Disaster Recovery Centers in South Carolina Closing for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Disaster Recovery Centers in South Carolina will close on Jan. 20 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The centers will resume operations on Jan. 21 at the following locations:

Chester County, Gateway Conference Center, 3200 Commerce Drive, Suite A, Richburg, SC 29729

Open Jan. 21-24, Jan. 27-31, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; closed Jan. 25-26.

Greenwood County, United Way of the Lakelands, 929 Phoenix St., Greenwood, SC 29646

Open Jan. 21-25, Jan. 27-31, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; closed Jan. 26.

Spartanburg County, C.C. Woodson Community Center, 210 Bomar Ave., Spartanburg, SC 29306

Open Jan. 21-23, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

In the event of inclement weather, centers will adjust hours of operation.

FEMA is encouraging South Carolinians affected by Hurricane Helene to apply for federal disaster assistance as soon as possible. The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance is Jan. 28.

You can visit any open center to meet with representatives of FEMA, the state of South Carolina and the U.S. Small Business Administration. No appointment is needed. 

To find all other center locations, including those in other states, go to fema.gov/drc or text “DRC” and a Zip Code to 43362. 

Homeowners and renters in Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Jasper, Kershaw, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union and York counties and the Catawba Indian Nation can apply for federal assistance.

The quickest way to apply is to go online to DisasterAssistance.gov. You can also apply using the FEMA App for mobile devices or by calling toll-free 800-621-3362. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in many languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. For a video with American Sign Language, voiceover and open captions about how to apply for FEMA assistance, select this link.

FEMA programs are accessible to survivors with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. 

martyce.allenjr Fri, 01/17/2025 - 20:37

Get Repair and Rebuilding Advice in Carter, Hawkins and Washington Counties

FEMA Mitigation specialists are partnering with local home improvement stores to offer free advice and tips on how to rebuild stronger and safer as Tennessee residents begin repairing, rebuilding and making improvements to their homes after Tropical Storm Helene.

The hazard mitigation specialists are available to answer questions, offer home-improvement tips and share proven methods that help reduce damage from disasters. Most information is aimed at general contractors or those who do the work on their own.

FEMA specialists will be available Monday, Jan. 20 to Saturday, Jan. 25 at this location:

Home Depot
3207 Peoples Street
Johnson City, TN 37604
Washington County 
Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday – Friday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday

FEMA specialists will be available Monday, Jan. 20 to Saturday, Feb. 1 at these locations:

Lowe’s Home Improvement                           
925 Patriot Drive
Elizabethton, TN 37643
Carter County
Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday – Friday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday

Lowe’s Home Improvement
2324 West Stone Drive
Kingsport, TN 37660
Hawkins County 
Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday – Friday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday

kwei.nwaogu Fri, 01/17/2025 - 20:22

FEMA Four Years in Review

During the past four years, FEMA has made tremendous strides to increase the nation’s resilience and improve access to disaster resources. FEMA’s workforce of more than 22,000 public servants has worked tirelessly to advance the agency’s mission to help people before, during and after disasters. In 2024 alone, FEMA deployed 16,294 personnel at the peak of our response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which set a record for the number of personnel deployed at a given time. Additionally, as of Jan 12, FEMA’s incident workforce stands at 12,569, which is the largest in FEMA history.

Led by Administrator Deanne Criswell, FEMA published the 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan that articulated a shared vision to address key challenges the agency faces during a pivotal moment in the field of emergency management. This strategic approach has helped ensure all communities received support from FEMA during their greatest time of need, built resilience to mitigate future disasters and postured the agency to meet increased emergency management demands resulting from extreme, often severe weather patterns and disasters.  

Over the past four years, FEMA has responded to 278 major disaster declarations including hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and wildfires. From Alaska to Puerto Rico and from Guam to Maine, FEMA has provided and connected state, local, Tribal Nation and territorial governments and individuals to needed resources, including:  

• Provided more than 50.8 million liters of water, 31.4 million meals and 2,225 generators to states and communities to meet immediate needs.  
• Provided over $12 billion directly to disaster survivors to help jumpstart their recovery.  
• Awarded more than $133 billion to states, Tribal Nations, territories, local governments and eligible nonprofits to support essential response and recovery efforts. 
• Issued 168 Fire Management Assistance Grants to help communities impacted by wildfires.  
• Activated the National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) and National Watch Center (NWC) for a combined total of 885 days for 23 incidents.  
• Obligated over $15.63 billion in Non-Disaster Grants from Fiscal Year 2021 through Fiscal Year 2024. 

The response to the global COVID-19 pandemic tested the resilience and preparedness of the United States for more than two years. FEMA responded to the need by filling missing links in our nation’s supply chain, supporting vaccination centers across the country, deploying medical personnel to augment hospitals and medical facilities and covering pandemic-related costs for governments and individuals to ensure access to personal protective equipment, medical supplies and respirators. FEMA also provided $3.2 billion in funeral assistance to help grieving families who lost loved ones to the virus. 

During the pandemic and the days that followed, FEMA partnered with universities, national nonprofits and faith and community-based organizations to empower a network of trusted messengers. FEMA’s online repository of preparedness information was expanded with new resources tailored to caregivers, older adults, those who live in 

rural areas with limited resources and African American, Latino and Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. All of these efforts are pieces of the foundation to build individual and community resilience. 

FEMA responded to Hawaii’s catastrophic wildfires, working side by side with the local community to ensure the historic and sacred land was respected and honored in a proper manner while supporting recovery. In the initial aftermath of the fires, FEMA deployed numerous resources from the National Urban Search and Rescue System to support the State in its search for missing persons and providing emotional closure to impacted families, searching over 1,000 impacted structures. FEMA paid for more than 4,000 displaced households to shelter in hotels, giving individuals a safe place to stay and begin their recovery.  

The agency made updates to the Individuals and Households Program (IHP), which simplified the application process and enabled millions of survivors to benefit from financial assistance they previously would not have received prior to the changes. FEMA responded to back-to-back hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton. Helene severely affected eight states in the Southeast. FEMA deployed more than 10,000 personnel and opened 65 Disaster Recovery Centers to support survivors.  

For the years 2021 through 2024, FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs, including Public Assistance Mitigation, delivered $9.55 billion in mitigation funding to increase disaster resilience in communities across the nation. 

Increasingly frequent and severe disasters have demonstrated the importance of the Ready Campaign–a FEMA managed public education initiative that helps empower individuals and families across the nation to prepare for all types of hazards. During the past four years, FEMA has worked to ensure the Ready Campaign resonates with diverse communities and audiences by, among other things, making its messages accessible in other languages.

For nearly five decades, FEMA has strived to improve national readiness and coordinate the work of emergency managers filling critical positions in our nation’s civil defense framework. Building upon the lessons of the past and looking to prepare for future challenges, FEMA will continue to evolve to meet the needs of an ever-changing nation. 

The following are some of the recent highlights from our mission to improve preparedness, disaster response and recovery efforts to build a more-resilient nation. 

