Being Alert To Fraud Following Superstorm Sandy Helps Recovery And Taxpayers

TRENTON, N.J. — While the vast majority of people who have registered and received FEMA assistance have genuine needs, the rush to get millions in disaster assistance to those affected by Superstorm Sandy, sadly, presents opportunities for dishonest people to defraud taxpayers.

Fraud increases the cost of recovery after a disaster and gives money to those without disaster-related losses, emergency management officials warn.

The Inspector General for the Federal Emergency Management Agency investigates complaints of fraud, waste or abuse involving FEMA contracts, programs or personnel. FEMA maintains a toll-free Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721.

Potential cases of fraud or misuse of funds can be referred to the U.S. Justice Department for prosecution. Penalties for felony offenses can be severe.

These are some examples of complaints that are typically filed with the FEMA Office of the Inspector General:

  • Applicants used false names and multiple and/or fictitious addresses;
  • Applicants claimed losses they didn’t sustain or to which they were not entitled;
  • Applicants did not use FEMA money for the intended purposes;
  • Municipal officials used FEMA money for their own benefit;
  • FEMA checks were stolen; and
  • Applicants received duplicate payments from FEMA and their insurance companies.

Complaints can also be filed by writing to:                                                                  

National Center for Disaster Fraud

Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4909

Those who visit the Office of the Inspector General Web site at www.fema.gov/ig/hotline.shtm will find an option to submit a complaint using Internet electronic mail. Those who submit complaints via e-mail must waive confidentiality because of the non-secure nature of Internet electronic mail systems.

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.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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Being Alert To Fraud Following Superstorm Sandy Helps Recovery And Taxpayers

New York: By the Numbers – 42

NEW YORK — The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration have approved more than $7.8 billion in direct assistance to homeowners, renters, businesses, government agencies and nonprofits that were affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Individual Assistance

  • Nearly $3.7 billion in National Flood Insurance Program payments made to policy holders
  • More than $1.5 billion in SBA disaster loans approved for homeowners, renters and businesses
  • Nearly $992 million in FEMA grants approved for individuals and households
    • Nearly $848 million for housing assistance
    • Nearly $144 million for other needs assistance

Public Assistance

  • More than $1.6 billion in Public Assistance grants to reimburse local, state and tribal governments and eligible private nonprofits for some of the costs of:
    • emergency response
    • debris removal
    • repairing or rebuilding damaged public facilities
  • 5.6 million cubic yards of debris removed

Sandy survivors should stay in touch and notify FEMA when they receive their insurance settlement, need to update their address or other contact information, or have any questions regarding their application.

Applicants may call FEMA’s Helpline at 800-621-3362 (Voice, 7-1-1/Relay) or

TTY 800-462-7585 to update FEMA. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EDT, seven days a week.

Individuals can check the status of their application at DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov.

For information about New York State recovery programs, visit www.NYSandyHelp.ny.gov or call 855-NYS-SANDY. The phone line is available 8 a.m to 8 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends.

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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.

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.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of funding for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).

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New York: By the Numbers – 42

FEMA Extends Incident Period for Massachusetts Counties’ Bombing Expenses

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.–The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved a request from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to extend by four days the incident period for which agencies may claim federal reimbursement for part of their Marathon bombing response expenses.

In April President Obama authorized FEMA to reimburse government and some private non-profit entities in Bristol, Middlesex, Norfolk and Suffolk counties for part of their bombing related expenses incurred from April 15 to 22, 2013. That period has now been extended to end on April 26.

“Many agencies continued to incur emergency response expenses for a number of days after the April 15 bombing,” said Kurt Schwartz, director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. “FEMA’s extension of the incident period is a welcome support for our police departments, hospitals and other agencies that kept Boston strong during a challenging time.”

FEMA has received requests for assistance with bombing expenses from 51 different applicants, including police and fire departments, hospitals and universities.

“FEMA will continue working with applicants to assure that all receive the maximum federal assistance we can provide,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Nick Russo.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program reimburses 75 percent of applicants’ eligible costs.

