Take Action Today and Be Prepared Tomorrow

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. –National Preparedness Month is here and FEMA Region III encourages everyone to take action to prepare. Beginning this month, FEMA Region III will use social media to promote a new preparedness campaign around hashtag “Throwback Thursday,” but with a preparedness focus (#tbtPrep). Region III will use this hashtag to focus on past regional and national disasters to help inform and guide preparedness actions so individuals and communities are better prepared. FEMA Region III will also push “Take Action Tuesday” (#TakeActionTue) messages, which will emphasize meaningful actions to build preparedness and reduce our risk to disasters.  Thursdays we remember.  Tuesdays we take action.

This social media campaign will ensure a constant drum beat of preparedness, providing everyone with the necessary tools.  FEMA Region III encourages the public, private businesses, organizations and individuals to use both hashtags to promote preparedness and guide meaningful actions to reduce individual and community risk.

Each of us can make a difference and promote preparedness. “By remembering past disasters and taking active steps to prepare today, we can reduce the impact that future disasters will have on all of us,” stated FEMA Region III Regional Administrator MaryAnn Tierney.

To take part, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion3 and share preparedness information with your followers, family, and communities. For additional information on preparedness and to get involved, please visit FEMA.gov, Ready.gov, and America’s PrepareAthon!.

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Take Action Today and Be Prepared Tomorrow

Disaster Survivors Have Options to Access Federal Disaster Assistance

WARREN, Mich. – Storm survivors in Michigan counties affected by the August floods and storms have plenty of options when it comes to registering for federal assistance and learning about programs to help them recover.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) specialists are staffing four Disaster Recovery Centers, numerous recovery support sites and several informational areas at home improvement stores in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties.

At the Disaster Recovery Centers, survivors can meet face-to-face with specialists from various federal agencies and other organizations who can answer questions about disaster assistance programs. They can register for FEMA disaster assistance, check the status of their application and learn about other programs.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) customer service representatives at the centers can explain low-interest loans available for homeowners, renters, businesses and certain private nonprofit organizations. FEMA mitigation specialists can offer free rebuilding advice. They have publications and information to help homeowners, renters and business owners protect their properties against damaging winds and floods, which may reduce the risk of damage from potential future hazards.

Disaster survivors also can visit recovery support sites located throughout the three counties to register for disaster assistance, learn the status of their existing applications and receive other disaster assistance information. FEMA’s disaster survivor assistance teams staff the sites. The best way to find a location since the sites are temporary and open on different days and at different times is to visit FEMA’s disaster-specific web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4195.

Anyone can go to certain home improvement big-box stores to get publications and information on how to rebuild to reduce the risk from future storms. FEMA’s disaster survivor assistance specialists at these stores also can help disaster survivors register for federal disaster assistance.

The Disaster Recovery Centers are located in:

Macomb County

Renaissance Unity Church
11200 E. 11 Mile Road
Warren, MI 48089

Oakland County

Gerry Kulick Community Center
1201 Livernois St.
Ferndale, MI 48220

Wayne County

Wayne County Community College Welcome Center
8200 West Outer Drive
Detroit, MI 48219

Wayne County Community College Education and Performing Arts Center
21000 Northline Road
Taylor, MI 48180

All Disaster Recovery Centers are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. They will be closed on Sunday.

Mitigation specialists are also available in:

Macomb County

Lowe’s Home Improvement
31140 Van Dyke Ave.
Warren, MI 48093
8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day except Thursdays through Oct. 21

Wayne County

Wal-Mart Supercenter
7555 Telegraph Road
Taylor, MI 48180
8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day except Thursdays through Oct. 19 

Ace Hardware Store
8544 McGraw Ave.
Detroit, MI 48210
9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day except Sundays through Oct. 22

Home Depot
18700 Meyers Road
Detroit, MI 48235
8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day except Thursdays through Oct. 22 

Future locations where mitigation specialists are available are posted on FEMA’s disaster-specific web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4195.

Survivors also can register at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via a smart phone or Web-enabled device at m.fema.gov. Applicants may call 800-621-FEMA (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.

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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 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.

English: http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4195

Spanish: http://www.fema.gov/es/disaster/4195

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Disaster Survivors Have Options to Access Federal Disaster Assistance