ICYMI: FEMA Administrator Meets with Israeli Mayoral Delegation to Discuss Emergency Management

WASHINGTON -- FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell met with a delegation of Israeli mayors in Brooklyn, New York, Thursday to discuss the importance of local emergency management capacity and the role of elected officials in supporting an effective disaster response and recovery, especially immediately following an event.

This meeting was in support of the December 2021 Memorandum of Understanding between FEMA and Israel’s National Emergency Management Authority. The first-of-its-kind Israeli Executive Education delegation followed Administrator Criswell’s meeting with European crisis managers earlier this year, further underscoring the importance of partnerships with the international disaster community.

“Disasters are universal and are best managed when we come together, both here at home and abroad. We deeply value our partnership with Israel and our other international partners, as we collectively work to strengthen disaster preparedness and climate resilience across our nations,” said Administrator Criswell. “By broadening our knowledge of mitigation and preparedness techniques, we are better poised to give our respective communities the help they need and deserve. We are face-to-face with a global, growing threat landscape, and we can only meet the challenges before us, together.”

The Israeli delegation visit is part of an ongoing bilateral relationship agreement between the United States and Israel. In May, FEMA leadership traveled Israel to and observed their National Level Exercise.  The U.S.-Israel emergency management partnership enhances each nation’s response capabilities at all levels of government.

Earlier this week, the Israeli delegation had a similar opportunity, touring FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) in Washington, D.C. The six visiting Israeli mayors also went to FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where they participated in tabletop disaster exercises. The delegation concluded its trip in New York City, meeting with the New York City’s Office of Emergency Management.

 

WASHINGTON -- Six city mayors from Israel visited FEMA headquarters as part of the first of its kind Executive Education delegation. The mayors received a tour of the National Response Coordination Center and learned about how FEMA supports disaster preparedness and response. (FEMA Photo)

 

EMMITSBURG, Md. -- Six Israeli mayors spent two days at the U.S. Fire Administration's National Emergency Training Center and FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute learning about crisis management and incident stabilization. They also took part in a tabletop exercise to learn about enhancing cities’ disaster response and recovery. (FEMA Photo)

NEW YORK -- FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell meets with the Israeli mayoral delegation in Brooklyn, New York, to discuss emergency management and kick off their final day in the United States. (FEMA Photo)

mayshaunt.gary Fri, 07/15/2022 - 17:18

FEMA Announces Programs Included in the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative to Increase Equity, Community Resilience

WASHINGTON -- Today, FEMA released an initial list of programs covered under the Biden-Harris Administration's Justice40  Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, clean water and other investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, overburdened and underserved. There are four covered programs within FEMA, each of which advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to environmental justice.

President Biden is committed to securing environmental justice and spurring economic opportunity for disadvantaged communities that are marginalized and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment in housing, transportation, water and wastewater infrastructure, and health care.

Under Administrator Deanne Criswell’s leadership, FEMA has been integral to fulfilling the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach to advancing environmental justice and delivering on the President’s Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, including the critical Justice40 Initiative.

“The Justice40 Initiative strengthens FEMA’s commitment to ensure quick and equitable distribution of funds and benefits to the communities who need it most,” said Administrator Criswell. “We know that socially vulnerable communities bear the brunt of climate change and are more likely to be impacted by the associated extreme weather events. Thanks to President Biden and the Justice40 Initiative, FEMA will be able to better serve these communities by making them more resilient when disaster strikes.”

“Disasters don’t discriminate, yet their impacts are always felt the hardest by vulnerable and underserved communities. With the growing threat of climate change increasing the devastation caused by hurricanes and other disasters, we have to act in order to protect communities throughout our nation,” said FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik Hooks. “By implementing President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative across critical resilience programs, we will build on the work FEMA is doing to ensure more equitable outcomes when it comes to community preparedness and resilience.”

In total, hundreds of federal programs, including programs that were funded or created in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, are being reimagined and transformed to maximize benefits to disadvantaged communities through the Justice40 Initiative.

Programs in FEMA covered by the Justice40 Initiative include the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities and Flood Mitigation Assistance competitive annual grant programs, which both provide Hazard Mitigation Assistance to state, local, tribal and territorial governments to make communities more resilient from natural hazards. Also included are FEMA Risk Mapping, Assessment and Planning and the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program, which help to ensure that communities are prepared for disasters.

Through the Flood Mitigation Assistance program, the Justice40 Initiative also covers the Swift Current Initiative, which is the first FEMA initiative funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to strengthen national preparedness and resilience. The Swift Current Initiative aims to better align the delivery of flood mitigation funding to provide improved support to disaster survivors by expediting Flood Mitigation Assistance awards following a disaster, rather than through an annual grant application cycle.

The initial list of announced federal covered programs can be found at www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/.

mayshaunt.gary Fri, 07/15/2022 - 15:36

The DOE and FEMA Host PR100 Six-Month Progress Update Webinar July 21

Guaynabo, Puerto Rico –─ Join the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) project team conducting the Puerto Rico Grid Resilience and Transition to 100% Renewable Energy Study (PR100) for a public webinar and Q&A on July 21, 2022, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 pm E.T. They will present the progress made at the six-month mark of this important stakeholder-informed study and the critical information it provides for Puerto Rico’s power sector recovery and deployment of renewable energy.

