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Federal Aid To Vermont For Winter Storm Repairs Tops $1 Million

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – State and federal officials say that more than $1 million in federal assistance has been delivered to the state to help cover the costs of the December 9-12, 2014 winter storm that wreaked havoc on Vermont’s infrastructure, downing trees and power lines.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the $1 million in FEMA aid to the state thus far for infrastructure repair includes roughly $670,000 for emergency protective measures to safeguard lives and property while responding to the disaster, and another $384,000 in permanent repair work. Another $2 million in FEMA aid is anticipated, most of it for Vermont Electric Cooperative.

“The December storm was a four-day event that caused an estimated $4+ million in damage and response costs,” said State Coordinating Officer Robert Schell with Vermont’s Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. “The federal dollars coming to Vermont are assisting numerous communities and non-profit utilities.”

Governor Peter Shumlin requested preliminary damage assessments in the ten most heavily damaged Vermont counties immediately after the storm and sent the assessments to FEMA with a request for a federal disaster declaration.

President Barack Obama approved the request in early February, and FEMA and state disaster teams began meeting with jurisdictions to explain how federal dollars flow to the state and on to eligible municipalities and non-profit entities.

“We will continue to support our state and local partners to ensure that applicants receive all of the assistance for which they are eligible,” said Federal Coordinating Officer James N. Russo, the head of FEMA’s recovery operations in Vermont.

FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides state and local governments and eligible private non-profit organizations in designated counties federal funds to pay 75 percent of the approved cost of debris removal, emergency services related to the disaster, and for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities such as roads, buildings and utilities.

Both FEMA and the state, which distributes the FEMA funds to municipalities and qualified non-profits, must review Public Assistance projects to ensure compliance with regulations.

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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.

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Federal Aid To Vermont For Winter Storm Repairs Tops $1 Million

FEMA Corps Members Training in Vermont

WILLISTON, Vt. – A team of young Americans who have volunteered to serve their country during disasters is in Vermont learning more about the science of disaster response and recovery from observing Vermont’s recovery from flooding earlier this year as well as Tropical Storm Irene.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency welcomed a team of FEMA Corps members to the Joint Field Office in Williston for a two-week stint of education, which will be highlighted by actual site visits, as part of their nine-month assignment to FEMA’s Region I office in Boston.

“These young people embody the true spirit of FEMA,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mark Landry, the head of FEMA’s operations in Vermont. “They have volunteered to help their country, and through their service our nation will be better prepared for disasters in the future.”

The seven FEMA Corps members – who range in age from 18 to 24 and hail from seven different states – have met with and gained valuable insights from state and local officials as well as veteran FEMA personnel.

FEMA and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCC) launched FEMA Corps in 2012 to strengthen the nation’s ability to respond to and recover from disasters while expanding career opportunities for young people.

FEMA Corps is a new unit of AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) whose members will be devoted solely to FEMA disaster response and recovery efforts. The five-year agreement provides for a full service corps of 1,600 members annually who will be an additional workforce in support of FEMA’s current disaster reservist workforce.

Once trained by FEMA and CNCS, members will provide support in areas ranging from working directly with disaster survivors to supporting disaster recovering centers to sharing valuable disaster preparedness and mitigation information with the public.

FEMA Corps members will serve for a 10 month term with an option to extend for a second year. The program will prepare thousands of young people for careers in emergency management and related fields. During their service, they will gain significant training and experience in disaster services and will provide important support to disaster survivors.

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FEMA Corps Members Training in Vermont

FEMA Sends $33 Million To State For Repairs At Waterbury State Office Complex

Agency Also Sends $5.3 Million For Vermont’s Irene-Related Administrative Costs

WILLISTON, Vt. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has put $33 million into the state’s coffers to repair damage at the Waterbury State Office Complex caused by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene.

Roughly $33 million of Public Assistance funding represents FEMA’s 90 percent reimbursement of a total eligible cost to the State of $36.3 million to perform work on approximately 40 buildings and tunnels at the Waterbury State Office Complex.

“This is not a case of saying ‘The check is in the mail,’” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mark Landry, the head of FEMA’s operations in Vermont. “The money is in the bank.”

FEMA and the state announced in late August that of the estimated $225 million total price tag for the cleanup, renovation and new construction associated with the Waterbury State Office Complex and Vermont State Hospital, more than $66 million in costs will be eligible for FEMA Public Assistance reimbursement.

“Getting this money so quickly is terrific news for the state,” said Administration Secretary Jeb Spaulding. “This means that we can draw down these funds immediately to pay for the work being done in Waterbury.”

The $33 million of Public Assistance funding represents the bulk of outstanding funds for the Waterbury State Office Complex and Vermont State Hospital projects.

In addition, FEMA sent the state approximately $5.3 million to cover administrative and grant management expenses related to Vermont’s recovery from Tropical Storm Irene.

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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.

