New Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Piermont

NEW YORK — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced that a new Disaster Recovery Center is open in Piermont to assist survivors of Hurricane Sandy.

The center is in Village Hall, 478 Piermont Ave., Piermont, NY 10968. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Sunday, Dec. 2.

Disaster Recovery Centers are one-stop shops for eligible storm survivors to get face-to-face help as quickly as possible. More centers will become available as sites are identified and approved. Conditions at individual locations may vary and affect opening times.

In addition to the new site in Piermont, more than 30 other Disaster Recovery Centers remain open throughout New York to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Anyone who sustained damage in counties designated for federal individual disaster assistance can visit any of the centers. 

To find the one nearest you, the following options are available: Text DRC and a Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA), and a text message will be sent back with the address. Also, check out the disaster recovery center locator at www.FEMA.gov/disaster-recovery-centers.

Other help is available from roughly 1,000 FEMA community relations personnel who are blanketing damaged neighborhoods door to door, delivering information vital to recovery and encouraging residents to register for assistance when needed. These personnel can help refer survivors to the proper resources for any unmet disaster needs, but they do not assess or document damage. FEMA inspectors will contact survivors directly after they have registered.

Help also can be obtained by calling FEMA’s toll-free helpline at 800-621-3362. Lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice and assistance is offered in most languages. Individuals may register for help online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by Smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. 

If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

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.

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New Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Piermont

St. Charles Parish Disaster Recovery Center Closes Wednesday

BATON ROUGE, La. — Time is running out for Hurricane Isaac survivors in St. Charles Parish to visit the State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Center located in Luling. The center closes at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. 

Although the center will close, Hurricane Isaac survivors can still contact FEMA online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585.  Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Survivors may also contact the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) after the center closes at 1-800-659-2955 or www.sba.gov.
The center is located at:

Village Square Shopping Mall
737 Paul Maillard Rd., Ste. A
Luling, LA 70070

Hours are: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Wednesday, Oct.31.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit online at www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.
 

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St. Charles Parish Disaster Recovery Center Closes Wednesday

Less Than 1,000 FEMA Housing Units Still Occupied In Ward County

MINOT, N.D. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that an important milestone has been reached, as the number of temporary housing units still occupied has fallen below 1,000. 

“This is yet another step in the recovery process,” said Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator Dan Alexander of FEMA. “It’s a demonstration that people are returning home and moving forward in their recovery.”

As of October 16, there are still 996 units occupied in Ward County.  Of those, 345 are located on private property, 144 are located at five commercial home parks in Minot and Burlington, and the remaining 507 are at two housing sites developed by FEMA – Virgil Workman Village just outside of Minot and De Sour Valley Heights in Burlington. 

“We continue to work closely with those still residing in FEMA housing, and with our recovery partners, including the city of Minot, to find long-term housing solutions,” said Alexander. “Our mission is to serve as a short-term bridge until sufficient housing can be re-established in the community.”

FEMA’s housing mission was extended through June 24, 2013.  At the peak of the operation, more than 2,000 units were occupied.  In addition to the temporary housing mission, FEMA has provided more than $90 million in financial assistance to individuals and households impacted by Souris Valley flooding.

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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Less Than 1,000 FEMA Housing Units Still Occupied In Ward County

Disaster Recovery Center Opens In St. Charles Parish

BATON ROUGE, La. — A State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) has opened in 

St. Charles Parish to assist homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage to their home or personal property as a result of Hurricane Isaac.

Specialists from the state of Louisiana, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are on hand to answer questions and provide information on the types of assistance available to survivors.

The DRC is located at:

Village Square Shopping Center

737 Paul Maillard Rd., Suite A

Luling, LA 70070

Opening on: Thursday, Sept. 6, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Friday forward: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice

This brings to 10 the number of centers that are operating. More recovery centers will open as sites are identified and approved. For a list of open centers in Louisiana go online to www.fema.gov/disaster/4080.