2021

In 2021, FEMA released a new Strategic Plan to ensure we continue to be the FEMA our nation needs and deserves. As part of the launch, the agency engaged over 1,000 members of our workforce and senior leadership and more than 400 external partners spanning all sectors, levels of government and a wide range of disciplines — including federal and territorial partners, state and local governments, over 50 Tribal Nations, private and nonprofit partners and the academic community.

• Hosted Civil Rights Summits to foster dialogue and partnerships through engagement with members of the public, advocates, community allies and civil rights organizations, as well as FEMA’s state, local, Tribal and territorial partners. Presentations and discussions allowed participants to learn more about FEMA’s programs and services.  
• FEMA Response in Action. FEMA's response to the COVID-19 pandemic was unparalleled in scale and complexity, marking the agency’s first time leading federal operations for an infectious respiratory disease pandemic since the agency was established in 1979. FEMA played a crucial role, supporting the nation by ensuring supplies were delivered to communities and establishing over 30 vaccination sites nationwide to help millions get vaccines to prevent the spread of the virus. 
  • Managing 57 Presidential Major Disaster Declarations and activating all 10 Regional Response Coordination Centers and the National Response Coordination Center, FEMA coordinated billions of dollars in personal protective equipment and medical resources, facilitated the deployment of health and medical personnel across impacted hospitals and healthcare facilities, including over 2,000 ambulances and supported over 3,600 COVID Vaccination Centers, helping to ensure the administration of over 236 million vaccinations during the first 100 days of the Administration. In total, FEMA processed over 2,300 mission assignments to interagency partners totaling $3.2 billion. 
• 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan. Introduced its 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan which set three goals to build a stronger and more-resilient nation for all by instilling equity as a foundation of emergency management, leading the whole of community in climate resilience and promoting and sustaining a ready FEMA and prepared nation. These goals have positioned FEMA to address the increasing range and complexity of disasters, support the diversity of communities we serve and complement the nation’s growing expectations of the emergency management community.
• Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). As a result of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Congress made available through FEMA billions of dollars in community-wide mitigation funding to reduce disaster suffering and future costs from floods, wildfires and hurricanes, to be made available between fiscal years 2022 and 2026. These investments, aligned with the Justice40 Initiative to advance environmental justice, reduce disaster vulnerability and promote safety and adaptability.  
  • The BIL provided $500 million to fund the Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund program through 2026. This program provides capitalization grants to states, eligible federally recognized tribes, territories and the District of Columbia to establish revolving loan funds that provide hazard mitigation assistance for local governments to reduce risks from natural hazards and disasters.  
  • Funding for FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance Swift Current (Swift Current) effort has been made possible because of the BIL. Swift Current provides funding to property owners that have a current flood insurance policy under the National Flood Insurance Program and a history of repetitive or substantial damage from flooding. 
• Funding Mitigation for Resilience. For the fiscal year 2021 mitigation grant cycle, FEMA offered $1 billion through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program and $160 million through its Flood Mitigation Assistance program to fund mitigation activities that reduce risk and increase disaster resilience.
• Increasing survivor access to Individual Assistance programs and funding improvements. To expand access to emergency assistance, FEMA revised its policy to help disaster survivors simplify the application process by expanding acceptable forms of documentation to prove home ownership and occupancy.  
• National Preparedness Month Public Service Announcements. Since 2021, FEMA and the Ad Council have created National Preparedness Month public service announcements (PSAs) designed to resonate with communities who may be disproportionately affected by disasters.  
• In connection with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita projects. FEMA’s Office of Environmental and Historic Preservation (OEHP) team worked with city officials to upgrade the drainage pump station that provides flooding protection to residents and properties located in nine neighborhoods. To provide one-on-one tailored guidance to the city, a local recovery office was established within the city. 
• As a follow up to Hurricanes Irma and Maria. the OEHP staff supported the Lares Cemetery Grave Repairs and Relocation in Puerto Rico. Founded in 1827, the Municipality of Lares figured prominently in the 1863 “Revolt” and movement towards emancipation from Spain. The Cementerio Municipal de Lares, built according to Spanish colonial standards, dates to 1855. The cemetery embodies distinctive characteristics of Spanish colonial design – eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and is an important part of the community and historic culture.

2022

In 2022, FEMA continued its efforts to build and enhance national resilience through collaboration with and outreach to partners that share our goal to prepare for the evolving scope of threats our communities will face in the years ahead. Major highlights include the FEMA Building Code Strategy and the first-ever National Tribal Strategy.

• FEMA Response in Action. FEMA worked closely with federal, territorial, private sector and faith-based partners to support Puerto Rico in response to Hurricane Fiona, which made landfall just days before the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Maria.
  • FEMA’s Disaster Emergency Communications (DEC) integrated enhanced cellular capabilities into existing resources to expand the range of communications options available to field leaders and emergency managers to help mitigate challenges related to damaged infrastructure and austere conditions across impacted communities in Puerto Rico.
  • FEMA’s Response Geospatial Office (RGO) used flood modeling data, as well as high-resolution imagery from federal interagency partners and private sector companies, to identify impacted areas in Puerto Rico which highlighted municipalities with significant numbers of flooded structures that was used to support the initial disaster declaration. This increased the speed of delivery of federal resources and provided imagery to impacted areas that may otherwise be inaccessible to ground resources.
• National Tribal Strategy. This first-of-its-kind nationwide roadmap continued FEMA’s commitment to ensure Tribal Nations’ needs and concerns are addressed and they receive the support they are owed. The strategy document outlines a commitment to support Tribal Nations as they build climate-resilient communities and develop tribal-specific technical assistance programs.
• FEMA Flag. Administrator Criswell brought the FEMA flag back to honor our history and inspire our work moving forward. The eagle and shield, adapted from the Great Seal of the United States, represents vigilance and preparedness. The light blue color of the background has a historical association with the agency and its components. The white triangle represents civil defense. The banner motto, "PACE AC BELLO MERITA," means "Service in Peace and War," indicating the agency's responsibility in all types of emergencies.
• New State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program. The Grant Programs Directorate developed a new State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program in partnership with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to provide funds to eligible entities to address cybersecurity risks and threats to information systems owned or operated by state, local or Tribal Nation governments.
• Building Codes Initiative. The FEMA Building Code Strategy promotes the adoption and enforcement of hazard-resistant building codes and standards for agency programs. The strategy identified a need to increase the capability of building professionals and local officials through funding, collaboration, training and exercises and promotes strengthening nationwide capability and expertise to drive public action.
• Civilian Reservist Emergency Workforce (CREW) Act. The CREW Act of 2022 grants FEMA Reservists Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) protections. This means employees who hold another job can deploy as a FEMA Reservist and their job at home will be protected. It also protects against penalization, discrimination or loss of employee benefits resulting from disaster deployments, emergencies and critical trainings. These protections help FEMA maintain a workforce able to respond to disasters at a moment’s notice.
• New Next Generation Warning System Grant Program. Provides investments to improve the resilience and security of public broadcasting networks and systems to enable upgrades to the Advanced Television Systems Committee broadcast system’s capability to alert, warn and provide equivalent information to individuals with disabilities, individuals with access and functional needs and individuals with limited-English proficiency and improve geolocation to alert and warn remote rural areas.
• Justice40. FEMA applied equity considerations for the first time to the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) programs, using an interim data equity standard to measure progress toward the Justice40 Initiative. As a result of selections made for the FY 2021 BRIC and FMA programs, FEMA delivered over $508 million in climate resilience funding toward Justice40 communities. This accounted for 44% of the $1.16 billion made available during that funding cycle.
• National Level Exercise 2022. The National Level Exercise (NLE) 2022 took a unique approach to an NLE – shifting from a multi-day, full-scale or functional exercise to a series of 55 separate discussion-based engagements across the full calendar year as a result of the unprecedented scale of the COVID-19 pandemic and wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. NLE 2022 built upon the successes and challenges of the Cascadia Rising exercise (2016) and brought together more than 6,400 personnel to examine the ability of all levels of government, Tribal Nations, private industry and nongovernmental organizations to protect against, respond to and recover from a large rupture along the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) with subsequent tsunamis, aftershocks and a Spill of National Significance (SONS).
• Increased funding available for resilience programs. FEMA announced $1.16 billion in resilience assistance to make communities around the nation safer from natural hazards. This included $1 billion for the BRIC program, doubling from the previous year and $160 million for Flood Mitigation Assistance.
• OEHP launched the NEPA Repository. The Repository provides a centralized, robust, easily searchable database of Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements for the public and FEMA partners. Repository users can quickly locate projects in their area or research projects by type and download a custom list with links and summary info. Internally, a new streamlined workflow using PowerApps and SharePoint lists efficiently generated status emails from submittal to posting and built a new, valuable data set for OEHP to mine for high level research.
• 2022 Save Your Family Treasures. The Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF), a public private partnership between FEMA's Office of Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation and the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative, trained an inaugural cohort of 23 FEMA staff to offer Save Your Family Treasures (SYFT) demonstrations at Disaster Recovery Centers. Through the SYFT program, disaster survivors receive live demonstrations, tips and guidance on techniques to salvage water-damaged family heirlooms such as photos, books and textiles. Since 2022, the program has reached over 3,200 survivors.

