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Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Pasco County to Help Tropical Storm Debby Survivors

Release Date: July 11, 2012
Release Number: 4068-009

» More Information on Florida Tropical Storm Debby

ATLANTA, Ga. — A disaster recovery center is open in Pasco County to help those whose homes or businesses were affected by Tropical Storm Debby. The center is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week.

Representatives from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Small Business Administration and other agencies will be at the center to explain disaster assistance programs and help survivors apply for aid.

The disaster recovery center is located at the following address:

Pasco County
Trouble Creek Square Shopping Center
4444 Grand Blvd.
New Port Richey, FL 34652

If possible, before going to a disaster recovery center, people with storm or flooding losses should register with FEMA. There are three ways to apply:

By calling 800-621-FEMA (3362). Help is available in most languages, and lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585.
Online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
By tablet or smartphone using the FEMA app or m.fema.gov.

Anyone who sustained damage in any of the 14 Florida counties designated for federal individual disaster assistance can visit any disaster recovery center.

Federal disaster assistance for individuals and families can include money for rental assistance, essential home repairs, personal property loss and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

Low-interest disaster loans from the Small Business Administration are also available to help with residential and business losses not covered by insurance. After registering with FEMA, survivors and businesses may apply online at SBA’s secure website disasterloan.sba.gov/ela; or obtain information on SBA disaster loan applications by calling 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf or hard of hearing) or online at www.sba.gov.

For the latest Tropical Storm Debby Recovery information, follow @FLSERT on Twitter or visit www.facebook.com/floridasert. To get a disaster preparedness plan, go to the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s website at www.FloridaDisaster.org.

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.

Last Modified: Wednesday, 11-Jul-2012 15:47:24

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Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Pasco County to Help Tropical Storm Debby Survivors

Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Suwannee and Wakulla Counties to Help Tropical Storm Debby Survivors

Release Date: July 5, 2012
Release Number: 4068-002

» More Information on Florida Tropical Storm Debby

ATLANTA, Ga. — Two disaster recovery centers are open in Suwannee and Wakulla counties to help those whose homes or businesses were affected by Tropical Storm Debby. They are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week.

Representatives from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Small Business Administration and other agencies will be at the centers to explain disaster assistance programs and help survivors apply for aid.

The disaster recovery centers are located at the following addresses:

Suwannee County
Suwannee Coliseum Exhibition No. 2
1302 S.W. 11th St.
Live Oak, FL 32064

Wakulla County
Wakulla Agricultural Center
84 Cedar Ave.
Crawfordville, FL 32327

If possible, before going to a disaster recovery center, people with storm losses should register with FEMA. There are three ways to apply:

By calling 800-621-FEMA (3362). Help is available in most languages, and lines are open7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585.
Online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
By tablet or smartphone using the FEMA app or m.fema.gov.

Federal disaster assistance for individuals and families can include money for rental assistance and essential home repairs not covered by insurance.

Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration are also available to help with residential and business losses not covered by insurance. Survivors and businesses may obtain information on SBA disaster loan applications by calling 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for people who are deaf or hard of hearing) or online at www.SBA.gov. They may also apply online at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

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 temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

Last Modified: Friday, 06-Jul-2012 09:55:50

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Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Suwannee and Wakulla Counties to Help Tropical Storm Debby Survivors

President Declares Major Disaster for Florida

Release Date: July 3, 2012
Release Number: HQ-12-058

» More Information on Florida Tropical Storm Debby

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of Florida and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Tropical Storm Debby beginning on June 23, 2012, and continuing.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Pasco, and Wakulla Counties.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Gracia B. Szczech has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Szczech said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated county can begin applying for assistance starting tomorrow by registering online at www.disasterassistance.gov, by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

Follow FEMA online at blog.fema.gov, 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.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 03-Jul-2012 17:47:16

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President Declares Major Disaster for Florida

Texas Hurricane History Demonstrates Need to Prepare For Upcoming Season

Release Date: May 30, 2012
Release Number: R6-12-101

» 2012 Region VI News Releases

DENTON, Texas — Fourteen hurricanes and six tropical storms since 1961, which resulted in federal disaster declarations, serve as reminders to Texans that now is the time to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season.