Applying for disaster assistance is quick and simple. Individuals can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY)    1-800-462-7585.  If you use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

SBA offers federal low-interest disaster loans to residents and businesses. After registering with FEMA, visit any Disaster Recovery Center where SBA representatives will answer questions, explain the application process and help each resident or business owner apply to SBA. For SBA information or to apply online, visit www.sba.gov or call 1-800-659-2955. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may call 1-800-877-8339.

The major disaster declaration for Hurricane Isaac now makes available federal assistance to eligible survivors in 16 parishes: Ascension, Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne and Washington.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit online at www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

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Disaster Recovery Center Opens In St. Charles Parish

FEMA Housing Units a Common – and Welcome – Sight in Ward County

FEMA Housing Units a Common – and Welcome – Sight in Ward County 

Release Date: June 11, 2012
Release Number: 1981-ANF005

» More Information on North Dakota Flooding

» 2012 Region VIII News Releases

They don’t appear on any maps, but following the 2011 Souris River flood, there are three new communities in Ward County. De Sour Valley Heights, Virgil Workman Village and Recovery Village are group housing sites built under the supervision of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) at the request of FEMA. The sites are filled with manufactured homes provided by FEMA, supplementing hundreds more that sit near flooded residences or in previously existing manufactured home parks.

FEMA’s housing assistance following a disaster generally consists of funds to make minimal repairs to allow people to return to their homes, or rental assistance to pay for alternate housing. The oil boom in Northwest North Dakota had already pushed vacancies in Ward County to nearly zero, so FEMA housing specialists quickly determined that additional measures would be needed. Manufactured housing units would be brought in to provide temporary housing while homes in the area would be repaired or rebuilt.

While a large number of the FEMA manufactured housing units would be able to be placed on the property of homeowners, this option would not be feasible for everyone. It became clear that additional sites would need to be built to place a large number of the housing units. FEMA tasked the USACE with supervising construction of these group housing sites. FEMA, USACE, and city and county officials came together to assemble a list of potential sites to be reviewed. Of the 24 locations reviewed, the only ones that were deemed feasible were the three areas chosen.

In addition to having the availability of a large open plot of land, there was also the requirement of having close access to infrastructure. De Sour Valley Heights was able to be tied in with the City of Burlington, while Virgil Workman and Recovery Villages fell under the City of Minot. Building the group sites required a vast amount of work, including delivery of electricity, water and sewer services as well as construction of a street system to access the hundreds of homes that would eventually be placed at the three sites.

While work was progressing on the group housing sites, FEMA housing units were arriving daily and being placed on private property, allowing homeowners to stay nearer their damaged homes while making repairs. Ultimately, more than 1000 of these private site placements were made. FEMA followed up by taking special winterization measures to ensure the homes would withstand the area’s harsh climate.

By mid-October the first residents were able to move into the new communities, with the three sites continuing to grow in size until just prior to Christmas, when the final residents were able to move in. During the same time frame, more than 250 households were able to move in to units located at six previously existing manufactured home parks. FEMA was able to sign lease agreements with these facilities, and in some cases provided assistance in clearing lots of flood debris to make that available for home placement.

In total, more than 2000 FEMA housing units were put into service in Ward County, with more than 750 being occupied in the three communities. That small group, in addition to being from the Souris Valley, will be able to say that for a short time they called De Sour Valley Heights, Virgil Workman Village or Recovery Village home.

FEMA Housing at a Glance

Virgil Workman Village

Location: East edge of Minot, south of US Highway 2 and west of E. 55th Street.
Maximum Capacity: 600, consisting of 3 adjacent 200 unit sites
Current Occupied Units (as of May 31): 532
First Units Occupied: Oct. 2011

Recovery Village

Location: Northeast edge of Minot, off of 42nd Street.
Maximum Capacity: 200
Current Occupied Units (as of May 31): 47
First Units Occupied: Nov. 2011

De Sour Valley Heights

Location: East of Burlington on the south side of US Highway 2
Maximum Capacity: 50
Current Occupied Units (as of May 31): 44
First Units Occupied: Oct. 2011