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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FEMA Extends Incident Period for Massachusetts Counties’ Bombing Expenses

FEMA Extends Case Management Program For Irene Survivors

WILLISTON, Vt. – The program that funneled federal funds through a statewide network of community action groups to help struggling Vermonters recover from Tropical Storm Irene will be extended past the two-year anniversary of the storm.

Officials with the state and Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today that the deadline for using the last of a $2.8 million Disaster Case Management Program grant will be moved from August 31 to November 30.

“The Disaster Case Management Program has proven itself successful in helping Vermonters who are still experiencing difficulties relating to Irene,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mark Landry, the head of FEMA’s Vermont operations. “It only makes sense to continue doing what’s working.”

“Case management is an important part of helping individuals and families achieve self-sufficiency,” Vermont State Coordinating Officer Ross Nagy said. “It’s an opportunity to focus on all aspects of recovery for these survivors, and continuing the case management process allows the program to maximize the use of available resources at no additional cost.”

Through the program, case managers will assist disaster survivors with developing a goal-oriented plan for their recovery, match survivors’ essential needs to available resources in the area, monitor their progress toward reaching recovery goals and, when necessary, offer survivor advocacy. Services are available to any survivor with disaster-caused unmet needs.

To learn more or access services, call 2-1-1 or contact your local Long Term Recovery Committee. A list of Long Term Recovery Committees is available at http://www.vermontdisasterrecovery.com/

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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 Extends Case Management Program For Irene Survivors

Giving Alabamians A Safe Place To Go

During the April 2011 tornadoes, Prattville, Ala. resident Ty Story took cover in a closet with his wife Becky and their three daughters using a mattress for extra protection.

“We were about a mile from where it hit,” he said of the EF-3 tornado that destroyed and damaged numerous homes in his community. “We knew it was close to us, but we couldn’t see it because our house is next to a tree line. But you could see all the trees going in different directions from the wind.”

Although the Story family and their home were undamaged, the devastation around their home and community made one decision very easy.  They quickly became one of the 4,267 Alabama families to register for and receive an individual safe room grant from the state of Alabama funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s hazard mitigation program.

“The safety of Alabama’s residents was a main priority of Governor Bentley following the April 2011 storms,” said Alabama Emergency Management Agency Director Art Faulkner, whose agency administered the program. “Our directive was to assist every homeowner and municipality who submitted the required application within the deadline to ensure they would soon have a safe place to go.”

Following federally declared disasters, states are given grant money from FEMA, through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, to help their residents and communities be more resilient in preparation for future disasters. The April 27, 2011 event in Alabama resulted in 62 tornadoes creating a path of destruction more than 1,711 miles long and causing more than 250 deaths in the state. 

Due to that devastation, the state was eligible for more than $70 million in mitigation funds.

“We knew we never wanted to face this situation again,” Faulkner said. “We wanted to give Alabama families and communities the resources they needed to be prepared.”

Because the state established priorities for mitigation projects early, FEMA was able to provide up-front funding for program management costs, allowing the state to hire and train grant reviewers early in the process. Then, as grant applications came in from communities throughout the state, reviewers were already in place to handle them.

In addition, FEMA committed staff to work in Alabama for nearly two years to help process the mitigation grant applications, said FEMA Region IV Administrator Phil May.

 “A key component in Alabama’s recovery has been the state’s commitment to implement mitigation measures to lessen the impacts of future disasters,” he said. “This allowed FEMA and state staff to work hand-in-hand during the project application and approval process.”

The partnership between the federal and state government, along with the rapid ability to receive funding wasn’t lost on the Story family, whose storm shelter is now installed underground, through their garage.  The family received 75 percent of the cost through the grant program.

“Having the peace of mind we have now? That’s just huge,” he said. “We knew we wanted one after seeing the damage. But when we heard about the program and getting reimbursement to do this, well that was just a no-brainer. With three girls in school, I’m just glad FEMA and Alabama made this decision.”

Another example of the unified effort was the FEMA and AEMA co-sponsored “Safer Alabama Summit” held in June 2011 on the University of Alabama’s campus, which allowed storm survivors and elected officials to learn more about the importance of mitigation activities and how to make informed decisions on their recovery. The summit led to numerous other mitigation-related outreach meetings and events throughout the state.

