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West Virginia survivors get two-week extension for FEMA registrations

CHARLESTON, W. Va. — The deadline for West Virginia storm survivors to register for federal assistance has been extended 14 days to Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) granted the extension at the request of West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, citing a continued flow of new applications for federal assistance in the wake of the June 22-29 severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides.

FEMA disaster grants are available to homeowners and renters in the 12 storm-impacted counties named in the presidential disaster declaration of June 25: Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Roane, Summers, and Webster. Nearly 9,000 applications from West Virginia survivors have been received by FEMA to date.

Disaster assistance for individuals may include grants to help homeowners and renters with temporary housing, essential home repairs, personal property replacement, and serious disaster-related needs. Disaster assistance grants are not taxable income and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicare and other federal and state programs. Grants do not have to be repaid to the federal government.

One of FEMA’s federal partners in disaster recovery, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), would also extend to Sept. 7, 2016 its deadline for filing physical disaster loan applications.

The SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to businesses, homeowners and renters. SBA disaster loans may cover repairs, rebuilding, as well as the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged real estate and personal property.

If your SBA loan application is approved, you may be eligible to borrow additional funds to cover the cost of improvements that will protect your property against future damage. Examples

include elevating utilities, water heaters and furnaces, and installing retaining walls and sump pumps. Applicants may be eligible for an SBA loan increase, for mitigation purposes, of up to 20 percent of their physical damages.

The application/registration process is quick and easy. FEMA encourages all survivors who sustained disaster-related damage or losses to apply – before the Sept. 7 deadline – by phone (voice, 711 or relay service) at 800-621-3362 (TTY users should call 800-462-7585) or online at DisasterAssistance.gov . The toll-free lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EDT seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.

You may also register at any of the five Disaster Recovery Centers located in Greenbrier, Kanawha, and Nicholas counties. An easy-to-use DRC Locator is available at http://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm .

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West Virginia survivors get two-week extension for FEMA registrations

Free disaster legal services available

Charleston, W.Va. — If you were affected during the June storms and have questions about legal issues such as repair contracts, working with contractors, replacing wills and other legal documents, you might be eligible to get free legal counseling from a group of West Virginia lawyers who have volunteered limited legal help.

Disaster legal Services provides legal assistance to low-income individuals who, prior to or because of the disaster, have little recourse to legal services as a consequence of a major disaster.

A partnership among the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the West Virginia State Bar, and Legal Aid of West Virginia provides eligible callers 24/7 access to a toll free legal hotline, 877-331-4259. Callers may leave a message and will be matched with a local attorney.

Local legal aid providers might help you with:

Assistance with FEMA and other government benefits available
Assistance with life, medical, and property insurance claims
Help with home repair contracts and contractors
Replacement of wills and other important legal documents lost or destroyed in the disaster
Consumer protection issues such as price-gouging and avoiding contractor scams in the rebuilding process
Counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems
Counseling on landlord-tenant problems

There are some limitations on disaster legal services. For instance, if a case might produce a fee, or where attorneys are paid as part of a court settlement, you’ll be referred to a local lawyer.

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Free disaster legal services available

West Virginia storm survivors should ‘stay in touch’ with FEMA

CHARLESTON, W. Va.– West Virginia homeowners and renters who have registered for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are encouraged by recovery officials to “stay in touch” with the agency after they have applied for assistance.

Applicants changing their addresses or phone numbers – even if only temporarily – should update that information with FEMA. Missing or erroneous information could result in delays getting a home inspection or in receiving assistance. When registering with FEMA, it’s a good idea to provide a secondary contact phone number – both a cell phone and a landline number, for example.

FEMA has provided two ways for homeowners and renters to update their information:

Visit the FEMA website at DisasterAssistance.gov to upload documents.
Call the toll-free FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (voice, 711 or relay service). TTY users should call 800-462-7585. Lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.

When updating status information, callers should refer to the nine-digit number issued at registration. This number is on all correspondence applicants receive from FEMA and is a key identifier in tracking assistance requests.

For more information on West Virginia recovery, visit the disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4273, Twitter at www.twitter.com/region3 and the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management at www.dhsem.wv.gov.

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West Virginia storm survivors should ‘stay in touch’ with FEMA

Additional West Virginia County Approved For Disaster Aid

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Jackson County is now eligible to receive federal assistance for some of their costs incurred during the severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides, and mudslides occurring July 10-14, 2015.

On August 7, 2015, President Obama issued a major disaster declaration for the State of West Virginia triggering the release of Federal funds to help communities recover from the severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides, and mudslides. The disaster declaration for Braxton, Clay, Lincoln, Logan, Nicholas, Roane, Webster, and Wood counties made state, county, and local governments, as well as certain non-profit organizations, eligible to receive reimbursement for repairing infrastructure damage caused by the storms, as well as the cost of responding to them.

FEMA’s Public Assistance Programs provide state and local governments and eligible private non-profit organizations, in the nine designated counties, with 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, bridges, buildings and utilities.

The State, which distributes the FEMA funds to local governments and qualified non-profits, must review Public Assistance projects, along with FEMA, to ensure compliance with regulations.

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. FEMA Region III’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts are available at fema.gov/medialibrary and youtube.com/fema. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion3.

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Additional West Virginia County Approved For Disaster Aid

Federal Aid Programs Available for the State of West Virginia Declaration

Main Content

Release date:

May 21, 2015

Release Number:

HQ-15-028-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 West Virginia.

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.

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:

May 21, 2015 – 22:20

State/Tribal Government or Region:

West Virginia

Related Disaster:

West Virginia Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

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Federal Aid Programs Available for the State of West Virginia Declaration

FEMA, West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Announce a Statewide Test of the Public Alert and Warning System in West…

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the West Virginia Broadcasters Association, and others will conduct a statewide test of the Public Alert and Warning System on Wednesday, September 17, 2014. The test will begin at approximately 2:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and will last approximately two minutes.