The 2012 Hurricane Season begins on June 1, and while experts are predicting a slower season than in past years, most of the predictions still call for at least a normal amount of activity. The 50 year average is a little over 11 named storms, six of those becoming hurricanes and two becoming major ones – Category 3 or higher.

In the last 50 years, Texas has had 20 storms that resulted in federal declarations. Fourteen were hurricanes and six were tropical storms. The hurricanes were Carla (1961), Cindy (1963), Beulah (1967), Celia (1970), Allen (1980), Alicia (1983), Gilbert (1988), Bret (1999), Claudette (2003), Katrina (2005 – Emergency), Rita (2005), Dolly (2008), Ike (2008) and Alex (2010). The tropical storms were Danielle (1980), Allison (1989), Charley (1998), Frances (1998), Fay (2002) and Erin (2007).

Six of the hurricanes and two of the tropical storms occurred in the last decade and resulted in the Lone Star State receiving approximately $7.5 billion in federal disaster aid. That assistance fell under both the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) and Individuals and Households (IHP) programs and included funding for direct housing, crisis counseling, disaster legal services, disaster unemployment, and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest disaster loans.

Hurricane Katrina in Texas was an emergency declaration and provided reimbursements to the state for housing Katrina evacuees.

There have been no hurricanes or tropical storms resulting in a FEMA disaster declaration in the past two years, but several storms have affected the state nonetheless. Tropical Storm Hermine in 2010 caused major inland flooding in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011 stirred up winds that exacerbated a weekend wildfire in Bastrop County.

“These statistics more than demonstrate the need for all Texas to be prepared,” said Acting FEMA Region 6 Administrator Tony Robinson. “We say it often, but it’s the best way to get a clear message out there – Get a Kit, Make a Plan and Stay Informed.

For more information on the upcoming hurricane season, please visit www.ready.gov/hurricanes and www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare.

Volunteering is one way to be prepared to help others. Use VolunteerMatch to locate local Red Cross volunteer opportunities in your community. You can also visit www.citizencorps.gov for ways to help and be prepared.

Last Modified: Thursday, 31-May-2012 10:57:43

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Texas Hurricane History Demonstrates Need to Prepare For Upcoming Season

FEMA Will Give Vermont 90 Percent Funding for Irene Repair Work

Release Date: May 17, 2012
Release Number: 4022-080

» More Information on Vermont Tropical Storm Irene

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. — The State of Vermont, municipalities, and some non-profit groups will be getting more federal money to reimburse them for costs incurred during Tropical Storm Irene and the subsequent clean up and repairs.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today that President Obama has approved Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin’s request for the federal government to reimburse applicants for 90 percent of the eligible costs to repair or restore infrastructure damaged by Irene instead of the standard 75 percent.

“This announcement marks a major milestone in our recovery from Tropical Storm Irene,” Governor Shumlin said. “It will mean significant savings for municipal budgets across the state, and for the state budget as well. We are incredibly grateful to President Obama and the Congressional Delegation, and also to FEMA for this welcome news.”

“We hope that this will help the state and its communities in their ongoing recovery,” said Federal Coordinating Officer James N. (Nick) Russo, the head of FEMA’s mission in Vermont. “We know that Vermont and its towns and cities are working as hard as they can to repair damage, and we’re working hard to get them their money.”

The FEMA Public Assistance (PA) program provides funding to repair roads and bridges, put water systems and electric utilities back in order, rebuild libraries and replace damaged books, repair hospitals and emergency services, rebuild schools and universities, and pay for other infrastructure restoration statewide.

It also reimburses communities and certain private non-profits for expenses associated with debris removal, emergency protective measures like search and rescue operations, and the cost of eliminating public safety or health hazards, like removing animal carcasses or demolishing unsafe buildings.

FEMA’s PA program typically reimburses 75 percent of the eligible cost of these projects, with the state and municipality sharing the remainder.

However, according to FEMA’s regulations up to 90 percent reimbursement is permitted if actual federal aid to a state for a disaster, minus FEMA’s administrative costs, meets or exceeds $127 per person.

With a population of 625,741 according to the U.S. Census Bureau, that means if the actual cost of FEMA aid to the state exceeds $79,469,107 the state becomes eligible for 90 percent reimbursement, at the discretion of the president.

So far FEMA has obligated, or paid to the state, approximately $64.7 million in reimbursement for Public Assistance projects related to Tropical Storm Irene, as well as $22 million in Individual Assistance to individuals and families for losses.