DOE is committed to strengthening Puerto Rico’s grid resilience and advancing new initiatives to enhance their energy future,” said the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electricity Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Gil Bindewald. “DOE, along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), are leveraging the expertise and world-class capabilities of our national labs to conduct the PR100 study, a community-driven and locally tailored pathways to help Puerto Rico meet their renewable energy goals, improve power sector resilience, and increase access to more affordable energy and cleaner air.”

Puerto Rico committed to meeting its electricity needs with 100% renewable energy by 2050 in the Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act of 2019 (Act 17). Various technology solutions, including renewable generation, energy storage, distributed generation, and energy efficient loads, can be deployed to meet Puerto Rico’s energy targets for end-use electrification and phase-out of fossil fuels. The robust modeling and analysis of the national labs can measure the impacts and tradeoffs of different pathways through 2050 to help the people of Puerto Rico make informed choices. The study is led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and convenes subject matter experts across six national laboratories.

Since PR100 was launched last February, the project team has met monthly with energy sector stakeholders to discuss considerations such as energy justice, land use, data inputs, and definitions of resilience, as well as desired project outputs. From this insight, the team defined four potential ways, or scenarios, in which Puerto Rico can meet its near-term renewable energy targets until reaching the ultimate goal of 100% by 2050. The primary distinction between the four scenarios is varying levels of distributed solar photovoltaics (PV) and energy storage, and all will result in increased energy reliability and resilience. The next phase of the study will focus on modeling the feasibility, impacts, and tradeoffs of each scenario.

“In close collaboration with DOE and the Government of Puerto Rico, we remain focused on supporting this project as part of our shared vision to restore the electric system on the island in a manner that is resilient against the impacts of future disasters,” said FEMA’s Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator José Baquero.

PR100 is supported by FEMA through an interagency agreement with DOE’s Office of Electricity to address the need for resilient, reliable, and affordable energy in every city and community in Puerto Rico. The results—including data, visualizations, and models—will help Puerto Rico’s energy systems stakeholders make informed decisions, mitigate risks, and strengthen confidence in future investments and their alignment with Puerto Rico’s renewable energy goals.

The primary vehicle for community feedback in PR100 is an advisory group made up of more than 80 Puerto Rico energy system stakeholders. They provide invaluable expertise and perspectives from academia, community-based and environmental organizations, private solar and storage developers, and sectors. The Hispanic Federation of Puerto Rico has also joined the project team to serve as meeting facilitator and to advise on effective community engagement.

The webinar on July 21, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. E.T., will detail the frameworks for four clean energy scenarios that would achieve Puerto Rico’s goals for resilience and 100% renewable energy. This event is open to the public and all are welcome to register to attend and participate in a Q&A with the PR100 team. Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided, as well as closed captioning. Leadership from DOE, FEMA, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development will provide a progress update on Puerto Rico recovery work and their plans for the future.

For more regular updates on the PR100 study, join the online community for PR Energy Recovery and Resilience. Members receive updates from DOE and the multi-lab project team and connect with each other to implement the pathway to 100% renewable energy. Register here to join the community, hosted on Mobilize.

frances.acevedo-pico Fri, 07/15/2022 - 10:54

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Minnesota

WASHINGTON ­-- FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Minnesota to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by the severe storms, straight-line winds and flooding April 22 – June 15, 2022.

Public assistance federal funding is available to the state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance under public assistance, in Beltrami, Clearwater, Cook, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau and St. Louis counties; and the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Red Lake Nation and the White Earth Nation.

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

Brian F. Schiller has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further assessments.

mayshaunt.gary Thu, 07/14/2022 - 19:55

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Major Disaster Declaration for North Dakota

WASHINGTON -- FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of North Dakota to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by the severe winter storm and flooding April 22-May 25, 2022.

Public assistance federal funding is available to the state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance under public assistance, in Adams, Barnes, Billings, Bottineau, Burke, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Foster, Golden Valley, Grand Forks, Grant, Griggs, Hettinger, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mountrail, Nelson, Oliver, Pembina, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Steele, Stutsman, Towner, Traill, Walsh, Ward, Wells and Williams counties.

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

Alana B. Khun has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further assessments.

mayshaunt.gary Thu, 07/14/2022 - 19:41

ICYMI FEMA Administrator Criswell Delivers Keynote Remarks on Climate Change, Community Resilience at 2022 ESRI User Conference

WASHINGTON -- On Monday July 11, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell delivered keynote remarks at the 2022 Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) User Conference in San Diego, California. At the event, she discussed how geospatial and predictive forecasting tools help to make communities more resilient in the face of climate change and support FEMA’s readiness to respond to disasters. 

“We have to understand the threats that we have faced in the past, but we have to be better prepared for the threats that we are going to face in the future, because our landscape is changing,” said Administrator Criswell. “We have to start to embrace the fact that our world is changing around us, and we have to be able to use this type of technology to help us plan for the future. This type of predictive data ... has never been more important to help our emergency management community get ahead of the threats that we are going to face in the future.”