2023

In 2023, FEMA continued to follow its mission to meet the needs brought about by the changing climate and extreme weather. The challenges we face require innovative thinking and creative measures and the agency elevated programs and initiatives to meet them.

• FEMA Response in Action.  FEMA Response met the need to respond to the wildfires that began burning in Maui and Hawaii counties and Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) teams were on the ground quickly to augment the county’s search and rescue mission for missing persons.
  • Geospatial Damage Assessments were pivotal in FEMA response efforts for the Lahaina Wildfires in Hawaii. Using open-source, commercial and satellite imagery the RGO visualized and counted destroyed structures, which allowed FEMA to enhance program delivery.
  • FEMA’s Response Directorate leveraged MERS capabilities, the DEC Cadre of staff, Region IX, private industry and Hawaii Telecommunications mission partners to address unique county and local communications restoration issues.
• FEMA Response in Action. FEMA’s Mobile Emergency Response Support (MERS) resources were deployed ahead of Hurricane Idalia and positioned immediately following post-landfall to enable holistic and unified coordination for lifesaving and life sustaining missions.
  • MERS operations were instrumental in establishing mobile, tactical and fixed voice and data services across 16 counties at more than 36 locations, integrating with the state of Florida to ensure a unified approach to interoperable communications, which allowed for the rapid deployment of response resources to reduce impacts on survivors.
  • DEC MERS resources deployment contributed to the success of FEMA receiving over 60,000 registrations through the FEMA Individual and Households program that resulted in the nearly $60 million in funding for survivors.
• Improved Application and Customer Service for Disaster Survivors. FEMA streamlined the DisasterAssistance.gov website to provide survivors applying for assistance with easy navigation, visual progress tracking and individualized information collection. FEMA also improved the Transitional Sheltering Assistance website to make it easier to book lodging and contact participating hotels to find temporary lodging.
• Enhanced Applicant Services. The agency debuted Enhanced Applicant Services, a new program that provides targeted casework for individuals navigating the disaster application process and connects them with additional resources to meet their needs.
• Extreme Heat Summits.  As more communities feel the impacts of a changing climate, FEMA's Extreme Heat Summits – part of the #SummerReady campaign – focused on actions that state, local, Tribal Nation and territorial leaders can take to reduce the effects of extreme temperatures. These summits brought together public, private and academic leaders to explore extreme heat impacts and define actionable ways to combat and prepare for these increasing risks.
• Nature-Based Solutions. FEMA leveraged lessons from the past and present to create community-tailored solutions to build resilience and solve problems that are expanding due to extreme weather events. By integrating natural features and processes into disaster risk reduction, FEMA is helping communities create sustainable and cost-effective ways to protect communities, build healthier ecosystems and enhance resilience.
• Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Guide. A major milestone in 2023 was the release of the updated Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program and Policy Guide (HMA Guide). This document had not been updated since 2015 and the redesign sought to make it easier for state, local, Tribal and territorial governments to access and manage HMA grants.
• National Flood Insurance Program Risk Rating 2.0 full implementation. FEMA has fully implemented the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) Risk Rating 2.0, a new pricing approach that leverages improved technology and FEMA’s enhanced understanding of flood risk to deliver actuarily-sound flood insurance rates that are easy to understand and communicate flood risk more clearly. The new rating approach allows FEMA to evenly distribute premiums across all policyholders based on the flood risk of their specific property by incorporating more flood risk variables such as flood frequency, multiple flood types—river overflow, storm surge, coastal erosion and heavy rainfall—distance to a water source and property characteristics such as elevation and the cost to rebuild. This phased implementation began in October 2021 and was completed in April 2023.
• Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program. FEMA launched the first-ever Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program to provide funding directly to Tribal Nations to enhance their ability to prepare for, protect against and respond to potential terrorist attacks and other hazards. This program supports the building and delivery of core capabilities essential for every community to create a nation resilient to cyber threats.
• Pre-Disaster Housing Initiative. FEMA's Pre-Disaster Housing Initiative, developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), aims to enhance state and local planning for housing recovery before disasters strike. This initiative promotes collaborative approaches to address housing recovery challenges, ensuring communities are better prepared and can recover more quickly and effectively when disasters occur.
• Release of Achieving Equitable Recovery: A Post Disaster Guide for Local Officials and Leaders. This guide provides tools and strategies for local officials to rebuild communities equitably after disasters. The guidance emphasizes the importance of identifying community needs, establishing partnerships and engaging the public strategically to ensure an inclusive recovery process.
• International Partnerships. FEMA participated in more than 20 international engagements and technical exchanges to share lessons learned and enhance domestic and global resilience. As part of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in the United States, FEMA planned, coordinated and chaired events including the Consular Roundtable and Disaster Risk Reduction Talks. Additionally, Administrator Criswell became the first FEMA Administrator to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference and the agency worked with Canadian officials to enhance resilience through the civ-mil construct, led civil emergency planning support for the U.S. Mission to NATO and represented the United States on the NATO Resilience Committee.
• Memorandum of Understanding with the Rosalynn Carter Institute. FEMA signed an agreement formalizing the partnership between FEMA and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers which recognizes the critical role caregivers play in protecting our nation’s older adult community. Additionally, a guide was created for older adults to access preparedness resources they can share within their community.
• Awarded nearly $3 billion in resilience grants. FEMA announced it had selected $2.2 billion in Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grants to reduce natural hazard risks and $711 million for Flood Mitigation Assistance for actions like flood control and individual property mitigation projects. Additional funding enabled 23 states to be selected the first time in competitive BRIC funding.
• Completed Vermont’s the Melrose Terrace Demolition and Floodplain Restoration project. In September of 2023, restoration treatment measures that were developed under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act were completed. This involved the installation of an interpretive panel discussing the history of the area and its historic flooding concerns. Melrose Terrace, a historic property, was the first public housing development for elderly citizens in the State of Vermont. A storage area was created through a demolition construction project using a portion of the former public housing on the property. The structure was able to withstand flooding from severe weather in July of 2023.
• Released the Puerto Rico Environmental and Historic Preservation (EHP) Lookup Tool. This tool was requested by the FEMA Administrator along with the Secretary of Energy to better serve the people of Puerto Rico. Since FEMA-funded projects must comply with federal environmental planning and historic preservation laws and executive orders, the Puerto Rico EHP Lookup Tool was developed as an online planning tool to allow Puerto Rico Energy Applicants to look up the environmental and historic resources that may be present in their project areas. Due to the success of the PR Lookup Tool, an updated version, the Environmental and Historic Applicant Portal (EHARP) has been created for all FEMA Applicants across the nation as a way to incorporate consideration of EHP concerns earlier on in the application process and improve overall compliance outcomes. The EHARP will be released in early 2025 and will be FEMA’s first nationwide, publicly available environmental screening web mapper whose scope includes a broad array of environmental and historic resources.
• 2023 Unified Federal Review Technical Sessions. Unified Federal Review (UFR) Interagency Technical Sessions are convened virtually on a bi-monthly basis to build community among interagency EHP practitioners and facilitate efficient interagency collaboration on disaster response and recovery. The technical sessions began in 2023 and are regularly attended by 100-200 representatives of federal, state and local partners, comprising at least 19 federal agencies, departments and subcomponents as well as state and local emergency management partners and EHP compliance practitioners. The sessions provide opportunities for collaborative problem-solving and dissemination of technical information that increase awareness of agencies' roles and responsibilities in disaster response and recovery, provide overviews of new laws and regulations by implementing agencies and create a forum for sharing of case studies and best practices resulting from interagency collaboration in the field.
• Workforce Readiness. As part of our 2023 Workforce Readiness Cycle, implemented to help build, develop, deploy and support FEMA’s incident workforce, FEMA developed the Enhanced Demobilization Process to support our responders’ transition back to daily duties from disaster operation deployments and ensure their readiness to respond to future events when needed.

