DRCs Open in East Baton Rouge, Tangipahoa and West Feliciana Parishes

BATON ROUGE, La. – Disaster recovery centers will open Sunday, August 21, in Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes to help Louisiana flood survivors. The centers are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day until further notice.

The centers are at the following addresses:

Former Parish Tourism Building

42271 S. Morrison Blvd.

Hammond, La. 70443

 

St. Helena Environmental Health Unit

53 N. 2nd St.

Greensburg, La. 70441

 

Survivors may locate centers near them at fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or by calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. That information is also available on the FEMA mobile app. Survivors may register at any open DRC, even out of state.

To register, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA helpline. Help is available in most languages and phone lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

Representatives from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), volunteer groups and other agencies are at the centers to answer questions about disaster assistance and low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses. They can also help survivors apply for federal disaster assistance.

Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are canvassing many affected areas, and are able to register people for FEMA assistance if needed. Sometimes these teams will remain in certain locations convenient to the community, such as a library or mayor’s office. When residents require further assistance the teams may refer them to a disaster recovery center nearby.

It is not necessary to visit a center to register for and receive federal disaster assistance. If possible, survivors should register with FEMA before visiting a recovery center.

Disaster survivors who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585 to register. Those who use 711 or Video Relay Service or require accommodations while visiting a center may call 800-621-3362. All disaster recovery centers are accessible and equipped with tools to accommodate disaster survivors who need disability-related communication aids. Each disaster recovery center has assistive technologies for people with disabilities. To arrange to have an ASL interpreter at the DRC when you visit, call 225-382-1739.

Low-interest disaster loans from the SBA are available for businesses of all sizes and landlords, private nonprofits, homeowners and renters. Disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries.

For more information, applicants may contact the SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or visiting the SBA’s website at sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

For information call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or www.fema.gov/disaster/4263.

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We urge everyone to continue to use caution in areas where floodwaters remain. Monitor DOTD’s www.511la.org website for updated road closure information. Look for advisories from your local authorities and emergency managers. You can find the latest information on the state’s response at www.emergency.la.gov. GOHSEP also provides information on Facebook and Twitter. You can receive emergency alerts on most smartphones and tablets by downloading the new Alert FM App. It is free for basic service. You can also download the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide and find other information at www.getagameplan.org.

Disaster 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 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 us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at SBA.gov/disaster Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800) 877-8339.

 

Originally from: 

DRCs Open in East Baton Rouge, Tangipahoa and West Feliciana Parishes

Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Two Parishes for Louisiana Survivors

BATON ROUGE, La. – Disaster recovery centers will open Sunday, August 21, in Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes to help Louisiana flood survivors. The centers are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day until further notice.

The centers are at the following addresses:

Former Parish Tourism Building

42271 S. Morrison Blvd.

Hammond, La. 70443

 

St. Helena Environmental Health Unit

53 N. 2nd St.

Greensburg, La. 70441

 

Survivors may locate centers near them at fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or by calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. That information is also available on the FEMA mobile app. Survivors may register at any open DRC, even out of state.

To register, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA helpline. Help is available in most languages and phone lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

Representatives from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), volunteer groups and other agencies are at the centers to answer questions about disaster assistance and low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses. They can also help survivors apply for federal disaster assistance.

Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are canvassing many affected areas, and are able to register people for FEMA assistance if needed. Sometimes these teams will remain in certain locations convenient to the community, such as a library or mayor’s office. When residents require further assistance the teams may refer them to a disaster recovery center nearby.

It is not necessary to visit a center to register for and receive federal disaster assistance. If possible, survivors should register with FEMA before visiting a recovery center.

Disaster survivors who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585 to register. Those who use 711 or Video Relay Service or require accommodations while visiting a center may call 800-621-3362. All disaster recovery centers are accessible and equipped with tools to accommodate disaster survivors who need disability-related communication aids. Each disaster recovery center has assistive technologies for people with disabilities. To arrange to have an ASL interpreter at the DRC when you visit, call 225-382-1739.

Low-interest disaster loans from the SBA are available for businesses of all sizes and landlords, private nonprofits, homeowners and renters. Disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries.

For more information, applicants may contact the SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or visiting the SBA’s website at sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

For information call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or www.fema.gov/disaster/4263.

###

We urge everyone to continue to use caution in areas where floodwaters remain. Monitor DOTD’s www.511la.org website for updated road closure information. Look for advisories from your local authorities and emergency managers. You can find the latest information on the state’s response at www.emergency.la.gov. GOHSEP also provides information on Facebook and Twitter. You can receive emergency alerts on most smartphones and tablets by downloading the new Alert FM App. It is free for basic service. You can also download the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide and find other information at www.getagameplan.org.