The Administrator’s remarks as delivered can be found below. Following her remarks, she participated in a sit-down conversation with Esri President and Founder Jack Dangermond.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell delivers remarks during the Esri User Conference July 11.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell discusses wildlife probability at the at the Esri User Conference July 11.

 FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell speaks with Esri President and Founder Jack Dangermond.

 

Tackling Climate Change by Building Community Resilience Administrator Criswell’s remarks as transcribed

Let me just start by saying the nation needs you. And for those of you who are watching from around the world, your nations need you as well.

I’m Deanne Criswell. I’m the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. What you just saw is what we call our anthem. This is our visual depiction of our strategic plan that is helping us achieve our vision of helping us become the FEMA that our nation needs and deserves.

And what I want to talk to all of you about today, is how important your role is in helping us achieve that vision of helping us help people before, during and after disasters. Before I start, I would just like to thank Jack and this entire ESRI team, the outstanding work that went into making this event possible. I don’t know about all of you, but I have been inspired. I have been motivated and I have all kinds of ideas that I know when I go back, my team is going to say stop sending her to these things, because there’s so many things that I’ve learned today that are just going to help us do our jobs better.

And my goal today is to empower all of you, empower you to see yourself as part of that mission of helping us build a more prepared and more resilient nation.  Because the truth is, we need your help now, more than we ever have.

So, what does our threat landscape look like? Well, I can tell you from my experiences, just in the last year alone, my time in this position, that no one is immune. All of you, in all of your communities, are experiencing disasters, natural hazard threats like we’ve never seen before.

When I think about the west coast, I think about wildfires. I think about how we no longer have a wildfire season. We have a year-long wildfire threat. Just earlier this year, New Mexico had their largest wildfire in their history. In December of last year, we had a wildfire that ripped through a suburban area of Boulder, Colorado, destroying over 1,000 homes in just a matter of hours. When I think about the Midwest, and I think about tornadoes. I think about a tornado that went through Mayfield, Kentucky. The longest tornado on record, happening in December. We normally think about tornadoes happening in the spring or the summer, not in December.

When I think about the tropics, and I think about tropical storms, we can just look back to last summer -- Hurricane Ida. We’re seeing more and more major hurricanes than we ever have before. Category 4, Category 5. Hurricane Ida, Category 4 hurricane. Made landfall -- stayed a Category 4 hurricane for several hours. Unheard of. When they make landfall, they usually dissipate. Not Ida. But she wasn’t done yet. She then traveled across nine states and finished her path of destruction, on the east coast. So that brings me to floods and flash flooding. New York City had a record rainfall amount from this post tropical system. A record that they broke that was set just two weeks before.

And then I think about heat. I think about heat domes that we’re seeing in the Pacific Northwest. You’ve heard a lot today about these types of threats that are going on. In fact, I read an article just the other day, that scientists believe that they can now directly link these heat domes are a direct result of climate change. And if you didn’t know, heat-related deaths are the no. 1 killer in America from natural hazards.

No one in this room is immune. The disasters that we are seeing, they’re increasing. They’re growing.

So when I look at this map, right here. This is a representation of all of the major disaster declarations FEMA has given since the year 2000. You can see areas that are in darker red, which means that they are getting repetitive disasters year after year.

But this is just those that got a major disaster declaration. This does not include all of those other events that just don’t rise to that level. Events that are still impacting communities each and every day.

It’s history. History is important. We have to understand the threats that we have faced in the past, but we have to be better prepared for the threats that we are going to face in the future, because our landscape is changing.

We have another map here that talks about the potential wildfire probability through the year 2052 -- showing increased risk across the nation in areas that haven’t traditionally experienced this type of wildfire risk. We also earlier today, some of the work that’s coming out of the President’s Climate Office, that’s showing other future risk. We have to start to embrace the fact that our world is changing around us, and we have to be able to use this type of technology to help us plan for the future. This type of predictive data geospatial science has never been more important to help our emergency management community get ahead of the threats that we are going to face in the future.  Because right now, today and in the future, we are looking to data more than we ever have to help drive our decisions and our ability to help people.

So where does this information come from? Who’s behind this information? I learned a lot today about where a lot of this information is coming from, and all of the people that are behind creating all these amazing tools. I’m going to give you an example on one of our tools and how we use this information to help drive our decision making to help drive how we direct resources to help people. This right here is our National Risk Index. You can find this on fema.gov, and this gives us information about different risks that receive, those that I just talked about, and it combines it with social vulnerability, with community resilience, and it gives us a 30,000-foot view of really what the risk really is across our nation. This is powerful. This is such a powerful tool for us to use for emergency managers to be able to go in here and better understand the risks and their communities, so they can help develop their investments to help reduce the impacts of these risks.  We will not be able to keep up with the response and the recovery cycle if these threats continue to grow. We need information like this to help us get ahead of it and reduce those impacts.

The individuals can use this risk index as well.  We have seen through the COVID-19 pandemic a number of people who have moved across the country. They’re living in areas that they haven’t lived in before. They’re living with risk that they may have never experienced in the past. Tools like this, individuals can now go in, tools that we saw earlier today, and learn what their risk is in their communities so they can figure out how to plan and prepare to protect their families better.