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FEMA Sends $33 Million To State For Repairs At Waterbury State Office Complex

FEMA Obligates $2 Million Towards VT Department of Children & Families’ Temporary Relocation Costs

WILLISTON, Vt. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has obligated $2 million for temporary relocation costs to re-establish essential community services provided by the Department for Children and Families (DCF) that were displaced from the Waterbury State Office Complex by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene.

The Public Assistance funding represents FEMA’s 90 percent reimbursement of a total eligible cost to the State of $2.3 million to relocate staff and provide call center facilities through completion of the rebuilding process at the Waterbury State Office Complex.

FEMA and the state recently announced that of the estimated $225 million total price tag for the cleanup, renovation and new construction associated with the Waterbury State Office Complex and Vermont State Hospital, more than $66 million in costs will be eligible for FEMA Public Assistance at the 90 percent reimbursement rate.

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FEMA Obligates $2 Million Towards VT Department of Children & Families’ Temporary Relocation Costs

FEMA Urges Vermonters To Remember Pets In Disaster Plans

WILLISTON, Vt. – You’ve made an emergency plan and set up a phone tree for your family members to call during a disaster. You’ve even put together a disaster kit with water, food, a flashlight and portable radio.

But have you planned for what you’ll do with your dog or cat if a flood or other disaster strikes?

September is National Preparedness Month, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is urging people to remember their pets as they make plans to cope with an emergency.

“For many of us, a pet is a beloved family member,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mark Landry, the head of FEMA’s Vermont operations. “As you are taking steps to ensure your family’s safety, don’t forget that emergencies affect animals as well.”

Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as assembling an animal emergency supply kit and developing a pet care buddy system, are the same for any emergency.

Whether you stay put in an emergency or evacuate to a safer location, you will need to make plans in advance for your pets but bear in mind that what’s best for you is usually what’s best for your animals.

“Vermont has the highest rate of pet ownership in the nation at over 70 percent,” said Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer James McPherson. “That means most Vermonters need to think about their needs as well the needs of other family members.”

While many emergency shelters will not permit pets inside, officials still advise against leaving them behind if you are forced to evacuate, instead urging people to make alternative arrangements.

“If you evacuate your home, you should bring your pets with you,” Landry said. “Pets will find it difficult to survive alone, and even if they do you may not be able to locate them when you return.”

Pet owners should keep a photograph of themselves with their pet both to establish ownership and assist in efforts to locate the pet, and may wish to consider having a microchip implanted in their animal to make identification easier. A collar with a Global Positioning System (GPS) device can also assist in locating a pet after a disaster.

For more information, check out: www.ready.gov/caring-animals

“Preparing Makes Sense for Pet Owners” Video- (closed captioning & ASL)

http://youtu.be/aUbSF_S20bE

Email us: ready@fema.gov or citizencorps@dhs.gov

Order publications: call 1-800-BE-READY, 1-888-SE-LISTO, and TTY 1-800-462-7585

Monthly Preparedness text messages: Text PREPARE to 43362 (4FEMA) to receive monthly

preparedness tips. (msg/data rates apply)

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FEMA Urges Vermonters To Remember Pets In Disaster Plans

FEMA Lends A Hand To Vermonters During National Food Drive

WILLISTON, Vt. – As the Federal Emergency Management Agency marks more than two years in Vermont assisting disaster survivors, its staff are working to help fight hunger in the state as well.

The fifth annual Feds Feed Families campaign is a national project of federal employees who help collect food and non-perishable items for those in need, and this year FEMA employees in Vermont are helping to replenish the shelves of the Vermont Foodbank.

“FEMA has had a presence in Vermont since the spring 2011 floods,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mark Landry, the head of FEMA’s Vermont operations. “Through Irene, and now through this summer’s flooding we have been working to assist Vermonters. Donating food through the Feds Feed Families effort is a natural extension of that work.”

So far, employees at FEMA’s Joint Field Office in Williston have contributed 530 pounds of food and non-perishable items to the Vermont Foodbank as part of Feds Feed Families.

The United State Department of Agriculture is leading this year’s Feds Feed Families campaign, which officially began on June 1 and will run through August 28, 2013.

All federal agencies, including field components, are asked to participate in the campaign. The field agencies typically share their collections with local food banks.

Since 2009, federal workers have donated and collected 15.2 million pounds of food and other non-perishable items to support families across America.

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FEMA Lends A Hand To Vermonters During National Food Drive

Federal Aid Programs for the State of Vermont Declaration

Main Content

Release date:

June 13, 2013

Release Number:

HQ-13-061 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 State of Vermont.

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

Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for emergency protective measures 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, state 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, state administered.)

Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state and local governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

How to Apply for Assistance:

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

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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:

June 13, 2013 – 13:10

State/Tribal Government or Region:

Vermont

Related Disaster:

Vermont Severe Storms and Flooding

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Federal Aid Programs for the State of Vermont Declaration

President Declares Disaster for Vermont

WASHINGTON, D.C. – 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 Vermont to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms and flooding during the period of May 22-26, 2013.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms and flooding in Chittenden, Essex, and Lamoille counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Mark H. Landry has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Landry said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

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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.