“During an emergency, federal, state and local public safety officials must be able to provide the public with life-saving information quickly,” said Damon Penn, Assistant Administrator of FEMA’s National Continuity Programs. “This test will help us assess the operational readiness of the Public Alert and Warning System to ensure the residents of West Virginia have the information they need in the event of an emergency.”

The test will be seen and heard over radio, television and cable TV systems as part of the regular monthly testing of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) conducted by West Virginia broadcasters. The test is designed to have limited impact on the public with only minor disruptions of radio and television programs that normally occur when broadcasters test EAS in their area.

“Periodic testing of the Public Alert and Warning System capabilities is an important step to ensure that West Virginia’s public safety officials are prepared to alert and warn the whole community during an emergency,” said Jimmy Gianato, Director of West Virginia’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “Whether it’s severe weather or another emergency in our community, it’s a reminder that everyone should make preparedness a priority.”

September is also National Preparedness Month, and FEMA reminds the residents of West Virginia to be informed about emergencies that could happen in their community. This year’s theme, Be Disaster Aware and Take Action to Prepare, encourages states, territories, local governments, tribal communities, individuals, families, schools, businesses, faith-based and community-based organizations to be informed and to practice what to do in advance of a disaster to be better prepared to handle any type of emergency they may encounter.

More information on the Public Alert and Warning System and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) is available at www.fema.gov/ipaws or www.ready.gov/alerts. Details on National Preparedness Month are available at www.ready.gov /september.

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FEMA, West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Announce a Statewide Test of the Public Alert and Warning System in West…

FEMA Rebuilding Specialists to Provide Advice in West Point

JACKSON, Miss. – Residents in the West Point area can learn how to build or rebuild to reduce the likelihood of damage the next time severe storms, tornadoes or floods hit. Federal Emergency Management Agency mitigation specialists know how and they are sharing their knowledge.

FEMA mitigation specialists will be at Phillip’s Hardware in West Point Monday and Tuesday to discuss specific methods with anyone who stops by. They will have free booklets and pamphlets with additional details.

8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday, June 9, and Tuesday, June 10

Phillip’s Hardware829 U.S. Hwy. 45 AlternateWest Point, Miss. 39773

Disaster survivors in Itawamba, Jones, Leake, Lee, Lowndes, Madison, Montgomery, Rankin, Simpson, Warren, Wayne and Winston counties may be eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program. The deadline to register is Monday, June 30, 2014.

Individuals and households in those counties can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov, via smartphone or tablet at m.FEMA.gov or by calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-FEMA (3362). People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY should call 800-462-7585. Lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (central time) and assistance is available in multiple languages.

For more information on Mississippi disaster recovery, go to FEMA.gov/Disaster/4175. Visit the MEMA site at msema.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/msemaorg.

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 800-621-3362. 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.

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FEMA Rebuilding Specialists to Provide Advice in West Point

Federal Aid Programs for the State of West Virginia

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama’s emergency disaster declaration issued for the State of West Virginia.

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

FEMA is authorized to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the designated areas.
Specifically, FEMA is authorized to provide emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program at 75 percent Federal funding.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, 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 are provided for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Federal Aid Programs for the State of West Virginia

President Obama Signs West Virginia Emergency Declaration

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal emergency aid has been made available to the State of West Virginia to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Sandy beginning on October 29, 2012, and continuing.

The President’s action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all counties in the State of West Virginia.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.

Dolph A. Diemont has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal response operations in the affected area.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, 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 Obama Signs West Virginia Emergency Declaration

How the Public Can Support Disaster Recovery

Release Date: March 31, 2012
Release Number: 4059-011

» More Information on West Virginia Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, And Lanslides
» More Information on West Virginia Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, And Landslides

CHARLESTON, W. Va. — As disaster-affected West Virginians work to recover from this spring’s tornados, severe storms and flooding, they are finding support from many agencies, churches and members of the public. Although the flow of food and the providing of shelter and emergency relief have slowed, the long process of recovery is just beginning.

Storm survivors are helped by various government programs, but volunteer and faith-based groups play crucial roles. They work on case management, provide labor for rebuilding homes and assist with other unmet disaster-related needs.

Those who want to help their neighbors recover from disaster have three main avenues.

Financial Donations:
Cash donations facilitate the efficient use of resources for the precise needs of survivors. This money also empowers groups to leverage funds with volunteer labor making each dollar stretch further. To make a financial contribution to the West Virginia recovery efforts, send your check to:

WV Long-Term Recovery Fund
VolunteerWV, Inc.
PO Box 6475
Charleston, WV 25362

Donations to this fund will be shared among groups and agencies that are assisting residents of West Virginia to recover. Be sure to write “Long-Term Recovery” on the memo line of your check.

Goods Donations:
Many folks like to donate goods after a disaster strikes, but these donations often create challenges for people who have to sort, clean and distribute items. Indeed, much of the donated material is unusable and winds up being discarded. Making a financial contribution as described above helps the most but if you do collect goods for donation, please determine first what is needed, where it is needed and who will manage the donation so it can be given to the appropriate beneficiaries.

Volunteering Time:
Volunteers contribute enormously to disaster relief and recovery. The way to volunteer is to join a charitable or faith-based agency and be trained. VolunteerWV provides support to volunteer-minded West Virginians. The VolunteerWV Web site at www.volunteerwv.org has information on how to help your recovering neighbors.

Last Modified: Monday, 02-Apr-2012 08:53:01

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How the Public Can Support Disaster Recovery