So let’s get a little bit deeper in this. How do we use this information? Well, I’m going to start by having you look at the imagery behind me, behind all of these screens here. I talked a little bit ago, about Mayfield, Kentucky. The tornado that went through in December of last year. This is the imagery from that tornado. This is the imagery from the destruction that that tornado caused. So why is this so important? Well, this imagery is important because the sooner we can get it, and in this case, getting this kind of fidelity, this kind of eyes on without having to spend people in the field, within hours, within days of an incident happening, directly informed my recommendation to the President of the United States to say this needs to be a major disaster declaration. In the past, we would have sent people in the field. We would have walked around neighborhoods for days or even weeks to come up with that determination. But by using imagery that helps us make those decisions sooner so we can get people on the ground. Myself and my team, we were on the ground within 48 hours of this tornado making landfall.

Now we go a little deeper. We look at this image right here behind me. This now takes that path of the tornado, and it overlays it on top of that national risk index. We can now look at our neighborhoods that are the most vulnerable in society in general and see who has been impacted by this disaster, by this tornado. We can pinpoint those neighborhoods, instantly almost, and direct our resources to go in there, instead of trying to figure out again days or weeks of where the damage is. We can use this kind of information, focus those resources, get them to those neighborhoods that we know are going to need it most, especially those communities that are most vulnerable.

We’ll take it a step further. We will also add our applicant registration data. So when there’s a major disaster declaration, an individual can call FEMA, they can go online and they can ask for help. We take that information and lay it on top of here and I can see who has asked for help. But more importantly, I can see you hasn’t asked for help. I can see those communities that are the most vulnerable and I can see whether or not they have registered for assistance. And if they haven’t, I can take my people, our resources to them. Because in the end, it is all about people. It is people first.

This image is an example of our disaster survivor Assistance teams, one of our most powerful resources that we have. They are the face of FEMA immediately after a disaster happens, and with the type of information and the type of data that I just talked about, I can direct them to the street level of where to go help people. They go down with their iPads. They register them for assistance right in their front yard, and many of them will have financial assistance in their bank accounts within a few days. Powerful. Really helps us get to people. Helps us bring our services to the people, instead of making them figure out how to navigate our level of bureaucracy.

But we cannot do this alone. This is all about partnerships. This is about mapping common ground. One of the strengths of the emergency management community is partnerships. We know who to bring together to make sure we’re having the right conversations. Our emergency management community, they do not have to be the subject matter experts in what we’re trying to solve. They know though, who is, and they know how to bring them together and have those conversations. An example of this is our NRCC -- our National Response Coordination Center. This is where we bring our federal family together at FEMA headquarters -- our nonprofit partners, our NGOs, sometimes our private sector, and we sit side by side and we share information. We work together and collaboratively to solve the tough problems that we are being faced with.

But as you can see from the threats that we are facing this person-to-person relationship going into the future is not going to be enough. We have to have digital handshakes. We have to have the ability to share information digitally, quickly, so we can make quicker decisions to help people. Our Geospatial Resource Center is a great example of how we are doing this digitally. This is our digital NRCC. This is where all of our different federal family, our private sector, our NGOs are inputting their data to help us solve the tough, complex challenges that we are facing today.

But we don’t just do this during response. We use this portal, this hub, before, during and after disasters. So, before disasters, we partner with agencies like NOAA, with USGS, with NASA. They give us predictive information. They give us modeling, so we’re not only solving our problems based on historical data, but we’re looking to the future, we’re looking to what those trends are going to be to help guide our local emergency managers, our state emergency managers and how they can better invest their money to reduce the impacts that we’re seeing from these disasters. We have to be able to use this information before so we can build a stronger, more resilient nation.

But when we do have to respond, I think you heard me say in the video, time is our most precious commodity. We have to have information quickly, so we can save lives. We gather information from our partners like the American Red Cross and our local first responders. They give us valuable information to help us better understand the impacts that this disaster is having. We use things like remote sensing to help us better identify where people might be. A really great example of this is the tragic events that happened in June of last year, just over a year ago in Miami, Florida, with the Surfside condo collapse. Our urban search and rescue teams, they used remote sensing to help direct and target where they were going to do their search efforts. When minutes if not seconds, were going to make a difference. It was this type of technology that helps focus our efforts so precisely that we can do the most good for the most people.

But then after, we want to build more resilience. We want our communities to come out of this stronger. So, we partner with companies, partners like the Army Corps of Engineers the Department of Transportation, or local public works departments. We work with them as we are trying to rebuild these communities, as we are helping them repair their infrastructure. So, we can repair it better and more resilient, so they can withstand the impacts of these future threats that we are going to face.

So, I have a call to action for all of you. Right now, your nation needs you more than it ever has.  As I said, nobody is immune. I bet many of you in this room have experienced some type of natural disaster, natural weather event. So, what I need you to do is a few things. I need your ideas. I need your creativity. I need your passion. Everything that we heard this morning is so inspiring. And it’s that that type of creativity and passion that needs to continue, so we can continue to get better at what we’re doing. I need you to connect and grow with each other in this room. This is such an amazing opportunity to make new relationships, learn new things, get ideas, go back to your agencies and help them see how they can do things better. I need you to develop and continue to push to develop innovative tools. So much of what we saw today – so much creativity and innovation out there. It’s only going to continue to get better and make the biggest difference in people’s lives.