2024

In 2024 FEMA spearheaded a national conversation about strengthening communities by making the agency’s focus “A Year of Resilience” to prepare our country and meet people where they are. This included continued climate resilience grants and more survivor-centric policy changes for individuals and the nation.

• FEMA Response in Action. In 2024, FEMA responded to two catastrophic hurricanes, as Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton made landfall in the southeast US less than two weeks apart, leaving an overlapping trail of destruction across many communities still recovering from prior hurricanes.
  • The National US&R Response System deployed over 1,500 personnel, 110 canines and 90 swift water resources, leading to over 18,000 survivor interactions across 375,000 specific sites across both Hurricanes Helene and Milton. FEMA also relied upon search and rescue support from the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Interior and Department of Defense, resulting in one of the largest search and rescue deployments ever.
  • FEMA’s DEC Division deployed more than 133 MERS personnel, 123 MERS vehicles, 36 Mobile Communications Office Vehicles (MCOVs) and six DEC Group personnel who supported the requirements of FEMA senior leadership, Incident Management Assistance Teams and the US&R mission.
  • The RGO implemented the largest imagery collection and geospatial damage assessment effort to date. Using areal and satellite imagery, over 258,000 structures were assessed resulting in seven expedited Individual Assistance applications.
• Year of Resilience. Building on efforts to help the nation withstand the threats of tomorrow, the agency declared 2024 the “Year of Resilience” to highlight the importance of stakeholder feedback and build resilient communities to help people before, during and after disasters.
• Increase in Climate Resilience Funding. FEMA made $1.8 billion available for two grant programs designed to help communities increase their resilience to the impacts of climate change, including increasingly frequent and extreme weather events. The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) annual grant program selected about $1 billion to protect people and infrastructure from the effects of climate change and the Flood Mitigation Assistance program selected about $800 million to reduce flood risks facing homes and communities. 
• World Fire Congress. FEMA’s United States Fire Administration hosted the inaugural World Fire Congress. This historic event established a global fire service leadership network dedicated to supporting and strengthening the fire service around the world. 
• Development and implementation of the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS). NERIS is a new, interoperable fire information and analytics platform to deliver timely, quality information to the fire service and its stakeholders. 
• Improving Individual and Community Wildfire Resilience Summit. FEMA hosted a virtual panel discussion led by a national partnership of agencies working to address the risk, prevention and effects of wildfire smoke. This event brought together leading subject matter experts and resources from across the country to share challenges, risks, rewards and real-life actionable steps to prevent and reduce the effects of wildfires when they happen. 
• Non-Disaster Grants. Through our programs we allocated $5.6 billion in non-disaster grants to help communities withstand disruptions, reduce risk and adapt.
• Individual Assistance Updates. FEMA revised its policies to improve access to Individual Assistance (IA) programs by incorporating feedback from disaster survivors. This feedback led to the largest program update in two decades. These changes ensure a more streamlined and equitable process, making it easier for individuals to receive the aid and support that they need after a disaster. Since the changes were made, more than 1.8 million households received $1.3 billion in Serious Needs Assistance, a new benefit under the IA program.
• Inflation Reduction Act. FEMA published the implementation memo for the use of low-carbon materials and net-zero energy. These clean, climate-resilient considerations are applicable to projects through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), HMGP Post Fire Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), Pre-Disaster Mitigation and Public Assistance (PA) Programs. 
• Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund (RLF). On Dec. 19, 2023, FEMA announced $150 million in Safeguarding Tomorrow RLF funding for fiscal year 2024 to enable communities to continue building resilience through innovative, locally driven mitigation efforts. During 2024 all FY 2023 awards were obligated. The FY 2024 applications were also reviewed, and 12 selections were announced for $150 million in funding, including the first Tribal Nation program participant. 
• Published three Federal Continuity Directives and Continuity Guidance Circular. These documents establish continuity planning frameworks to assist federal, state, Tribal and territorial organizations when considering risk to their essential functions. They also set program management requirements, key concepts and methodologies for threat and hazard impact mitigation. 
• Updated National Disaster Recovery Framework. FEMA updated the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) version 3 to streamline and clarify the federal government’s approach for providing disaster recovery resources and support to disaster-impacted communities. The NDRF explains the federal government’s roles and responsibilities for organizing and deploying disaster recovery assistance across the whole recovery community. It also enhances effective collaboration among federal agencies and state, local, territorial governments and Tribal Nations, while informing nongovernmental partners with practical resources to assist in recovery planning efforts. These updates will help states, Tribal Nations and territories to more effectively lead and coordinate disaster recovery efforts.
• Updated Tribal Declarations Interim Guidance. The updated FEMA Tribal Declarations Interim Guidance provides a clearer, more-streamlined process for Tribal Nations to request federal disaster assistance directly from FEMA. This guidance emphasizes collaboration and flexibility, ensuring Tribal Nations receive timely and effective support during emergencies.
• National Resilience Guidance. FEMA released the National Resilience Guidance, which recommends steps communities and organizations can take to increase their resilience to climate change in every sector and discipline. This guidance will help individuals and communities understand and fulfill their critical roles in increasing national resilience. As part of its role, FEMA provided trainings and exercises to increase understanding of climate risks and spur adaptation activities.
• Improved Trauma-Informed Communications. FEMA and the Office of Management and Budget crafted a simple, trauma-informed flyer to help disaster survivors better understand the FEMA application process and access other forms of assistance. Available in English and Spanish, this flyer is now used in Disaster Recovery Centers and by Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams as they work their way through communities, knocking on doors and helping survivors with the application process.
• National Disaster and Emergency Management University. FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute became the National Disaster and Emergency Management University to better reflect its role in training the nation’s emergency managers and first responders. The university includes the Emergency Management Institute, which provides foundational training and development for early career emergency managers, the School of Disaster Leadership for mid- and late-career emergency managers and the School of National Resilience, which will bridge emergency managers and the stakeholders within the field of emergency management through deeper dives into disaster risk reduction for specific sectors.
