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Federal Disaster Aid in Michigan Tops $84 Million

Release date:

October 17, 2014

Release Number:

DR-4195-MI NR-014

WARREN, Mich. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that nearly $84 million in federal disaster grants and loans has been approved for Michigan survivors of the Aug. 11-13 storms and flooding.

As of close of business Oct. 16:

Nearly 80,000 Michigan residents in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties have registered for federal disaster assistance;

Nearly $56 million has been approved for housing assistance, including rental assistance and home repair costs;

More than $17 million has been approved to cover other essential disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses, lost personal possessions and child care;

More than $11 million in low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters, businesses and private nonprofit organizations has been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration;

More than 100 disaster survivor assistance specialists are in the affected communities and available to explain the types of disaster assistance;

3,177 residents have visited four Disaster Recovery Centers in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties since they opened in early October;

2,845 people have received rebuilding advice from mitigation specialists located at home improvement big-box stores and special events in the affected communities;

Housing inspectors in the field have completed nearly 67,000 inspections of damaged properties.

Residents can register at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via a smart phone or Web-enabled device at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362. TTY users may call 800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EDT seven days a week until further notice.

Last Updated:

October 17, 2014 – 17:23

State/Tribal Government or Region:

Region V

Related Disaster:

Michigan Severe Storms and Flooding

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Federal Disaster Aid in Michigan Tops $84 Million

FEMA Awards $368,487 Grant to the Village of Middle Point: Hazard Mitigation funds will be used to construct a tornado safe room

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $368,487 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to the village of Middle Point, Ohio, for the construction of a community safe room in the village’s new fire/EMS station. Following the completion of the project, the community safe room will be made available to the citizens of Middle Point.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate the risk of loss of life and property,” said FEMA Region V acting administrator Janet Odeshoo. “The construction of this community safe room will protect the lives of vulnerable citizens by providing a secure location to seek shelter from tornados and other high wind events.”

“The safe room project is a clear example of disaster prevention. The efforts of local, state and the federal government working together for the benefit of citizens is what saves lives,” said Nancy Dragani, executive director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency.

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the $491,316 eligible project cost. The remaining 25 percent of the funds, $122,829, will be provided by the village of Middle Point and the state of Ohio.

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 twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at 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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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

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FEMA Awards $368,487 Grant to the Village of Middle Point: Hazard Mitigation funds will be used to construct a tornado safe room

FEMA Awards $820,211 Grant to the Village of Downers Grove: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish four flood prone structures

CHICAGO –The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $820,211 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to the village of Downers Grove, Ill., for the acquisition and demolition of four residential structures in the floodplain. Following demolition, these properties will be maintained as permanent open space in the community.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce the risk of loss of life and property,” said FEMA Region V acting administrator Janet Odeshoo. “The acquisition and demolition of these structures permanently removes them from the floodplain and greatly reduces the financial impact on individuals and the community when future flooding occurs in this area.”

“This grant is good news for Downers Grove and residents who have been hit by flooding many times in the past,” said Jonathon Monken, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. “The residents can now move to higher ground and avoid future heartache and property losses, and the village will no longer need to wage costly flood fights.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the $1,093,614 eligible project cost. The remaining 25 percent of the funds, $273,403, will be provided by the village of Downers Grove.

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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

Link:

FEMA Awards $820,211 Grant to the Village of Downers Grove: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish four flood prone structures

Get Ready, Missouri: One Week Until Annual Earthquake Drill

More than 440,000 in Missouri to Participate in Nationwide Drill

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With just one week to go, communities throughout Missouri are preparing for the fourth annual Great Central U.S. ShakeOut Earthquake Drill, scheduled for October 16 at 10:16 a.m.

Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills are occurring in more than 45 states and territories — nationwide more than 19 million people are expected to participate in the activity. During the drill, participants simultaneously practice the recommended response to earthquake shaking:

DROP to the ground
Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table, or cover your head/neck with your arms, and
HOLD ON until the shaking stops

The ShakeOut is free and open to the public. Participants include individuals, schools, businesses, local and state government agencies and many other groups. See the list of all the participants in Missouri at, www.shakeout.org/centralus/participants.php?start=Missouri. The goal of the program is to engage individuals to take steps to become better prepared for earthquakes and other disasters.

“Participating in this drill is a quick, simple thing we should all do—at work, at home, alone or with family or co-workers—to prepare for earthquakes,” said Regional Administrator Beth Freeman, FEMA Region VII. “When we practice ‘drop, cover and hold on’ it makes it more likely we will react appropriately during an earthquake and that can and does save lives.”

States participating in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut include Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.