This room is full of the brightest minds that are out there. If there is anybody that can help us solve these types of tough problems, it’s everybody here in this room. So, I ask you this, keep pushing the boundaries, keep innovating and creating. So we can save the most lives, we can protect the most property and we can create sustainable communities for generations to come, for our children, for our grandchildren to thrive in.

I will leave you with this: Remember, from challenge comes change -- so let’s begin.

mayshaunt.gary Wed, 07/13/2022 - 18:33

FEMA, AARP Release New Resources to Help Local Communities Protect Older Adults Before, During and After Natural Disasters

WASHINGTON -- As the United States enters peak hurricane season, FEMA and AARP have released new resources to help local officials and emergency managers protect older adults in their communities before, during and after natural disasters and support communities in mitigating the effects of extreme weather events.

The “Guide to Expanding Mitigation: Making the Connection to Older Adults,” released by FEMA and AARP, highlights how natural hazards uniquely affect older adults and provides recommendations for how emergency managers, planners, local officials and community members can include older adults in community efforts to lower their risks. The AARP Disaster Resilience Tool Kit features strategies to help local, state and community leaders and advocates reduce the risk and impacts of disasters on older adults.

“Adults aged 65 and older are a growing demographic who are often disproportionately impacted by severe weather. These disparities can be compounded by other factors, such as low income or chronic illness, producing inequitable results for this vulnerable population when it comes to disaster preparedness,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “Effective mitigation planning requires that we consider the needs of all populations, and FEMA’s partnership with AARP on these guides will help community planners ensure our older communities are more resilient in the face of hurricanes and other natural disasters.”

“By 2034, adults ages 65 and over will outnumber those under 18 in the United States for the first time. This has profound implications during natural disasters and extreme weather events,” said Nancy LeaMond, Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer at AARP. “State and local leaders and emergency officials must be better equipped and prepared to ensure that older adults are kept safe and their needs are met when a disaster strikes.”

A growing body of evidence shows that older adults are disproportionately impacted by the types of weather-related emergencies and natural disasters that are becoming increasingly frequent and severe. Individuals who have chronic illnesses, functional limitations or disabilities are especially vulnerable, as evidenced by the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on older adults. Not only are older people at a higher risk of death from infectious diseases and disasters, but the long-term effects on those who survive often undermine their physical and mental health, economic security and overall wellbeing.

Although many communities support older adults in preparation for disasters, expanded mitigation planning can help reduce the loss of life and property by minimizing the impact of disasters before they happen. Mitigation actions and strategies that make cities, towns and neighborhoods safer for older adults can benefit all residents and increase community resilience overall.

The guide and tool kit are the result of a multi-year collaboration between AARP and FEMA to identify and provide resources, spark ideas and encourage organizations to better engage older Americans in disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery operations. This long-term, strategic alliance aims to advance accessible, safe and livable communities for people of all ages.

To view and download the “Guide to Expanding Mitigation: Making the Connection to Older Adults,” visit FEMA.gov. To view, download or request a print copy of the AARP Disaster Resilience Tool Kit, visit AARP.org/DisasterResilience.

mayshaunt.gary Wed, 07/13/2022 - 16:48

Kaufman County, Texas Flood Maps Become Final

DENTON, Texas – New flood maps have been finalized and will become effective on Jan. 12, 2023, for Kaufman County, Texas. During the next six months, a FEMA compliance specialist will work with the community to update each floodplain ordinance and adopt these new flood maps.

Residents are encouraged to examine the maps to determine if they are in a low-to-moderate or high-risk flood zone. The current and future Flood Insurance Rate Map can be viewed on FEMA’s Flood Map Changes Viewer at https://msc.fema.gov/fmcv.

By understanding flood risks, individuals can decide which insurance option is best for their situation. Community leaders can use these maps to make informed decisions about building standards and development that will make the community more resilient and lessen the impacts of a flooding event.

Anyone without flood insurance risks uninsured losses to their home, personal property and business. Flood insurance is available either through a private policy or through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for those in communities who participate in the NFIP. Residents with federally backed mortgages must have flood insurance if their structures are in the Special Flood Hazard Area.

Contact your local floodplain administrator (FPA) to review the new flood maps and learn more about your risk of flooding. A FEMA Map Specialist can help identify your community FPA and answer questions about the maps as well. Contact them by phone or online chat.

• To use the live chat service, visit http://go.usa.gov/r6C (just click on the “Live Chat” icon).
• To contact a FEMA Map Specialist, call 1-877-FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627) or send an email to FEMAMapSpecialist@riskmapcds.com.

There are cost-saving options available for those newly mapped into a high-risk flood zone. Learn more about your flood insurance options by talking with your insurance agent or visiting https://www.floodsmart.gov.

Carmen.Castro Tue, 07/12/2022 - 14:25

FEMA is Hiring – Join New Mexico Wildfire Recovery Team

SANTA FE, New Mexico – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has an immediate need to employ residents of New Mexico as temporary local hires to assist with disaster response and recovery efforts. Local hire employees are local residents who aid in the recovery of the community and help their fellow citizens in the recovery process. Apply for this exciting opportunity!