Private Sites

Location: On private property, generally adjacent to the applicant’s flood-damaged home
Current Occupied Units (as of May 31): 635
First Units Occupied: July 2011

Commercial Sites

Location: Six existing manufactured home parks, five in Minot, one in Burlington
Current Occupied Units (as of May 31): 213
First Units Occupied: Nov. 2011

Last Modified: Monday, 11-Jun-2012 10:01:34

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FEMA Housing Units a Common – and Welcome – Sight in Ward County

Hope Village: Helping Volunteers Help the Souris Valley

Hope Village: Helping Volunteers Help the Souris Valley 

Release Date: June 11, 2012
Release Number: 1981-ANF004

» More Information on North Dakota Flooding

» 2012 Region VIII News Releases

Volunteers are often the lifeblood of a disaster recovery effort. Following the Souris River flooding, volunteers have already helped countless families return to their flood-damaged homes. But the same housing shortage that is affecting displaced residents has limited the number of volunteers that can come in to the area and help. On the grounds of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in south Minot, a unique solution to that problem has sprung up in the form of Hope Village.

Hope Village is a temporary community that will house incoming volunteers. It includes trailers that provide sleeping quarters, bathroom and shower facilities, and a large dining tent that serves three meals a day. It is the culmination of efforts from a coalition of local faith-based and community volunteer organizations. Much like Henry Ford’s original assembly line, the different volunteer agencies have divided up the tasks for managing the facility, playing to their strengths. For example, cooking duties are being handled by the Southern Baptists.

“Hope Village was borne out of necessity and we now have a place to house and feed the teams that are coming in from the various agencies and churches,” says Bob Lower, a United Methodist volunteer coordinator and lay leader at Faith United Methodist Church in Minot. “There was nowhere for people that wanted to come and help to stay. With the oil boom, everything was tied up. As a part of the Hope Village mission, we took on the challenge of housing these people and feeding them for the whole summer.”

But Hope Village does much more than provide food and shelter for volunteers. It is also a hub of activity, working closely with the Resources Agencies Flood Team (RAFT) to direct the volunteers to pre-identified individuals and families who are in need of assistance. It’s a streamlined process to ensure donated labor and resources are used as efficiently as possible.

“Our focus is on helping those people who have been affected by the flood get back into a safe and secure space,” says Lower. “We do that by providing assistance in coordination with the case management system. The case management system takes people through the process, assessing what they need to get back in, be it materials, labor and the appropriate skill sets. It dovetails with what the homeowner can do by themselves. We will complete enough of the home to get them back in. For example, with a couple living in a four bedroom home, we completely finish one bedroom along with the common use areas needed for safe and secure living.”

With the large number of homes impacted by the flooding, Hope Village and its resident volunteers have their work cut out for them. However, those involved are prepared for a marathon rather than a sprint.

“We will be here for a number of years to get through all of the need that there is,” says Lower. “We can’t do all of the homes in one year, but we are going to make a significant impact this first year. This year we opened the first week of April and will go to the first of October. We’ve already set the 2013 work year. That’s going to be from the April 8 to September 28. During the winter months, we will organize local volunteers from the community to keep work going inside homes.”

To learn more about Hope Village visit hopevillagend.org.

Last Modified: Monday, 11-Jun-2012 10:01:20

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Hope Village: Helping Volunteers Help the Souris Valley

Making History … And Preserving It

Making History … And Preserving It 

Release Date: June 11, 2012
Release Number: 1981-ANF002

» More Information on North Dakota Flooding

» 2012 Region VIII News Releases

Ward County’s hub of history itself became the site of historic flooding last June.

Pioneer Village, the home and showcase of the Ward County Historical Society located next to the state fairgrounds, suffered devastating losses in the flood.