Interested citizens, schools, communities, businesses, etc. are encouraged to visit http://www.shakeout.org/centralus/register to register to participate and receive instructions on how to hold their earthquake drill. On social media, information about the drill is being provided on Twitter through www.twitter.com/CentUS_ShakeOut. In addition, www.twitter.com/femaregion7 and others are tweeting earthquake safety tips and drill information using the hashtag #ShakeOut.

The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is being coordinated by Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium and its other Member and Associate States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey and dozens of other partners.

Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills began in California in 2008 and have expanded each year since then.

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Visit FEMA Region VII online at www.fema.gov/region7. Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/femaregion7, 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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Get Ready, Missouri: One Week Until Annual Earthquake Drill

Federal Aid Programs for Kentucky Declaration

Main Content

Release date:

September 30, 2014

Release Number:

HQ-14-083-FactSheet

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama’s disaster declaration issued for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Assistance for the Commonwealth and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:

Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, taken to save lives and protect property and public health. Emergency protective measures assistance is available to state and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis. (Source: FEMA funded, commonwealth administered.)
Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas and similar publicly owned property, as well as certain private non-profit organizations engaged in community service activities. (Source: FEMA funded, commonwealth administered.)
Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state, tribal and local governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters. (Source: FEMA funded, commonwealth administered.)

How to Apply for Assistance:

Application procedures for the commonwealth and local governments will be explained at a series of federal/commonwealth applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are paid through the commonwealth from funding provided by FEMA and other participating federal agencies.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders and 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.

Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts available at www.fema.gov/medialibrary and www.youtube.com/fema; follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fema and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fema.

Last Updated:

September 30, 2014 – 19:58

State/Tribal Government or Region:

Kentucky

Related Disaster:

Kentucky Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

Federal Aid Programs for Kentucky Declaration

Volunteer Fire Company in Rural NJ To Get New Turnout Gear

25 Firefighters on Duty 24/7 Year-Round in 50-Square-Mile District

New York, NY — “Eighty-four percent of our members have gear that is ten years old and the other 16 percent have no gear at all and are unable to receive training,” is the way Joseph Sterling, Captain of the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company, described the condition of his department’s personal protective equipment.

An Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) to the fire company, however, reversed all that, providing the company with 25 sets of what is also called turnout gear, along with 25 face masks. Also president of the Board of Fire Commissioners, Captain Sterling said, “We’re excited, and relieved, with this grant. It saves the taxpayers money and takes a lot of pressure off the commissioners.” The federal share of the grant amounts to $75,644; the local share is $3,981.

The announcement of the grant was made here today by Dale McShine, Director of Grants for Region II of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which administers the AFG program. “FEMA offers these grants to fire companies large and small throughout our region,” she said. “We are keenly aware of how important safety is to all firefighters, and we are very pleased to take part in this program.”

The grant covers 25 complete sets of coats, pants, helmets, gloves, boots, and vests. It also includes funding for the same number of face masks, the current shortage of which produces additional safety problems. “The only masks we now have,” the captain explained, “are not assigned to individuals and are on our truck for anyone to grab. This causes dangerous confusion on the job as members scramble to find the right size mask. This AFG funding will allow each of our members to be properly outfitted with the appropriate mask size, which is a big safety plus,” he added.

“Our fire district is pretty large, covering 50 square miles in Maurice River Township New Jersey,” Captain Sterling pointed out. We’ve got a permanent population of some 4,725 residents, which swells by literally thousands of travelers headed for Cape May, Stone Harbor, Wildwood, and Ocean City during the summer.” The district also covers two Corrections Department facilities, a food market and fueling station, three boat yards, a refrigeration repair business, a municipal building, a senior-citizen complex, an Office of Emergency Management, and a post office.

Captain Sterling was very pleased with the role FEMA played in the grant application phase. “FEMA was a major help,” he recalled, saying that FEMA personnel “walked us through the entire paperwork procedure. We really appreciated that.”

FEMA’s AFG program has been aiding firefighters and other first responders since 2001. “The program provides critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards,” said Tania Hedlund, FEMA’s Grants Branch Chief. In 2012, the AFG provided funding of $25,340,000 for FEMA’s Region II (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands).

For further information, please contact William H. Douglass at FEMA: 212-680-3665 or 917-561-3223.

Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/fema, www.fema.gov/blog,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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Volunteer Fire Company in Rural NJ To Get New Turnout Gear

FEMA’S GIS Team Uses High-Tech Tools to Help People

DENVER – When Colorado’s historic rains fell last September, help came quickly.

Resources went to areas that needed it most thanks, in part, to the innovative work of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Region VIII Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) unit in Denver.

The GIS team pushed out a steady stream of critical spreadsheets, maps and updates by coordinating with local, state and federal agencies. The team had at its disposal satellite imagery so precise it showed the sediment lines of battered neighborhoods. They used this information to determine locations where the Civil Air Patrol as well as other aircrafts should conduct flyovers to take photos to get additional awareness.