Do you like working outside ensuring materials get to where they are needed? Do you like coordinating with non-profit agencies to locate resources for residents in need? Maybe you prefer overseeing grants to ensure neighbors and communities are being helped. There are various jobs available to aid with community recovery needs, mostly in Santa Fe, that may match your skill set.

Available positions include:

Logistics Specialists: usajobs.gov/job/664117800. Application period closes July 14 or when 100 applications have been received, which may be sooner than the date.

Mitigation Grants Specialists: usajobs.gov/job/664056000. Application period closes July 14 or when 200 applications have been received, which may be sooner than the date.

Voluntary Agency Liaison Specialists: usajobs.gov/job/664322300. Application period closes July 15 or when 100 applications have been received, which may be sooner than the date.

Most temporary local hires are employed through a streamlined hiring process. A local hire’s term of employment is 120 days, though it may be extended in 120-day increments. Visit the link above for additional information, including job responsibilities and compensation.

FEMA is an equal opportunity employer. Salaries are comparable to local pay rates.

Conditions of Employment:

You must be a U.S. citizen to be considered for this position.

You must successfully pass a background investigation.

Selective Service registration is required for males born after Dec. 31, 1959.

Review job announcements for additional conditions of employment.

To see other FEMA career postings, visit fema.gov/careers.

To address many of the common myths and rumors during the New Mexico wildfires, FEMA activated a rumor/myth webpage. You can access it online at fema.gov/nm-rumors.

For the latest information on the wildfires, visit fema.gov/disaster/4652. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/FEMARegion6 and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/FEMARegion6/.

thomas.wise Mon, 07/11/2022 - 22:00

FEMA Welcomes New Emergency Management Exchange Selectees

WASHINGTON -- Today, FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik A. Hooks welcomed the first group of participants in the new FEMA Emergency Management Exchange program.

First announced by Administrator Deanne Criswell in March, the new program offers state, tribal, local and territorial emergency managers and government officials the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with FEMA senior leadership. The program also provides a new avenue to strengthen FEMA’s partnerships with state, territory, tribal and local emergency managers to increase community resilience against disasters.

“Today, FEMA welcomes four talented and dedicated public servants to join us on a new collaboration we expect will produce tremendous results,” said Deputy Administrator Hooks. “The willingness of these emergency managers to join us here presents us with opportunities to learn from each other, share best practices and break down barriers, enabling us to better serve communities across our nation.”  

The Emergency Management Exchange brings FEMA closer to our stakeholders and highlights the agency’s focus on strengthening the emergency management workforce, a key goal of the 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan.

The selected participants were nominated by their home organizations and bring a variety of experiences to their pre-identified exchange assignment.

FEMA is pleased to welcome the following government partners to join us for the 2022 Emergency Management Exchange.

• Chas Eby, Deputy Executive Director, Maryland Department of Emergency Management will work to help deliver disaster recovery assistance to survivors and communities in the Recovery Directorate assignment.
• Delanie Edmunds, Emergency Planner, Idaho Office of Emergency Management will support the mobilization and direction of emergency response resources and capabilities in the Response Directorate assignment.
• Alexandra Gallo, California Strategic Growth Council, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research will work on climate adaptation policy, programming and public information and services in the Resilience: Climate assignment.
• Paige Nutter, Hazard Mitigation Coordinator, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma will help to improve disaster outcomes for underserved communities and ensure equitable delivery of FEMA’s programs and services in the Resilience: Equity assignment.

This Emergency Management Exchange will run from July to December 2022, with a future session planned from January to June 2023, where FEMA will send four of its federal employees to participating non-federal governmental programs.

To learn more about the emergency management exchange or the work assignments, visit the Emergency Manager Exchange web page.

mayshaunt.gary Mon, 07/11/2022 - 21:26

FEMA Awards State Of Rhode Island Nearly $31 Million For COVID Testing Costs

BOSTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending nearly $31 million to the State of Rhode Island to reimburse the state health department for the costs of providing testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $30,998,531 Public Assistance grant will go to the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) for contracting with laboratory partners ACCU Reference Medical Lab, Dominion Diagnostics and East Side Clinical Laboratory to complete a total of 426,413 COVID-19 tests between April 2020 and May 2021.

RIDOH also provided medical supplies and other materials which were used at the Rhode Island State Health Laboratory, mobile test sites, and the community-based testing sites like the Convention Center in Providence and in grocery stores throughout the state. RIDOH deducted $2.5 million from its costs for estimated medical payments it received from insurance companies for the processing of the COVID-19 tests.

“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist the State of Rhode Island with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the pandemic fight is critical to their success, and our success as a nation.”

FEM’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.

These grants brings the total awarded by FEMA to the State of Rhode Island to more than $499 million to reimburse the state for pandemic-related expenses.

adrien.urbani Mon, 07/11/2022 - 21:16

FEMA Awards Almost $4.1 Million to State of New Hampshire for COVID Testing

BOSTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending nearly $4.1 million to the State of New Hampshire to reimburse the state for the cost of providing testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $4,080,860 FEMA Public Assistance grant to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services will reimburse it for contracting to provide 22,988 COVID-19 tests between October and December 2021. The state contracted with Clear ChoiceMD MSO, LLC to set up testing sites at four Clear ChoiceMD Urgent Care locations in Nashua, Claremont, Manchester, and Newington. These were walk-in sites serving the general public.

