Flood Map Meeting To Take Place in Hillsborough, NJ March 19

EATONTOWN, NJ – Somerset County residents and property owners will be able to ask questions and obtain information on their property’s flood hazard risk at an Open House scheduled to take place in Hillsborough on Thursday, March 19 at the Somerset County Training Facility, 402 Roycefield Road.

During the past year and a half, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region II office has released updates to the flood hazard maps, known as Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), for New Jersey’s coastal communities. The FIRMs identify areas of flood risk in these coastal communities.

Community and county officials in Somerset County have arranged for the Flood Risk Open House to assist residents and property owners with questions and concerns regarding flood hazards and flood insurance rate maps.

If you think you may be in a flood zone, or already know you are, feel free to attend the open house at any time between the hours of 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. No formal presentation will be made and no appointment is necessary.

The preliminary flood hazard maps that will be shared at the Open House are an update of the existing FIRMs. These preliminary FIRMs and the associated Flood Insurance Study (FIS) provide the basis for flood risk education and floodplain management measures. Each community is required to adopt updated maps to continue participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which makes flood insurance available to the community.

Insurance companies use FIRMs to determine flood insurance rates for buildings, and lenders utilize this information to determine flood insurance requirements. Residents and property owners in these areas are encouraged to learn more about their flood risk and the updates shown on the preliminary flood hazard maps by entering their property’s address in the “What’s my BFE?” tool at www.region2coastal.com. 

Using interactive flood hazard maps at this Open House, representatives from the State, County, FEMA and their mapping partners, will be available to answer flood risk and insurance questions, and explain the preliminary flood hazard maps. Residents are encouraged to bring their elevation certificates and/or flood insurance policies to the event in order to get the best information about how their flood insurance rates may change as a result of the new preliminary flood maps and legislative reforms. 

The Open Houses will cover flood hazard and FIRM map information only. No information will

be available concerning outstanding insurance claims or disaster-related recovery efforts.

Please plan to attend this event if your property is currently mapped within a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), newly mapped into an SFHA, or if you are unsure of your flood risk and/or you have any questions on flood insurance. If you cannot attend or want to learn more about your flood risk, please refer to the Preliminary FIRMs which are available on the FEMA Map Service Center website, https://msc.fema.gov/portal, call the FEMA Map Information eXchange (FMIX) at 1-877-FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627) or call your local flood plain administrator or building official.

If you are in a high-risk flood zone, known as the SFHA, you may be required by your lender to carry flood insurance. FEMA staff will be available at the Open House to talk about these changes.

Flooding is the number one natural disaster in the United States. It is vital for property owners to understand their risk and taking advantage of tools and programs available to them. Property owners can take action by purchasing flood insurance and implementing mitigation actions to help reduce future flooding impacts.

For additional information on flood hazard risk and the mapping process, please visit www.region2coastal.com

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.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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Flood Map Meeting To Take Place in Hillsborough, NJ March 19

Disaster Recovery Centers in Somerset County to Close, But Assistance Is Still Available

HUNT VALLEY, Md. – The Disaster Recovery Center operating in Crisfield will close at 5 p.m. Friday, January 18.

Those affected by the disaster that still have questions about assistance or low-interest disaster loans can call the toll-free application line – 1-800-621-FEMA or TTY 1-800-462-7585. For more information about this disaster, go to www.fema.gov/disaster/4091, or www.sba.gov/sandy.

Somerset County residents affected by Hurricane Sandy also can apply for federal assistance through a web-enabled mobile device or smartphone. Visit m.fema.gov and follow the link to apply online for federal assistance and other recovery help.

“At this stage of the recovery process, the emphasis for assistance is to meet the long-term needs of victims,” Ken Mallette, Executive Director, Maryland Emergency Management Agency, said. 

Federal Coordinating Officer Michael Lapinski of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also noted that “Help with questions on federal and state disaster assistance is just a phone call away.  Operators at the FEMA toll-free number are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help with many of the questions that were brought to us at the recovery centers. We will also have community relations specialists who will remain available in Somerset County to offer advice with registration and submitting paperwork.”

Since the Disaster Recovery Center opened on December 18 in Crisfield, more than 1,100 homeowners, renters, and business owners have visited one of the centers. The temporary centers were established to provide detailed program information to those who have already applied for assistance. In addition to FEMA human services personnel and SBA loan officers, disaster recovery specialists staff the centers to answer questions and provide information on recovery, restoration and rebuilding.

February 12 is the deadline to apply for assistance. There are two easy ways to begin the application process.  You may call FEMA’s toll-free number, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 1-800-462-7585.  Both numbers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice, and multilingual operators are also available to answer your call. Residents with Internet access now have the option to register on the agency’s website at www.disasterassistance.gov where valuable recovery information is also available.

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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Disaster Recovery Centers in Somerset County to Close, But Assistance Is Still Available

Individual Assistance Added for Somerset County

HUNT VALLEY, Md. – Federal Emergency Management Agency officials today announced that Individual Assistance has been authorized for Somerset County under President Obama’s disaster declaration for Hurricane Sandy.

Homeowners and renters may be eligible for grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other disaster-related expenses, as well as low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. SBA disaster loans also are available to businesses of all sizes and to nonprofit organizations.

Residents and business owners in Somerset County can register for Individual Assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling FEMA’s toll-free registration number 800-621-FEMA (3362).  The TTY number is 800-462-7585.  Smartphone users can go to m.fema.gov.

Survivors who receive SBA disaster loan applications, after registering with FEMA, must complete and submit them to SBA to be considered for assistance that covers the repair or replacement of personal property, including vehicles.  Applicants who do not qualify for an SBA loan may be eligible to receive Other Needs Assistance grants for medical, dental and funeral expenses. 

For more information about this disaster, go to www.fema.gov/disaster/4091.

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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Individual Assistance Added for Somerset County