In addition to safe rooms and storm shelters, state officials also obligated money to fund generators for critical infrastructure, alert notification systems, and a project to harden portions of the Druid City Hospital’s trauma center in Tuscaloosa that also sustained damages.

Alabama Mitigation Priorities:

  • $63 million for 4,267 individual & 282 community safe rooms/storm shelters.
  • $3.6 million for alert notification systems.
  • $5 million for generators to critical infrastructure facilities.
  • $1.3 million to harden Druid City Hospital’s trauma center.

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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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Giving Alabamians A Safe Place To Go

Ohio Department of Natural Resources Receives $2,389,648 Grant for Gordon Park

CHICAGO, Ill.—The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that $2,389,648 has been made available to the Ohio Department Of Natural Resources in federal disaster aid.

On October 29-30, 2012, strong winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge associated with Hurricane Sandy caused severe damages to Gordon Park. FEMA grant funding is being made available as part of recovery efforts in response to President Obama’s federal disaster declaration of January 3, 2013, as a result of the October storms.

“Ensuring that essential services are restored and facilities are repaired is part of our continuing commitment to help the residents of Ohio recover from this disaster,” said FEMA Region V Administrator, Andrew Velasquez III.

Gordon Park is a public park owned by the city of Cleveland.  The city leases the park to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.  The park was opened in 1893 and is situated on 122 acres of land adjacent to Lake Erie.

As sub-grantee, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources plans to restore the park to its pre-disaster design, function and capacity. The grant will cover labor, equipment and materials to repair aluminum handrail pieces and posts, steel inspection plates, a concrete sidewalk and shoreline protection.  

Under Public Assistance Program funding, which will be administered by Ohio Emergency Management Agency (OEMA), FEMA provides a 75 percent federal share of eligible reimbursable expenses for this project. The federal share of the FEMA grant will provide $1,792,236 with the remaining $597,412 paid by the state and applicant. 

FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides funding to local government jurisdictions and eligible private non-profits for the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged infrastructure as well as costs incurred for debris removal, disaster cleanup and emergency actions taken to protect lives or property. The federal share of recovery costs is 75 percent. The remaining share is the responsibility of the state and local government or non-profit organization.

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 twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

FEMA Contact:   Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

OEMA Contact:  Tamara McBride, (614) 799-3695

 

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Ohio Department of Natural Resources Receives $2,389,648 Grant for Gordon Park

FEMA Announces Memorandum of Agreement with the NAACP

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) President and CEO Benjamin Jealous signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at the NAACP’s 104th Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida.

The Agreement will expand outreach to traditionally underserved communities through the NAACP network of more than 200,000 members.  Through the MOA, FEMA and the NAACP have joined forces to ensure the needs of underrepresented communities are more fully incorporated into disaster preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation-related activities. The two agencies also will share information such as lessons learned, best practices and training resources, to improve community resilience.   

“As a nation, our resiliency depends on our ability to work together to empower communities as part of the emergency management team before, during and after a disaster,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “Today’s agreement builds on a long-standing partnership between FEMA and the NAACP, and leverages both institutions’ resources and networks to improve the ‘Whole Community’s’ disaster preparedness, response and recovery.”

“We are pleased to expand our partnership with FEMA to ensure all communities are prepared when confronted with an emergency,” stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “This is a critical step toward providing underrepresented communities the tools and training they need to respond and recover after disasters.”

“From the Deepwater Horizon Incident, to the 2011 Tornadoes in Alabama, to Superstorm Sandy, we have seen the worst and best of disproportionate impact of disaster on marginalized communities and inspiring community resilience.  Communities have been devastated by loss of life, property, culture and more,” said Jealous.  “While at the same time there have been awesome examples of communities coming together to build stronger neighborhoods with cooperation between community members and equity and justice based allocation of resources.  With this partnership we will work together to improve the ability of emergency management systems to serve people on the margins as well as strengthen community resilience,” said Jealous.

The NAACP has been an active member of the emergency management team through collaborative efforts including: NAACP senior leadership participation on FEMA’s National Advisory Council, hosting emergency preparedness engagement activities at the NAACP Annual Convention, and NAACP staff training on emergency management and community preparedness. The Agreement strengthens the “whole community” approach to emergency management and will greatly improve communities’ access to information to help individuals, families and communities stay safe before, during and after an emergency or disaster.