“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist the State of New Hampshire with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the pandemic fight is critical to their success, and our success as a nation.”

FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.

So far, FEMA has provided more than $137 million in Public Assistance grants to New Hampshire to reimburse the state for pandemic-related expenses.

adrien.urbani Mon, 07/11/2022 - 21:14

FEMA Awards Nearly $1.6 Million to City of Portland for COVID Sheltering Expenses

BOSTON –The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending almost $1.6 million to the City of Portland to reimburse the cost of using hotel rooms to isolate vulnerable homeless shelter populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $1,588,241 Public Assistance grant will go to the city to cover the cost of providing hotel rooms as non-congregate shelter to populations who needed to be isolated from general shelter populations between October 2020 and May 2021.

Approximately 1,022 individuals and 163 families were housed in hotels including brands such as Howard Johnson, Comfort Inn, and Motel 6 as part of the effort to protect persons in congregate shelter facilities from infection.

“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist the City of Portland with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the pandemic fight is critical to their success, and our success as a nation.”

So far, FEMA has provided more than $142 million in Public Assistance grants to Maine to reimburse the state for pandemic-related expenses.

adrien.urbani Mon, 07/11/2022 - 21:11

FEMA Awards Nearly $2.1 Million to Worcester Polytechnic Institute for COVID-19 Testing

BOSTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending almost $2.1 million to the Worcester Polytechnic Institute to reimburse the university for the cost of contracting to test students and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $2,072,983 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the private science and engineering university in Worcester for the cost of diagnostic testing between August and December 2021.

Using contracts with the Clinical Research Sequencing Platform, (Broad Institutes, Inc. Harvard & Massachusetts Institute of Technology) WPI tested approximately 176,290 students and employees so that those infected with COVID-19 could be removed quickly from campus and interactive activities, thus preventing outbreaks.

“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Worcester Polytechnic Institute with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Providing resources for our institutions of higher education to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is critical to their success, and to our success as a nation.”

FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states, communities and certain private non profit organizations recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.

So far, FEMA has provided more than $1 billion in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.

adrien.urbani Mon, 07/11/2022 - 21:09

FEMA Awards More Than $29 Million To State of Connecticut For COVID Testing

BOSTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending more than $29 million to the State of Connecticut to reimburse the state for the cost of providing testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $29,085,642 FEMA Public Assistance grant to the Connecticut State Comptroller’s Office will reimburse it for contracting to provide 381,181 COVID-19 tests between April and June 2021. The Comptroller’s Office contracted the following vendors to conduct COVID testing: CIC Health, SEMA4 Genomics, Griffen Hospital, Minute Clinic/CVS, Quest Diagnostics, Yale New Haven Hospital, Bridgeport Hospital and Physician One Urgent Care Hospital.

The populations tested included high risk community residents, National Guard members, nursing home residents, Department of Corrections inmates, and state employees working at state facilities.

“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist the State of Connecticut with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the pandemic fight is critical to their success, and our success as a nation.”

FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.

So far, FEMA has provided more than $452 million in Public Assistance grants to Connecticut to reimburse the state for pandemic-related expenses.

adrien.urbani Mon, 07/11/2022 - 21:08

FEMA Awards More Than $8.1 Million to Brandeis University for COVID-19 Testing

BOSTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending more than $8.1 million to Brandeis University to reimburse the university for the cost of contracting to test students and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FEMA Public Assistance grants totaling $8,170,280  will reimburse the private research university in Waltham for the cost of testing 404,152 students and employees at the campus between July 2020 and February 2022.

“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Brandeis University with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Providing resources for our institutions of higher education to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is critical to their success, and to our success as a nation.”

FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states, communities and certain private non profit organizations recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.

So far, FEMA has provided more than $1 billion in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.

adrien.urbani Mon, 07/11/2022 - 21:01

FEMA Awards Almost $6.8 Million to Yale New Haven Hospital for Covid Costs

BOSTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending nearly $6.8 million to the State of Connecticut to reimburse Yale New Haven Hospital for the additional costs of operating safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The private, not-for-profit 1,541-bed teaching hospital with multiple campuses is a subsidiary of Yale New Haven Health Services Corporation, and will receive a total of $6,786,208 in federal funding through FEMA’s Public Assistance grant program to reimburse the hospital for the additional cost of operating between January 2020 and November 2021.

The expenses incurred included purchasing additional medical equipment and ventilators for the treatment of COVID-19 patients; hiring additional medical care staff and supporting services; purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE), disinfection services and supplies; and the cost of converting some hospital facility space into treatment areas.

“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Yale New Haven Hospital with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the pandemic fight is critical to their success, and our success as a nation.”

FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.

So far, FEMA has provided more than $452 million in Public Assistance grants to Connecticut to reimburse the state for pandemic-related expenses.

 

adrien.urbani Mon, 07/11/2022 - 20:50

What to Expect After You Register with FEMA

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma homeowners and renters in the seven counties who sustained damage from the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding May 2-8 may call or go online to register for disaster assistance from FEMA.

