter.

The FEMA PA program reimburses state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations 75 percent of costs for disaster-related expenses associated with emergency protective measures, debris removal, and the repair and restoration of damaged infrastructure. In order to qualify, damage must be a direct result of Hurricane Sandy. NYU Langone Medical Center will receive more than $114 million from FEMA.

Private non-profit agencies that provide critical services to the community may apply directly to FEMA for funding of emergency and permanent work. The deadline for Requests for Public Assistance, which was due to expire, has been extended. 

The new deadlines are:

• Dec. 29, 2012: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Richmond, Suffolk and Queens Counties

• Jan. 2, 2013: Rockland and Westchester Counties

• Jan. 12, 2013: Orange, Putnam, Sullivan and Ulster Counties

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4085,
http://twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog

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NYU Medical Center Receives $114 Million

LINCROFT, N.J. – On the evening of October 29, Hurricane Sandy made landfall along the New Jersey coast resulting in the most damaging disaster in state history. Since then, Federal funds obligated to assist the residents and communities in the state have totaled more than $730 million.

The federal effort deployed to assist the state included 18 agencies with more than 2,600 personnel. In addition, under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), 12 states have deployed

440 personnel and equipment to support New Jersey. This includes law enforcement teams providing security and emergency medical services supporting sheltering and other life support needs.

The New Jersey National Guard responded with a force of over 2,200 Guardsmen to support response efforts throughout the state. For New Jersey, it was the largest mobilization of National Guardsmen to a domestic emergency and the largest humanitarian effort the state has orchestrated. The Guard rescued more than 7,000 residents and their pets, operated three fuel distribution points, transported and delivered tens of thousands of basic needs commodities to armories within communities impacted by the storm and provided approximately 250 hours of helicopter lift support to civilian authorities.

Even before Sandy made landfall, FEMA positioned food, water and blankets and deployed experts from several federal agencies to New Jersey, including the U.S. Coast Guard and other components of the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Energy, and Housing and Urban Development to provide resources and guidance to the state. Together, critical life-saving needs were provided in the immediate aftermath: emergency medical care, search and rescue, power generators in critical facilities, fuel for first responders.

FEMA also has issued 235 mission assignments to support disaster response and recovery needs, totaling nearly $250 million in projected assistance. This includes federal operational support (support among federal agencies) totaling $67.8 million, technical assistance support (federal support to the state) of $11.2 million such as the expertise brought to New Jersey to support assessment of critical infrastructure throughout the state, and direct federal assistance of nearly $170.0 million.

Immediately following Hurricane Sandy’s landfall, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), working with FEMA and local and state authorities, identified critical locations that needed temporary emergency power. They installed 102 emergency generators between Oct. 31 and Nov. 19 to provide life-saving power to 9-1-1 centers, police and fire stations and medical facilities; life-sustaining facilities such as shelters, water and wastewater treatment and pumping facilities; and other municipal facilities required to reinstitute local command and control and post-event recovery.

FEMA and local and state authorities turned to USACE for its extensive experience removing debris following natural disasters, assigning a debris management technical assistance mission in New Jersey Nov. 6. USACE placed debris subject matter experts in Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Middlesex and Union counties working with FEMA, state, county and local authorities to assess the quantities and types of debris and recommend courses of action for its removal. Quantities of various types of debris are still being calculated but are estimated to total around 6.2 million cubic yards, or enough debris to fill the MetLife stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

The U.S. Fire Service provided 26 chainsaw teams totaling 520 personnel to assist with tree removal in neighborhoods throughout the state. They also provided four Incident Management Teams who assisted the state Fire Marshal with fire coordination and fire planning response.

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank, Deputy National Security Advisor John O. Brennan, Deputy Transportation Secretary John Pocari, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick have toured damaged New Jersey communities and met with local leaders and emergency responders to view recovery efforts while vowing to bring all available resources to bear to support state and local partners in assisting survivors in the 21 counties designated for assistance.

“FEMA and the entire federal family have been our partners from the beginning,” said State Coordinating Officer Lt. Jeff Mottley. “They anticipated many of our needs and when there were challenges, they quickly offered solutions.”

“Getting survivors the assistance they need has been our top priority from the beginning,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Michael J. Hall. “When families and businesses begin to recover, whole communities begin to recover. The faster we can get recovery dollars into the hands of survivors and reimburse communities for disaster expenses, the faster they will move forward in their healing.”