• Risk Communications, Crisis Communications and Community Engagement Summit. FEMA hosted the first-ever Risk Communications, Crisis Communications and Community Engagement Summit and convened some of our nation’s leading experts in this field to improve response practices and strengthen community engagement.
• Memorandum of Agreement with the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans. FEMA signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) to close the preparedness gap and address barriers across Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian communities. This partnership formalizes the collaborative, strategic approach FEMA and NCAPA will take to engage trusted leaders and institutions in the AANHPI communities to build prepared communities and a resilient nation.
• National Level Exercise 2024. FEMA coordinated the first-ever National-Level Exercise (NLE) focused on resilience, climate change threats to national security and recovery to prepare the nation for an increasingly complex and interconnected threat landscape. From May 2023 through August 2024, FEMA worked with partners in Hawaii, Guam and California to conduct nine scenario-based activities to assess the impact of a large hurricane on the Hawaiian Islands and subsequent cyber-attacks in both Guam and Hawaii. These activities fostered active participation from a wide range of community partners through seminars, table-top exercises and other approaches, which stress-tested the capability of those organizations to work together toward risk reduction and resilience objectives.
• Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) Closeout. With the completion of destruction of the last remaining U.S. Army chemical weapons stockpile in the summer of 2023 in Colorado and Kentucky, CSEPP marked a significant milestone in its 30+ year history in supporting communities surrounding these storage facilities. The CSEPP community in Pueblo, Colorado completed program closeout in February 2023. In Kentucky, three of its counties have closed out their programs and CSEPP continues to support enhanced preparedness for the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the seven remaining counties that participate in CSEPP until its projected closeout in 2027.
• Publication of the FEMA Disaster Resilience Hub. The virtual online Resilience Hub aims to facilitate a no-wrong-door access to disaster resilience information services. The Hub connects emergency managers with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively prepare for, respond to, recover from and mitigate the probability of future hazard events. The Hub’s knowledge and tools improve decision-making and operational efficiency across the profession, enabling the nation's emergency managers to navigate authoritative disaster and future conditions data. The Hub is designed to serve as a central resource to:
  • Enhance disaster information literacy across emergency management.
  • Integrate disaster information services into the nation's disaster programs.
  • Guide the consistent application of future conditions data, before, during and after disasters.
• FEMA approved license of use agreements (LUAs). FEMA approved LUAs with several retailers to establish informational booth opportunities and provide community members with information about available resources. The purpose of the LUA is to establish a relationship with known retailers in communities so that information can be quickly disseminated in emergent times of need. There are over 9,100 CVS locations, 1,700 Lowe’s Home Stores and over 2,000 Home Depots in the United States.
• Grants Management Modernization. The Grants Management Modernization (GMM) initiative, launched in March 2016, aims to modernize FEMA’s grant management with the development of the FEMA Grants Outcomes (FEMA GO) system. GMM has achieved significant milestones, incorporating executive governance of the programs through the Grants Management Advisory Board and delivering high-quality training resources to support system users. In FY 2024, FEMA GO reached full operational capability (FOC) with the release of full lifecycle grant management capabilities for all FEMA grant programs and completed moving all non-disaster grant programs to the FEMA GO system for current and future year funding opportunities. Disaster grants will move into FEMA GO in a phased approach, to ensure the system can fully support disaster grant requirements.
• Updates to 44 CFR Part 9, Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands. FEMA revised 44 CFR Part 9 to fully implement the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard to make communities more resilient and help reduce the damage caused by both current and future flooding. The rulemaking also included key streamlining measures to reduce complexity and speed approval of FEMA-funded recovery projects, which included reducing the number of Public Assistance projects that require floodplain reviews and for Individual Assistance implementing a shortened review process for group Direct Housing sites. This rule change was effective on Sept. 9, 2024.
• Princeville, North Carolina OEHP review completed. OEHP completed the review of a critical infrastructure project in Princeville, North Carolina using Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program funds. Town officials considered elevating every building in the town or physically moving the community, their homes and critical services out of the floodplain. After careful consideration, guidance and support from EHP, the town decided the best solution for the health of the community and for future growth of the population was relocating the services and structures to a safer area versus elevating the properties within the existing floodplain.
• Columbia Canal OEHP completed. The review of a Public Assistance grant fund project was completed to repair the historic Columbia Canal located in Columbia, South Carolina. The canal, built in the 1820s to bypass the rapids where the Broad and Saluda Rivers join to form the Congaree River, was later repurposed in the 1890s as a hydroelectric industrial power source. The original repair project from 2016 included repairs to the breach in-kind. In 2023, the project was updated to include repairs to the breach and additional enhancements to strengthen the embankments throughout the canal. This was made possible through a Building Resilient Infrastructures and Communities (BRIC) grant.
• 2024 Improved Efficiency in Interagency Environmental and Historic Preservation Compliance Review Categorical Exclusions (CATEX). Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) are a class of actions that federal agencies, with Council on Environmental Quality approval, have determined do not have a significant effect on the human environment and for which neither an Environmental Assessment nor an Environmental Impact Statement is normally required. The use of CATEXs reduces paperwork, saves time and conserves resources. The Office of Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation (OEHP) developed an approach for interagency CATEX sharing by analyzing the expanded CATEX sharing allowances added to NEPA via the Fiscal Responsibility Act. The OEHP team prepared a list of potential CATEX with priority rankings and recommended 18 CATEXs from the U.S. Department of Energy for adoption by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In June 2024, all 18 CATEXs were officially adopted by DHS, streamlining interagency environmental and historic preservation compliance reviews during disaster recovery. The adoption of these CATEXs will aid FEMA in expediting energy related projects that would have previously required the preparation of an Environmental Assessment.
• Workforce Readiness Cycle. FEMA updated our Reservist Availability Model to provide clear expectations of availability requirements and allow for more predictable understanding of staffing capacity at any given time. Additionally, FEMA continued our efforts in the Regional Force Structure Review to ensure the agency has the right numbers of personnel in the right positions who are able to quickly respond when a disaster strikes.