Then the six-member team combined the numerous images with information from the National Weather Service, flood modeling and sources nearest the inundation. The result was a geospatial disaster impact assessment that helped identify communities with the greatest impacts.

“During response we use GIS to estimate impacts to people, buildings, and infrastructure’’ said Jesse Rozelle, GIS coordinator for Region VIII. “We used all of the information to provide situational awareness for decision makers.’’

The team was working almost immediately as the rains began to fall, helping to identify potentially threatened areas. Following the disaster declaration issued by President Obama, the focus shifted to response and recovery, with plenty of work still ahead for the GIS unit. Five days of rain had caused flooding in areas and ways not typically expected.

“The flooding wasn’t always contained within the banks of the river or stream,’’ said Nikki Robles, a risk analyst on the GIS team. “There was a lot of debris in this event which elevated the impacts to people and their property.’’

Although hampered initially by two weeks of thick cloud cover, the GIS unit was able to create increasingly complex products with the addition of yet another tool – LIDAR, which stands for light detection and ranging. LIDAR is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure variable distances to the Earth. It generates precise, three-dimensional information about surface characteristics.

LIDAR was part of the GIS team’s arsenal when it was called on months later after a high snow pack created a significant spring flood risk to Colorado.

The unit, which was activated as FEMA’s Modeling Task Force, was able to build on its accomplishments during the September 2013 flooding and pinpoint potential problems from remaining debris and changes to the landscape.

Working with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, it developed forecasts for the state identifying newly created chokepoints in rivers and streams – areas where the potential of flooding had changed from previous seasons. This allowed communities and residents to make better decisions when faced with the threat of spring flooding.

Luckily for Colorado, the worst-case scenario did not happen. But not before the FEMA Region VIII GIS team had produced situational awareness reports for several months so those potentially in harm’s way had a more complete picture of what was coming their way.

Continued here:

FEMA’S GIS Team Uses High-Tech Tools to Help People

2013 Colorado Floods: Individual Assistance Fact Sheet

Main Content

Release date:

September 9, 2014

Release Number:

R8-14-011

FEMA Individual Assistance Program Overview (as of August 25, 2014)

Individual Assistance Programs

Residents of 11 Colorado counties were able to register for Individual Assistance with FEMA.
Statewide, 28,169 individuals or households registered for assistance in the designated IA counties.
In total, more than $61,628,646 has been provided by FEMA; $56,698,793 for rental assistance and home repair, and $4,929,852 in Other Needs Assistance (ONA). ONA can include such eligible disaster-related expenses as medical and dental expenses.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved $109,646,900 in low-interest disaster loans to repair damaged homes and businesses. $80,427,100 was approved for individuals and $29,219,800 for businesses and private non-profit organizations.
Disaster Recovery Centers were in 21 communities and received 22,314 visits from applicants while in operation.
SBA Business Recovery Centers in Estes Park, Greeley, Longmont and Loveland received a total of 933 visits. SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Centers in Aurora, Colorado Springs and Golden received a total of 403 visits.
The Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program, which is managed by the State of Colorado and funded by FEMA, provided $329,449 in benefits. An additional $125,028 was paid in administrative costs.
A total of $4,929,852.86 was awarded in Other Needs Assistance (ONA). ONA includes services such as Crisis Counseling, Disaster Legal Services, disaster-related dental and medical expenses and more.
- $5,749,907 was provided to fund Crisis Counseling grants. Of that amount, $4,058,059 was provided through the Immediate Services Program, which covers the first 60 days of the program.
The Transitional Sheltering Assistance program ended on December 14, 2013 with a total cost of $2,345,663. This program allowed displaced residents to stay in hotel rooms until more permanent housing became available.

Direct Housing Mission

Due to lack of available housing resources in and around the declared area, a direct housing mission was initiated.

At peak, 47 households were licensed into 54 Manufactured Housing Units
- 80 commercial pads were leased in 5 different locations.
- 56 Manufactured Housing Units were delivered and installed.

Commercial Sites – FEMA leased space and is currently housing 20 households at commercial sites.

There are currently 24 occupied Manufactured Housing Units (20 households in 24 units).

Boulder County – 9 households in 10 units
Larimer County – 2 households in 3 units
Weld County – 9 households in 11 units

The housing mission in Colorado is expected to last up to 18 months.