More information and resources for helping communities prepare for a disaster are available at www.CitizenCorps.gov.

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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FEMA Announces Memorandum of Agreement with the NAACP

Fema, New Jersey Show Maps At Mercer Open House

TRENTON, N.J. — FEMA and the State of New Jersey will be holding an open house at the Mercer County Public Library in Lawrenceville on Wednesday, July 24, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide information and answer questions about the revised preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Flood Insurance Study for Mercer County, New Jersey, which were released on May 30, 2013. The library is located at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville. 

Residents will have the opportunity to view the maps at the open house or at the Lawrenceville Municipal Office.

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.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.

Originally posted here:  

Fema, New Jersey Show Maps At Mercer Open House

Federal Disaster Aid to Illinois Residents Tops $131.1 Million

AURORA, Ill. – Federal assistance in Illinois has reached more than $134.1 million, distributed among more than 54,540 individuals and households, since a major disaster was declared for storms and flooding that occurred April 16 through May 5.

Storm damage after May 5 is not included in the presidential disaster declaration for Illinois.

The latest summary of federal assistance includes:

  • More than $134.1 million in FEMA grants approved for individuals and households;
  • Of that amount, more than $115 million has been approved for housing assistance, including temporary rental assistance and home repair costs;
  • More than $18 million has been approved to cover other essential disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses and damaged personal possessions;
  • More than 81,500 home inspections have been completed to confirm disaster damage;
  • More than $33.2 million in loans to homeowners, renters or business owners has been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

To address unmet needs, LaSalle County has organized a Long-Term Recovery Committee (LTRC) with the help of FEMA’s Voluntary Agency Liaison division. LaSalle County experienced some of the most severe damage from the storms, especially in Marseilles where a large portion of the town’s residents were affected, with over 200 having to vacate their homes.

In the next several weeks, the Lutheran Disaster Response will be providing guidance to the LTRC to canvass affected areas to determine who may have unmet needs for housing and rental assistance, construction and repair help, food, clothing, spiritual and emotional guidance or financial support.

In Illinois, 82 out of its 102 counties and 770 communities have adopted and enforce floodplain ordinances, making residents eligible to purchase flood insurance. Flooding accounts for more than 90 percent of declared disasters in Illinois. The state has one of the largest inland systems of rivers, lakes and streams in the United States with nearly 15 percent of its total land area flood prone.

Two additional counties have been added to the major disaster declaration for individual assistance. Putnam and Warren county survivors along with survivors of the 33 counties already declared for individual assistance now have until July 24 to register for federal disaster assistance.

Individuals can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. People who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) can call 800-621-3362. For more information, visit the Illinois Disaster website www.fema.gov/disaster/4116.

Multilingual phone operators are available on the FEMA helpline. Choose Option 2 for Spanish and Option 3 for other languages.

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 twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only.  

FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

Media Contact: 571-408-1835

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Federal Disaster Aid to Illinois Residents Tops $131.1 Million

Hotline Available For New Jersey Flood Map Information

TRENTON, N.J. — As the Federal Emergency Management Agency continues to release Preliminary Work Maps of flood zones in New Jersey, residents with questions about National Flood Insurance Program policies have a helpline to call to get the most up-to-date information.

New Jersey residents who need information about flood insurance based on the newly released National Flood Insurance Program Preliminary Work Maps for New Jersey may call 877-287-9804 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Policyholders with questions or concerns about their claims may also speak with NFIP specialists at 877-287-9804.

The helpline operates from 8 a.m.to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Additional information is available at www.floodsmart.gov.

Additional information about the coastal mapping efforts and Hurricane Sandy recovery can be found on the Region 2 Coastal Analysis Mapping website at www.region2coastal.com.

More information on New Jersey disaster recovery is available online at www.fema.gov/disaster/4086 or www.state.nj.us/njoem. FEMA is also on Twitter at twitter.com/femasandy and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/femasandy. For information on ways of building stronger, safer and smarter, visit www.fema.gov.

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.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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Hotline Available For New Jersey Flood Map Information

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