mashana.davis Fri, 01/17/2025 - 20:11

Mercer County, W.Va., residents have three weeks to apply for FEMA disaster assistance

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – If you suffered damage or losses from the Sept. 25-28, 2024, remnants of Tropical Storm Helene, you have three weeks left to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for federal disaster assistance. The deadline to register is Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. 

Individual disaster assistance money for homeowners and renters are available to eligible residents of Mercer County. 

Here is how to register: 

• Visit your nearest Disaster Recovery Center.  Get the latest disaster recovery center information by calling 800-621-3362 or going online to www.fema.gov/drc. 
  • The Mercer County Disaster Recovery Center location and hours are as follows: 

Princeton Disaster Recovery Center

Lifeline Princeton Church of God

250 Oakvale Road 

Princeton, WV 24740

Hours of operation:

Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

CLOSED Saturday, Jan. 18

OPEN Monday, Jan. 20

Closed Sundays

 

• DRCs are accessible to all, including survivors with mobility issues, impaired vision, and those who are who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
• Call 800-621-FEMA (3362). The toll-free telephone line operates seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service;
• Go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov   

FEMA disaster assistance does not have to be repaid. FEMA assistance is nontaxable and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid or other federal benefits.

You should register even if you have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but if you have losses insurance doesn’t cover, you may receive help from FEMA after your insurance claims are settled.

To fully cover your losses, you may also need a low-interest federal disaster loan to offset losses from physical damage. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) provides these loans, not just for eligible small businesses, but also for renters, homeowners and private nonprofits to cover uncompensated real or personal property losses. The deadline to apply for an SBA physical damage loan is the same as for FEMA assistance, Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. There is no fee to apply for a loan and you do not have to accept one even if it is offered.

For more information about SBA loans, call SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or visit http://www.sba.gov/disaster. TTY users can call 800-877-8339.

For more information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit emd.wv.gov, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Facebook page, www.fema.gov/disaster/4851 and www.facebook.com/FEMA.

tiana.suber Fri, 01/17/2025 - 17:13

FEMA Partners with Disaster Recovery Coalition of America to Enhance Emergency Management Missions

WASHINGTON – FEMA and the Disaster Recovery Coalition of America (DRCA) signed a memorandum of agreement on Tuesday, Jan. 14 that will enhance both organizations’ ability to carry out their emergency management missions.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell signed the agreement with DRCA’s Chairman Pete Gaynor, formalizing the partnership. 

“Disaster response and recovery takes all of us – every level of government, faith-based and non-profit organizations, and the private sector,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “FEMA is proud to partner with DRCA and work together to better support disaster survivors and build more resilient communities.”

"Disaster recovery is a collective effort," said Pete Gaynor, Chairman of DRCA and former FEMA Administrator. "This agreement formalizes our partnership with FEMA, enabling DRCA’s member organizations to contribute more effectively to the nation’s disaster preparedness and recovery initiatives."  

The agreement describes the ways in which FEMA and DRCA will cooperate to carry out their respective responsibilities regarding emergency declaration communications, disaster mitigation, disaster preparedness, operational readiness, response and recovery operations in the event of a disaster or emergency under the Stafford Act. This cooperation will help people and communities prepare for and recover from disasters.

DRCA is a nonprofit trade association representing the top contractors, emergency management experts and industry leaders from over 15 industries. DRCA mobilizes and guides a national network of America’s foremost private sector organizations specializing in resilience, disaster response, recovery and mitigation. DRCA empowers its members to develop and implement cutting-edge strategies, operational frameworks and crisis management tools that reduce disaster risks and vulnerabilities, supporting local, state and national partners in achieving sustainable and equitable disaster recovery outcomes.  

FEMA partners with a number of organizations like the DRCA to ensure recovery efforts encompass the whole community—which includes the private enterprise—to help people before, during and after disasters.

amy.ashbridge Fri, 01/17/2025 - 16:32

FEMA, Cherokee Nation Sign Historic Agreement that Will Help Disaster Survivors

WASHINGTON -- Leaders of FEMA and the Cherokee Nation signed an agreement on Jan. 15 that will enable the Tribal Nation to deploy in support of FEMA’s operations during disasters, the first such agreement ever signed.

The Intergovernmental Service Agreement (IGSA) is a formal, binding contract. Under the agreement, FEMA’s Supplemental Response Team (SRT) program is able to deploy to the Cherokee Nation’s Incident Management Team, giving it the opportunity to integrate with federal response. The partnership will also create new opportunities for tribal emergency managers to increase their capacity and capabilities to respond on the federal level, which allows them to bring those skills back to their own communities.

The agreement was signed by Justin Knighten, FEMA Associate Administrator for the Office of External Affairs and Chuck Hoskin, Jr., Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

“This intergovernmental agreement with the Cherokee Nation’s embodies the spirit of ‘Gadugi,’ or ‘everyone helping each other,” said Deanne Criswell, FEMA Administrator. “I am so grateful for the Cherokee Nation’s partnership and I am confident that this agreement will improve our ability to reach and support survivors during disaster response.” 

“This agreement is a testament to the strength and expertise of the Cherokee Nation Emergency Management team,” said Hoskin, Jr. “Through this collaborative effort, we are stepping up to meet the challenges of an increasingly unpredictable world. By bringing together resources and leveraging the skills of our Incident Management Teams, we’re not only fulfilling our responsibility to protect our communities but also contributing to the broader mission of saving lives and restoring hope across the country.”

The Supplemental Response Team program’s mission is to expand FEMA’s ability to respond to disasters by mobilizing our country’s best while building the capability and capacity of state, local, Tribal Nation and territorial incident management teams.