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President Declares Disaster for Vermont

FEMA Extends Deadline For Irene-Related Mitigation Grants

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. – The state and Vermont municipalities and non-profits seeking federal grants for projects to make their communities more resilient in future disasters will have more time to apply for these funds.

Officials with the state and Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today that the deadline for submitting Hazard Mitigation Grant Program applications related to Tropical Storm Irene to FEMA has been extended to September 1, 2013. The state will establish its own deadlines for municipalities and other eligible applicants in order to meet FEMA’s deadline.

The HMGP program provides grant funds in addition to the disaster aid given to individuals and state or local governments after a federally-declared disaster for projects designed to reduce the risks to life and property in future disasters.

“This is an important deadline extension,” said Dave Rapaport, Vermont’s Irene Recovery Officer. “The huge size of this disaster means that we’re receiving more funding through this program than we’ve had the capacity to use before time ran out. The additional time will mean that we’ll be able to avoid leaving money on the table and formulate more eligible projects to prevent damage from future storms.”

The amount of money available is a percentage – 15 percent – of the total disaster aid provided by FEMA, and the program is administered by the Vermont Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. Only state, municipal, or tribal governments and certain non-profits can apply and are responsible for a 25-percent match.

Projects can include flood-proofing structures or making them resistant to hurricanes or tornadoes, or buying out flood-prone properties as Vermont has chosen to do.

“FEMA has already obligated about $13 million in HMGP funds to Vermont, and there could be as much as $21 million more coming,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mark Landry, the head of FEMA’s Vermont operations.

FEMA had already granted Vermont two extensions of three months each from the normal one-year deadline, Landry said, and utilized a little-known provision of the Stafford Act – the law named after former Vermont Senator Robert Stafford that helped create FEMA – to give the state another six months.

An HMGP application can be downloaded from DEMHS’s website at http://vem.vermont.gov/mitigation, or interested parties may contact the State Hazard Mitigation Officer, Ray Doherty, at 800-347-0488 or ray.doherty@state.vt.us for an application or assistance in applying for funds. He will be providing additional detailed guidance for applicants shortly.

HMGP funds are awarded on a competitive basis and all applications are reviewed and selected by the state mitigation project selection committee, then subject to approval by FEMA.

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FEMA Extends Deadline For Irene-Related Mitigation Grants

FEMA, Federal Partners Continue to Monitor Storm Conditions

Individuals Urged to Continue to Follow Direction of Local Officials and Check on Neighbors

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its federal partners, including the National Weather Service, continue to closely monitor the major winter storm systems impacting the Northeast and developing across the Northern and Central Plains. FEMA’s regional offices in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, New York City, and Philadelphia are in contact with state emergency management counterparts and with tribal emergency managers in the path of the storm. FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center in Washington, D.C. continues to monitor the situation and hold regular operational briefings with regional and federal partners as the severe winter weather continues.

At the state’s request, FEMA liaisons have been positioned in state emergency operations centers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York (both in Albany and New York City), Rhode Island, and Vermont. A National Incident Management Assistance Team is deploying to the Northeast to provide support if additional support is requested to help with emergency response coordination and other needs. These personnel are in addition to the joint state and federal field office staff already in place supporting ongoing disaster recovery efforts in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont following Hurricane Sandy. Other teams and personnel are ready to support, if needed and requested.

According to the National Weather Service, blizzard conditions, heavy snow and high winds are expected to continue today into tonight in portions of the Northeast and will produce moderate to locally major coastal flooding. The wet heavy snow may cause downed tree limbs and power lines, creating power outages. Additionally, the National Weather Service forecasts that snow, and in some areas, blizzard conditions are expected across parts of Colorado, Nebraska, North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wyoming through the weekend into Monday, in some areas.

“Everyone has a role to play in the response to this winter storm,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “Follow the direction of your state, local and tribal officials, and if you are told to stay off the roads, stay home, and when it is safe, check on your neighbors or friends nearby who may need assistance or extra support. Older adults and individuals who are dependent on life-sustaining medical equipment or assistive devices such as a ventilator or mobility devices, may need additional support in areas that have lost power.”

FEMA echoes the warnings issued by the National Weather Service and local elected officials in the affected region, and asks citizens and visitors in areas with severe winter storms to avoid all travel both during and immediately following the storm and to heed all advice and safety information provided by state, tribal and local emergency officials. Individuals in the path of the storm should monitor their NOAA weather radio and local weather forecast office or www.weather.gov for the latest information, including additional or changing weather watches and warnings.

Individuals in areas affected by the storm, are reminded of these safety tips during the storm:

Stay indoors during the storm.
Walk carefully on snowy, icy walkways.
Avoid overexertion when shoveling snow. If you must shovel snow, stretch before going outside.
Keep dry. Change wet clothing frequently to prevent a loss of body heat.
Use generators outdoors, away from doors, windows and vents.
Check on your neighbors or friends nearby who may need assistance or extra support.

For more information on what to do after winter storms, visit www.ready.gov.

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FEMA, Federal Partners Continue to Monitor Storm Conditions

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