In the first 30 days, FEMA provided $286 million to assist individuals and families repair damaged homes, find temporary housing and assist with expenses such as medical and dental bills. More than 46,000 New Jersey families have benefitted from that assistance so far.

Restoring power to over 2.6 million homes, businesses and government customers represented a critical priority. The Department of Energy worked closely with the state Board of Public Utilities to coordinate the power restoration. Demonstrating a true whole community response, over 23,000 utility professionals came together from New Jersey’s utility companies and, through mutual aid agreements with companies across the country, worked to restore service across the state.

To meet a critical need at a critical time, nearly 3,000 families have taken advantage of the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program by lodging in 340 hotels during the first four-week period.

Helping disaster survivors who were displaced from their homes due to damage or power loss find safe and secure shelter is a key priority of the response. At peak of sheltering operations, 107 shelters were open with 4,370 people. Through efforts across federal, state, local, private sector and voluntary agencies, the last of the shelters closed on November 21.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has opened 10 Business Recovery Centers in the state to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance and has approved more than $21 million in disaster loans to both individuals and businesses.

The first FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers opened just days after the storm passed and continue to assist survivors at more than 36 locations where nearly 25,000 residents have been offered assistance and information about their recovery.

More than 650 FEMA community relations specialists have met with more than 86,000 storm survivors while going door-to-door. In total, nearly 150,000 homes were visited delivering information vital to disaster survivor’s recovery.

Even as Sandy was making its way up the east coast, FEMA and the Department of Defense established Incident Support Bases at Westover, Mass. and Lakehurst, New Jersey to position supplies and other resources close to areas in the hurricane’s path. Following the storm, more than 1.7 million meals and 2.6 million snacks have been served to survivors and first responders.

The Department of Health and Human Services deployed hundreds of personnel, including five Disaster Medical Assistance Teams and three Public Health Strike Teams to support hospitals and shelters in New Jersey. In total they were able to assist more than 750 people with medical needs.

FEMA also has teamed with the private sector network of business, industry, academia, trade associations, and other non-governmental organizations as equal partners in assisting with Sandy recovery.

The storm impact on New Jersey was historic in its severity. Storm surge impacts of up to 11 feet battered the coastline and wave heights of more than 14 feet were recorded. Peak wind gusts of 88 mph were clocked in Essex County. The devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy affected, damaged or destroyed more than 122,000 structures throughout all 21 counties.

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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 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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New Jersey Recovery: One Month Later

NEW YORK – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved two Public Assistance (PA) grants totaling more than $39 million to reimburse the city of Long Beach and Nassau County for 75 percent of their costs for debris removal due to Hurricane Sandy.

$24 million will go to the city of Long Beach; $15 million will be awarded to Nassau County. FEMA does not perform the actual debris removal work; it reimburses the local governments that contract for the eligible work.

Strong winds and heavy rains from Hurricane Sandy brought down trees, tree limbs and power lines throughout Nassau County. Within the city of Long Beach, heavy rains and a six foot storm surge deposited more than 330,000 cubic yards of debris, 400,000 cubic yards of sand and 2,550 cubic yards of vegetative debris throughout the city.

Collecting and clearing out piles of debris has been one of the most difficult and time-consuming challenges of the recovery. Through hard work and persistence over the past month, debris piles are dwindling and, in many cases, disappearing altogether. The FEMA PA 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. 

“FEMA is committed to getting people back into their homes” said Federal Coordinating Officer Michael F. Byrne. “A critical step is clearing debris out of the way so the recovery can progress.  We will continue to work alongside our partners in New York state and local government until the job is finished.” 

Under FEMA’s PA program, FEMA obligates funds to the state for, at a minimum, 75 percent of eligible costs. The remaining 25 percent is covered provided by non-federal funds. The state forwards the federal funds to the eligible local governments or organizations that incurred costs.

For debris removal to be eligible, the work must be necessary to:

  • Eliminate an immediate threat to lives, public health and safety,
  • Eliminate immediate threats of significant damage to improved public and private property when the measures are cost effective, or
  • Ensure the economic recovery of the affected community to the benefit of the community-at-large.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/40805. You can follow FEMA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

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FEMA Awards $39 Million in Debris Removal Funding

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