FEMA currently works with two other SRTs, New York and New Jersey. However, those two teams are activated through mission assignments. New Jersey plans to also sign a more formal IGSA with FEMA in the near future, along with other teams across the country.

amy.ashbridge Thu, 01/16/2025 - 22:31

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

WASHINGTON -- FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Alaska to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by the severe storm and flooding from Oct. 20-23, 2024.

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 work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storm and flooding in Bering Strait Regional Educational Attendance Area (REAA) and Northwest Arctic Borough.

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

Lance E. Davis 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 Thu, 01/16/2025 - 21:30

Mercer County, W.Va., Disaster Recover Center open on Martin Luther King holiday

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The FEMA-West Virginia Disaster Recovery Center in Princeton, W.Va., will be open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, to help Mercer County residents impacted by the Sept. 25-28, 2024, remnants of Tropical Storm Helene.  

The Disaster Recovery Center location and hours are as follows: 

Princeton Disaster Recovery Center

Lifeline Princeton Church of God

250 Oakvale Road 

Princeton, WV 24740

Hours of operation:

Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

CLOSED Saturday, Jan. 18

OPEN Monday, Jan. 20

Closed Sundays

DRCs are accessible to all, including survivors with mobility issues, impaired vision, and those who are who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

For the latest DRC information, check the FEMA app or visit fema.gov/drc.

Survivors do not have to visit a DRC to register with FEMA. You can call 800-621-FEMA (3362). The toll-free telephone line operates seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. You can also register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or through the FEMA App on your phone. 

 The deadline to apply for FEMA disaster assistance is Feb. 7, 2025.                           

For more information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit emd.wv.gov, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Facebook page, www.fema.gov/disaster/4851 and www.facebook.com/FEMA.

tiana.suber Thu, 01/16/2025 - 18:01

FEMA Posts Public Notice for Kentucky Counties Affected by Helene

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A public notice has been posted that describes FEMA’s proposed funding for Kentucky remnants of Hurricane Helene work projects that may adversely affect historic properties, floodplains or wetlands, or may result in continuing vulnerability of these areas to flood damage.

By law, FEMA is required to announce its intent to provide federal assistance and grant opportunities under its Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant programs after the November 26, 2024, major disaster declaration for Kentucky remnants of Hurricane Helene.

The public notice is posted on FEMA’s disaster web page and on the Kentucky Emergency Management Agency (KYEM) website at Kentucky Emergency Management. 

The major disaster declaration authorizes FEMA to provide, under its Public Assistance Program, reimbursement or direct federal assistance for emergency and permanent work to eligible state and local agencies and certain private nonprofits affected by the Sept. 27-30, 2024, remnants of Hurricane Helene in designated counties. Counties authorized under the Public Assistance program are: Anderson, Bath, Bell, Bourbon, Bracken, Breathitt, Carter, Clark, Clay, Elliott, Estill, Fleming, Franklin, Greenup, Harlan, Harrison, Jackson, Johnson, Lawrence, Lee, Letcher, Lewis, Magoffin, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, Nicholas, Owsley, Powell, Robertson, Rockcastle, Rowan, Washington, and Wolfe counties.

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

For more information about these actions or a specific project, write to FEMA Region 4, 3005 Chamblee Tucker Road, Atlanta, GA 30341-4112. You may also email FEMA-R4EHP@fema.dhs.gov. Include in the email subject line, “DR-4848-KY EHAD.” Comments should be sent in writing within 30 days of the date of the public notice.

For the latest information on the Kentucky remnants of Hurricane Helene recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4848. On X/Twitter follow KYEM @KentuckyEM and FEMA Region 4 @femaregion4. 

erika.suzuki Thu, 01/16/2025 - 17:16

What is a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center?

LOS ANGELES – If you were affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles County, you may be eligible for FEMA financial assistance. After filing a claim with your insurance company, you can apply for FEMA by phone at 800-621-3362 or by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov. If you need additional support or would like help uploading documents, you should visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) to apply for assistance and learn about resources from FEMA and other state organizations to aid you in your recovery. 

What is a DRC?

A DRC is an accessible facility that you can visit in person to learn more about FEMA and other agencies providing disaster assistance in Los Angeles County. Residents, property owners, business owners, and farmers can go to a DRC to apply for assistance and obtain resources.

You can expect one-on-one support from FEMA staff who are happy to spend time with you to explain the different types of assistance offered.

The specialists at a DRC can help you:

• Apply for disaster grants from FEMA.
• Submit additional documents for your application.
• Understand and respond to a letter from FEMA.
• Learn how to replace damaged documents like proof of address or birth certificates.
• Get connected with state resources.

Who is at a DRC?

Every DRC is a little different, based on the local community’s needs. All DRCs will have FEMA staff, trained in the Individual Assistance program, available to answer questions about the FEMA disaster assistance application process. DRCs may have representatives from local, state, federal and community organizations. They are accessible to all, including people with disabilities and those with access and functional needs.

What should I bring?

You do not need to bring anything to visit a DRC – just yourself. However, depending on the help you are looking for, it can be helpful to prepare ahead of time.

Applying for Assistance: If you are starting or resuming an application for assistance, you should bring the following with you: 

• Insurance information, if available. 
• The address and zip code of your disaster-damaged home.
• Condition of your damaged home.
• Social Security number.
• Phone number, address, and email (if you have one) where you can be contacted.
• Bank account information, if you would like to set up direct deposit.

For examples of these documents and a more detailed application checklist, see the application checklist on DisasterAssistance.gov. 

What should I expect?

DRCs are accessible to all, including survivors who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Every DRC is laid out differently to make best use of the space. 

DRCs will always have signs out front, indicating where to enter. Once you walk in the front doors, you will be greeted, and you will sign in. All DRCs have security present at the entrance. You may have to wait for a few moments for the specialist you need to be available. If so, you can sit down in designated chairs or a waiting area. Most of the time, you will not need to wait and will be helped immediately. As soon as a specialist is available, they will work with you personally to help answer your questions, help you register for assistance or understand your documents, connect you with available resources, and more.

Where do I find a DRC near me?

As of Jan. 14, there are two DRCs open in Los Angeles County. New DRCs will continue to open over the coming weeks. To find a DRC near you, including addresses and hours, go to FEMA.gov/drc. The deadline to apply for assistance is March 10, 2025.

For the latest information about California’s recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4856. Follow FEMA Region 9 @FEMARegion9 on X or follow FEMA on social media at: FEMA Blog on fema.gov, @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol on X, FEMA or FEMA Espanol on Facebook, @FEMA on Instagram, and via FEMA YouTube channel. Also, follow Administrator Deanne Criswell on Twitter @FEMA_Deanne.

California is committed to supporting residents impacted by the Los Angeles Hurricane-Force Firestorm as they navigate the recovery process. Visit CA.gov/LAFires for up-to-date information on disaster recovery programs, important deadlines, and how to apply for assistance.

amy.ashbridge Thu, 01/16/2025 - 16:10

Revised Preliminary Flood Maps for Woodruff County, Arkansas, Ready for Public View

DENTON, Texas – Revised Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) are available for review by residents and business owners in all communities and incorporated areas of Woodruff County, Arkansas.