FEMA Individual Assistance

County	Applicants	IHP Amount	HA Amount	ONA Amount
Adams	988	$1,251,366.87	$1,114,910.32	$136,456.55
Arapahoe	2,721	$3,580,836.79	$3,285,586.88	$295,249.91
Boulder	15,554	$35,307,807.47	$32,999,595.45	$2,308,212.02
Clear Creek	181	$246,784.23	$244,110.69	$2,673.54
El Paso	1,466	$1,773,591.41	$1,578,068.39	$195,523.02
Fremont	101	$61,302.39	$59,351.99	$1,950.40
Jefferson	912	$1,599,530.57	$1,561,088.80	$38,441.77
Larimer	3,874	$6,991,351.23	$6,594,030.38	$397,320.85
Logan	311	$534,413.76	$491,538.67	$42,875.09
Morgan	56	$92,353.45	$84,061.40	$8,292.05
Weld	2,005	$10,189,307.98	$8,686,450.32	$1,502,857.66
Total	28,169	$61,628,646.15	$56,698,793.29	$4,929,852.86

SBA Total Disaster Loans for Colorado

County	Loans	Dollars
Adams	76	$1,731,200
Arapahoe	200	$4,036,100
Boulder	1,458	$65,716,000
Clear Creek	9	$171,800
El Paso	96	$2,156,000
Fremont	5	$45,400
Grand	1	$81,700
Jefferson	92	$3,112,600
Larimer	377	$20,318,400
Logan	25	$1,491,300
Morgan	3	$65,400
Weld	177	$10,721,000
Total	2,519	$109,646,900

Last Updated:

September 9, 2014 – 00:12

State/Tribal Government or Region:

Region VIII

and

Colorado

Related Disaster:

Colorado Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

Link:

2013 Colorado Floods: Individual Assistance Fact Sheet

Federal Grants to Local Fire Departments Offer Up-to-Date Equipment and Training to Stations Large and Small

New York, NY — The Atlantic City Fire Department has some 250 full-time firefighters and six fire stations serving a southern New Jersey population of 40,000. The department received last month a federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) of almost $490,000 to replace personal protective equipment ravaged by Hurricane Sandy and years of on-the-job use. The local share of the grant brought the total to $543,400.

This week, the Milmay Volunteer Fire Company, in an unincorporated community of 1,500 in Buena Vista Township, also in Atlantic County, was awarded a similar bounty. It received $9,168 (local share $482) to replace its deteriorated personal protective equipment for its 20 volunteers: boots, helmets, hoods, gloves, coats, and pants, all at least 15 years old. Fire Chief Eric Hensel said, “the rubber on the boots was cracked, the helmets outfitted with non-adjustable headbands, straps frayed, and the gloves contaminated with soot or grease.”

Chief Hensel added that, “not only was our equipment old, but we were suffering financially from a straight-line wind storm that occurred several years ago. It tore the roof off of our 70-year-old fire house, and caused some $500,000 in damage.” Insurance helped, he said, but it left the department with little cash.

The Director of Grants for Region II of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Dale McShine, announced the Milmay grant at regional headquarters here today. FEMA administers the AFG program, she said, “and it is most gratifying that these awards help firefighters protect their communities, of whatever size, and whether or not they are full-time or volunteers.”

“All of our firefighters are volunteers and we have a small community and a small budget,” Chief Hensel said. “And regardless of a fire company’s size, you still face the same issues: one person’s injury or life lost is the same. This grant will help us do our jobs,” he added.

For further information, please contact William H. Douglass at FEMA: 212-680-3665 or 917-561-3223.

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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Federal Grants to Local Fire Departments Offer Up-to-Date Equipment and Training to Stations Large and Small

Dunkirk Fire Department to Gain Mobile Burn Simulator – $360,000 Training Unit the Result of a Federal Grant

New York, NY — Chautauqua County’s city of Dunkirk will receive a mobile burn unit that will allow the New York fire department and the county’s 42 other departments to conduct live-fire training. The award, an Assistance to Firefighters Grant, was announced here today by Ms. Dale McShine, Director of Grants for Region II of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which administers the grant program.

With the local share of $40,000, the grant will total $400,000.

“This simulator adds a safe, live-burn dimension to our training capacity,” said Lt. James Hyland, Dunkirk Fire Department’s deputy chief. “Our training building had become so deteriorated that it had to be torn down several years ago. Now, among a host of other training options, we can simulate the work of our rapid intervention teams, for example, which stand by to rescue firefighters who may become trapped or overcome while on the job.” Lt. Hyland added that the equipment will enable firefighters to practice ventilation training to clear smoke and noxious elements, a critical capability during a fire.

The fire department’s Lt. Matthew Hanlon described the mobile burn simulator as a “huge asset not only to Dunkirk’s firefighting capabilities, but also to Chautauqua County’s other fire departments and roughly 134,000 residents. The unit can be easily transported and we’re grateful to the county’s Department of Public Works, which has agreed to move the new equipment to county fire departments, allowing them to augment their capabilities, as well.”

For further information, please contact Don Caetano at FEMA: 212-680-3616 or 347-416-3792.

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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Dunkirk Fire Department to Gain Mobile Burn Simulator – $360,000 Training Unit the Result of a Federal Grant

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