All 13 of its buildings received at least some damage. The railroad depot had up to eight feet of water and the warehouse, which held 13 antique automobiles, had seven feet. The entire original contents of the former Immanuel Lutheran Church, nearly a century old, were thrown out. Horse-drawn sleighs and buggies were devastated. Historic contents of the barbershop, dentist’s office, general store and post office were destroyed. Furniture from the first county courthouse, built in Burlington in 1886, was ruined. Schoolbooks and records were flooded, and the state’s first iron lung plus antique pump organs from the church were wiped out.

“So much was lost, it’s hard to comprehend it all,” says current director Sue Bergan. “The losses in the church hurt the worst. I sat down on the steps and cried the day they cleared it out.”

Compounding the devastation caused by the flood, the society then lost its long-time administrator and curator, Reverend David Jones, the pastor of the Dakota Baptist Church. While attending a church conference in Boston, he died of a heart attack on September 28, 2011.

“He was an exemplary person, a wonderful man, and a historian,” says Bergan. “He was from Mobile, Alabama, and had quite the cutest Southern accent. He just worked too many hours between the society and the church. It was a terrible blow to us to have to try to reorganize, knowing what he had accomplished and what still had to be accomplished.”

The historical society was facing a historic crisis.

Volunteers — many facing their own flood-related demands at home and work — stepped up, including outside groups such as Lutheran Social Services and students from Minot State University and Trinity Bible College in Ellendale. The Minot post office donated an antique post office that was collecting dust in a corner of its building. The Stenkjaer Lutheran Church in Simcoe, which was closing, donated all its contents to Pioneer Village. An area farmer who has the first schoolhouse in Ward County still on his property is willing to donate the building and all its contents if the society can find the funds to move it. Other volunteers have “adopted” a Model T and a John Deere tractor, promising to restore the antique vehicles on their own. Bergan hopes additional items can be similarly restored.

Staff from the State Historical Society of North Dakota, the State Historic Preservation Office, the American Institute for Conservation, the Heritage Preservation organization, the University of Utah Preservation Library and FEMA also pitched in with their various specializations, helping inventory contents and deciding what could be saved and how it could be restored.

The Ward County Historical Society (WCHS) is a private, non-profit organization – which can be eligible for FEMA Public Assistance aid if they meet certain qualifications. The historical society was an eligible applicant and received funding for repairs to nine of the buildings, debris removal, and restoration of a portion of the collection. FEMA’s team of environmental and historic preservation experts also provided valuable technical assistance to ensure FEMA funding could be used to maximum effect.

Charles Bello, FEMA Historic Preservation Specialist, who worked closely on this project, states that, “We were able to provide guidance and funding to help ensure that key items in the Historical Society’s collection will live on and be enjoyed for generations to come.”

Bergan herself had her own business hanging and removing wallpaper. She had worked with the historical society in January, 2010, when she and her mother re-wallpapered the upstairs apartment in the century-old Samuelson House at Pioneer Village. The flood wiped out a bridge to her own home, and she and her husband had half-hour walks up and down ladders on river banks to get home until a new bridge was built in October. In the meantime, she had volunteered to help at the society, and after Jones’ death she found herself drafted to be the new director.

“It’s going to be all of two years until everything is restored,” she says. “The immediate projects are to reseed the grass and get the outside of the buildings looking nice. I would like to have a couple of buildings open by the time the state fair opens July 20, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen or not. The log cabin and courthouse, maybe the cook car [a horse-drawn wagon pulled from farm to farm during threshing season], those are the three I’m hoping for, but it’s kind of a far reach.”

“I don’t know how we’ll commemorate the 2011 flood itself,” says Bergan. “Maybe just by winning the battle and reopening. We’re going to have a party then, that’s for sure.”

To learn more about the Ward County Historical Society and how you can be involved in their efforts to preserve the region’s history, visit them online at wchsnd.org.

Last Modified: Monday, 11-Jun-2012 10:00:41

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Making History … And Preserving It

FEMA Awards $656,625 Grant to the Village of Addison

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FEMA Awards $656,625 Grant to the Village of Addison

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