The increased reimbursement will be provided to both completed projects and those in process. It will not apply to projects related to the spring 2011 flooding.

To learn more visit: http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/index.shtm

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

Last Modified: Thursday, 17-May-2012 17:49:03

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FEMA Will Give Vermont 90 Percent Funding for Irene Repair Work

Vermont In Spotlight At National Hurricane Conference

Release Date: March 26, 2012
Release Number: 4022-075

» More Information on Vermont Tropical Storm Irene

» 2012 Region I News Releases

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. – When it comes to hurricanes, many people think Vermont is not in danger. But last August, as Hurricane Irene downgraded to tropical storm status, Vermont suffered a major blow that severely tested the state’s resources.

At the 2012 National Hurricane Conference in Orlando from March 26 – 29, Vermont will be in the spotlight for its response to Tropical Storm Irene and the state’s focus on meeting the needs of residents with disabilities and those with access or functional needs who took refuge in shelters.

Presenters will be Robert Schell, Chief of Field Operations for Vermont Emergency Management and Kate McCarthy-Barnett, Disability Integration Specialist for the Boston office of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The American Red Cross will also be featured in the presentation.

To help entire communities recover from Tropical Storm Irene, FEMA and VEM began working together to ensure that people with disabilities and those with access or functional needs were able to fully participate in disaster recovery programs.

Within two days of the storm, the Vermont Interagency Emergency Response Committee was formed and included representatives from FEMA, VEM and the Red Cross along with over 40 disability organizations and agencies. The committee members joined daily conference calls and collaborated on the needs of the community and shared local resources.

Tropical Storm Irene was the first large©scale disaster in Vermont since the development of the Functional Needs Support Services (FNSS) guidance. It provided an opportunity to implement FNSS in a real-world response and recovery situation for individuals with disabilities. A Sheltering Team integrated partners and other specialized community leaders in planning to accommodate individuals with access and functional needs in general population shelters.

Pre©event planning and creative modifications allowed for integration in specialized shelters where disabled populations are often isolated. The team worked directly with people with functional and access needs within the shelters, ensuring they had a voice in identifying appropriate services and information formats.

“Vermont made great progress in inclusive planning for people with access and functional needs in shelters set up in affected communities,” said Vermont Emergency Management Director Joe Flynn. “We are honored to bring Vermont’s story to this national workshop.”

To make sure the whole community is engaged, FEMA’s McCarthy-Barnett has been in Vermont since the storm to not only advise FEMA and state leadership on the issues, but also to engage local and state community leadership as partners. She was the keynote speaker and a participant in Vermont’s annual Disabilities Awareness Day activities on March 21.

“The collaborations that took place after Irene between state, federal and the disability community enhanced the delivery of services to individuals with disabilities and those with access and functional needs,” said McCarthy-Barnett. “That has continued into the long-term recovery phase.”

Considerations in reaching the target population include:

Physical needs: Shelters, meetings, disaster recovery centers and other physical locations must be accessible.
Communication needs: Materials should be available in plain language and in alternative formats such as large print, Braille, sign language interpreters, and by TTY.
Programmatic needs: The approach is holistic to ensure that all programs, policies, services, and messages are accessible. When not possible, alternatives are offered. For example, if a meeting is advertised, a phone contact or e-mail address should be included for people to request reasonable accommodation to their specific needs.

The community has been engaged in a number of other ways including facilitating a series of presentations and meetings to get the word out about disability integration in emergency management, building capacity for response efforts, and enhancing community networks.

“FEMA is committed to ensuring that key aspects of recovery are available equally to all residents of Vermont or any other state where a disaster is declared,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer James N. (Nick) Russo. “We need to provide accurate and accessible information to everyone who needs it.”

The National Hurricane Conference is a nationwide forum for education and professional training in hurricane-related topics. Participants include law enforcement, amateur radio, hospital and nursing home officials, transportation interests, engineers, insurance company representatives, armed forces disaster preparedness officials, fire and emergency services personnel and emergency managers.

More information on the National Hurricane Conference may be found at http://www.hurricanemeeting.com/.

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Last Modified: Monday, 26-Mar-2012 11:48:11

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Vermont In Spotlight At National Hurricane Conference

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