Disaster 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 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 us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at SBA.gov/disaster Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800) 877-8339.

 

See original article:  

Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Two Parishes for Louisiana Survivors

Three Years after Sandy: Most of New Jersey’s Boardwalks Are Rebuilt

EATONTOWN, N.J. — Hurricane Sandy struck a terrible blow to the Jersey Shore in 2012, Up and down the state’s 127 miles of coastline, boardwalks were driven off their foundations and transformed into pil

A shot of Asbury Park boardwalk in February, 2013.

The City of Asbury Park began rebuilding its boardwalk in February, 2013. Photo by Liz Roll/FEMA

es of rubble. Planks and pavilions were washed out to sea. Bluffs and dunes were eroded. Stairways and benches were ripped off and carried away.

The cost of all that destruction rose into the hundred millions. But over the three years since the storm, most of New Jersey’s seaside towns have entirely rebuilt their boardwalks. In others, work is progressing on boardwalk and dune projects intended to build in resiliency and protect them from a future storm.

This is good news for the state of New Jersey, where tourism represents a key sector of the economy. As anyone who has tried to find a hotel room or a beach house rental at the Jersey Shore can attest, in a time when it’s possible to fly anywhere in the world on vacation, our state remains an enduringly  popular destination.

According to a Tourism Economics report generated by VisitNJ.org, in 2014, the tourism industry accounted for nearly 10 percent of total employment in the state, generating more than $36.4 billion in revenues, an amount that represents 6.6 percent of the entire state economy.

Given those numbers, it’s easy to see why rebuilding the boardwalks was a priority for the state.

As a result of the Disaster Declaration issued by President Barack Obama on October 29, 2012, the state was eligible for Federal Disaster Assistance administered by FEMA’s Public Assistance program to assist in meeting the enormous costs involved in rebuilding and recovery in New Jersey.

And because of the catastrophic nature of the disaster, the state was eligible for reimbursement of 90 percent of the costs of public infrastructure projects under FEMA’s Public Assistance program.

As of October, 2015, the Federal Emergency Management Agency had obligated more than $115 million in Federal dollars for boardwalk and beach restoration and associated projects along the New Jersey shore.

Boardwalk reconstruction in most shore towns began just months after the storm, and many of the boardwalks were complete and open for the start of the summer tourism season in 2013.

A shot of the Asbury Park boardwalk in October, 2013.

FEMA provided a grant of $3.6 million for the Asbury Park boardwalk rebuilding project in October, 2013. Photo by Liz Roll/FEMA

Spring Lake used a composite material that is considered to be more durable than wood to rebuild its boardwalk. The borough significantly reduced the cost of the rebuilding project by using local labor and Force Account Labor (i.e. their own workforce) to do the work. The Federal share of the rebuilding project was $4.9 million, significantly reducing the financial impact of the reconstruction on Spring Lake property owners.

Sea Girt used recycled boards for a portion of its boardwalk repairs. Federal funds obligated for that project totaled $1,616,818.

Atlantic City repaired the damaged northern section of its boardwalk with “ipe” (pronounced ee-pay) wood, a Brazilian hardwood said to be as strong as steel. Atlantic City is also upgrading access ramps and adding more lighting along its boardwalk. The Federal share obligated for repairs to the boardwalk and outbuildings in Atlantic City totaled more than $10.5 million. Another $886 thousand in Federally obligated funds is pending.

By March 2015, Long Branch received $21.7 million from FEMA for the repair of a one-mile section of boardwalk and bluffs. The bluffs will serve as the support system for the boardwalk. The damaged boardwalk and infrastructure will be rebuilt with a new concrete foundation, 95,740 cubic yards of additional material, and 11,489 square yards of dune grass. The project is slated for completion in mid-2016.

Belmar reopened its historic, 1875 boardwalk in May 2013 after a $9.2 million reconstruction. The town is also investing in a $6 million dune building project that is intended to protect the boardwalk from future hurricanes.

A shot of the Asbury Park boardwalk in the summer of 2013.

Approximately 66,000 feet of boardwalk was replaced in the City of Asbury Park by the summer of 2013. Photo by Liz Roll/FEMA

In addition to their importance to the economy, boardwalks hold a magical place in the hearts of New Jerseyans young and old, famous and not so famous.

As Pulitzer Prize-winning New Jersey author Junot Diaz put it, “The boardwalk was where all of New Jersey came together, where New Jersey, for better or worse, met itself.”

Strolling the boardwalks, in every season, is one of the great pleasures of the Jersey Shore. Three years after Sandy, they are once again a part of the New Jersey landscape that belongs to each one of us.

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.”

Originally posted here – 

Three Years after Sandy: Most of New Jersey’s Boardwalks Are Rebuilt