The seven counties include Adair, Cherokee, Muskogee, Okmulgee, Pottawatomie, Seminole and Tulsa.

Residents can apply with FEMA by visiting disasterassistance.gov, downloading the FEMA app or by calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585). Helpline hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. CDT seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service.

If you report your home is not livable, sanitary and safe when you register, FEMA may perform an inspection of the damaged property, including the interior of your home. FEMA inspectors will contact you to meet at the address where the damage was reported. The inspector’s phone number may be from out of state, or show up on your caller ID as unavailable, so be sure to answer the phone. If the call goes to voicemail, the inspector will leave a call-back number, or you may receive a text message if no other contact is able to be made.

You will need to show the inspector your photo ID. You will not be asked to provide your social security number or bank account information. There is no cost for a FEMA inspection.

After your home inspection is completed, a record of the disaster-caused damage is given to FEMA. You may also receive a follow-up call for a quality control inspection. From that record your eligibility for disaster assistance will be determined. If you qualify for a grant, the funds will be issued 7 to 10 days after your application. A letter will also be sent explaining the assistance you qualified for.

Reasonable accommodations, including translation and ASL interpreters are available to ensure effective communication with applicants with limited English proficiency or with access and functional needs. You may invite a designated party, such as a household member, relative or friend, to assist in communicating with the inspector.

All FEMA inspectors can be identified by their official federal photo ID badge. If you are in any doubt when receiving a call or an inspection visit from someone stating they are FEMA personnel, do not give out any information, but call 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585) between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. CDT to verify the call or visit is legitimate.

If you suspect someone is committing fraud, call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or your local police department.

Carmen.Castro Mon, 07/11/2022 - 20:49

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Minnesota

WASHINGTON -- FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Minnesota to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding May 8-13, 2022.

Public Assistance federal funding is available to the state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance under Public Assistance, in Aitkin, Big Stone, Cass, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Douglas, Grant, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Morrison, Nobles, Pope, Redwood, Renville, Stearns, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wadena, Wilkin and Yellow Medicine counties.

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

Brian F. Schiller has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further assessments.

amy.ashbridge Fri, 07/08/2022 - 21:41

FEMA Urges Residents to Prepare for Peak 2022 Hurricane Season, Shares Critical Preparedness Tools

The agency also announced key resources to help people before, during and after disaster, including a new FEMA webpage for the public to protect themselves and their property from the nation’s No. 1 disaster -- flooding

WASHINGTON -- Heading into what is projected to be an above-average hurricane season, FEMA urges residents to prepare before the height of hurricane season. 

“My message to the public is this: identify your risks, have a plan and act today. The best way to help yourself, your family and your community recover after a disaster is by taking steps now, before it’s too late,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “Remember, just because your area was not touched by a hurricane in the past few years, does not mean it will be spared this time around. I encourage everyone to download our new and improved FEMA mobile app and start making a plan today. But most importantly, pay attention to your local officials and emergency managers for guidance on when and if to evacuate.”

FEMA recently announced an update to its mobile app -- in English and Spanish -- to help users take charge of disasters. The app is available for download on iOS or Android. Watch our FEMA App video and visit the FEMA App webpage for additional information.

Disasters can be expensive, but preparedness doesn’t need to be. Everyone can take several steps now with little to no cost that will help prepare for tropical systems. FEMA also has several resources available to help anyone who wants to design or update their preparedness plans:

• Anyone can visit Ready.gov, or the Spanish version Listo.gov, today for helpful tips and resources in their preparedness actions.
• The Ready.gov/hurricane page also gives specific guidance to prepare for tropical systems.
• FEMA’s Ready Campaign recently published a low and no-cost preparedness webpage with tips to help preparedness for a variety of disasters and emergencies, including:
  • Building your emergency supply kit over time, starting with items you may already have in your home -- like a flashlight, extra batteries, copies of important documents, water and non-perishable food.
  • Talking with family or members of your household about where you will go if told to evacuate.
  • Storing important documents and items like passports, birth certificates, maps and electronics in a flood-safe place, like a high shelf or upper floor in resealable water-tight plastic bags to help waterproof them.

Additionally, furthering FEMA’s commitment to providing accessible disaster information, the agency updated its Text-to-Shelter feature this year. When there’s an evacuation order issued, users can text “shelter” and their ZIP code to 43362 for a list of nearby shelter locations.

If you have insurance, now is the time to review your policies. Not all policies are the same, so review them to understand what coverage you have. Homeowners insurance does not typically cover flooding, so you may need to purchase flood insurance.

A new FEMA webpage is now available as a one-stop shop to the public about how to protect themselves and their property from the nation’s No. 1 disaster -- flooding. The webpage includes free resources and information to learn about, understand and take action to reduce flood risk.

The FEMA Map Service Center allows visitors to enter a street address to learn more about flood risks their community. Other information includes resources about flood maps, flood zones, flood risk and flood insurance.

There are other multiple resources describing actions the public can take now to protect their property from hazards.

Earlier this year, the agency’s “Before, During and After” podcast sat down with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham at the National Hurricane Conference. You can listen to the podcast or download a transcript to learn how the agencies collaborate to share vital weather and preparedness information during a storm.

mayshaunt.gary Thu, 07/07/2022 - 16:33