Property owners are encouraged to review the latest information to learn about local flood risks and potential future flood insurance requirements. Community residents can identify any concerns or questions about the information provided and participate in the appeal and comment periods for the maps.

This is Woodruff County’s first complete set of digital FIRMs. These maps serve multiple purposes, including defining Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs). SFHAs are areas at high risk for flooding. Community leaders and residents can use these maps to make informed decisions about building standards, development and flood insurance that will make the community more resilient and lessen the impacts of a flood event.

FEMA stresses that flooding can and does happen outside of the most vulnerable areas.

Review the preliminary flood maps by visiting the local floodplain administrator (FPA). A FEMA Map Specialist can help identify community FPAs. Specialists are available by telephone at 877-FEMA-MAP (877-336-2627) or by email at FEMA-FMIX@fema.dhs.gov.

The preliminary maps may also be viewed online:

• The Flood Map Changes Viewer at http://msc.fema.gov/fmcv 
• FEMA Map Service Center at http://msc.fema.gov/portal

For more information about the flood maps:

• Use a live chat service about flood maps at floodmaps.fema.gov/fhm/fmx_main.html (just click on the “Live Chat Open” icon).
• Contact a FEMA Map Specialist by telephone at 877-FEMA-MAP (877-336-2627) or by email at FEMA-FMIX@fema.dhs.gov.

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 floodsmart.gov.

alexa.brown Thu, 01/16/2025 - 16:01

FEMA Obligates $1.02 Billion for Critical Repairs and Replacement of Territory’s 911 Communication Towers and Power Plants

ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands – FEMA, along with the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands (GVI) and the Virgin Islands Office of Disaster Recovery (ODR), announce several recent key obligations of additional funding to assist the Territory in its recovery from hurricanes Irma and Maria. $161.5 million has been obligated for the repair and replacement of communication towers on the islands of St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John, $205.9 million to support the replacement of generation units at the Randolph Harley Power Plant on St. Thomas and $661 million to replace turbines and generators at the Richmond Power Plant on St. Croix. 

“The Office of Disaster Recovery appreciates the continued collaboration between its staff and the FEMA USVI team,” said Adrienne L. Williams-Octalien, ODR Director.  “These obligations signal a fresh start for VIWAPA’s power distribution systems on St. Croix and the strengthening of BIT’s communication infrastructure, ultimately putting the territory in a better position to withstand future weather events and other potential threats.”

The 2017 hurricanes caused heavy damage to communication towers, antennas and satellites, and buildings, owned by the Territory. This obligation will help the Bureau of Information Technology in restoring the Territory’s emergency communication abilities and improving 911 capabilities.

Meanwhile, the obligations of funding for the Water and Power Authority’s power plants will assist in enhancing energy reliability for the entire territory. The Randolph Harley Power Plant will receive assistance with the replacement of two severely damaged generation units. The project also includes funding for repairs to an additional seven power generating units. On St. Croix, the Richmond Power Plant will see the replacement of eight turbine/generators, along with the replacement of buildings and transformers at the substation. These significant investments are expected to strengthen the power grid’s resilience against future disruptions.

“The federal government has been an invaluable partner in our recovery and rebuilding efforts after hurricanes Irma and Maria. This $1.02 billion FEMA investment in our communication towers and power plants significantly strengthens our infrastructure and improves our resilience against future challenges. Our focus is not just on replacing aged infrastructure but transforming it—building modern systems designed to withstand the evolving challenges of a changing climate," said Governor Albert Bryan Jr. "While the process takes time, progress is evident. Together with FEMA and our federal partners, we are laying the foundation for a stronger, more sustainable Virgin Islands that reflects the resilience and determination of our people. This work is essential, and with the continued support of our federal partners, our administration remains focused on its completion."

The funding for these infrastructure projects is made available through the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2018, which grants FEMA additional flexibility in helping applicants address the repair or replacement of critical facilities, including heavily damaged or aging infrastructure to current industry standards without regard to pre-disaster condition.

“These investments underscore FEMA’s commitment to helping Virgin Islanders continue their recovery from the 2017 hurricanes,” said Kristen A. Hodge, Director for FEMA’s USVI Recovery Office. “The obligation of these funds highlights the ongoing partnership that we have with the Government of the Virgin Islands and the Office of Disaster Recovery in support of recovery and creating a more resilient home for all Virgin Islanders.” 

As of today, FEMA has committed $16 billion through its Public Assistance program toward emergency and permanent repairs for infrastructure damaged during the 2017 hurricanes. Of the $16 billion, $1.07 billion is approved toward hazard mitigation measures to help break the cycle of disaster damage and reconstruction.

gina.callaghan Thu, 01/16/2025 - 14:07

FEMA Awards Over $122 Million to the Forensic Psychiatry Hospital in Ponce

Guaynabo, PUERTO RICO — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) obligated over $122 million to the Mental Health and Addiction Services Administration (ASSMCA, in Spanish) to repair the Forensic Psychiatry Hospital in Ponce, a mental health center that provides medical-legal evaluation to people with mental disorders who have been intervened by the Puerto Rico criminal justice system.

“This hospital is vital in the evaluation of people with mental health conditions, and it is essential that it operates in optimal conditions to provide adequate care. With this funding allocation, FEMA reaffirms its commitment to the recovery of specialized facilities that provide essential services to mental health patients,” said FEMA Infrastructure Division Director Al Gómez Rivera.

The Forensic Psychiatry Hospital in Ponce treats people with possible mental disorders who are facing criminal proceedings and whose competence — that is, their ability to understand the proceedings against them and cooperate with their defense — must be determined by a doctor specializing in psychiatry. The Forensic Psychiatry Hospital in Ponce is the only one in Puerto Rico with an area exclusively for women.

ASSMCA has two facilities available in Puerto Rico to provide treatment and housing for mental health patients facing or awaiting judicial proceedings. These are the Forensic Psychiatry Hospital in Río Piedras, with capacity for about 100 male patients; and the Forensic Psychiatry Hospital in Ponce, the largest on the Island, with a capacity of 125 spaces, of which 26 are for women and 99 for men. The minimum age for admission is 18 years old. 

To ensure the well-being of patients, it is vital for the hospital to have backup systems for essential drinking water and electricity services. To that end, FEMA included among the hospital’s repairs the provision of a potable water cistern and a power generator, in addition to installing an alternate power system. The construction project includes phases that have already been completed, such as the building's electrical infrastructure, lighting, security gates and air conditioning systems.

The provision of Section 20601 of the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act, which applies to Puerto Rico, allowed FEMA to maximize federal assistance through the Public Assistance program.

In addition to allocating funds to repair infrastructure damaged by Hurricane María, FEMA approved over $8 million for mitigation measures to protect the structure against similar damage. This includes installing a photovoltaic system to prevent damage caused by overloads and power fluctuations. The building’s doors and windows will also be reinforced with storm shutters, anchors and systems that protect the infrastructure from rainwater infiltration and hurricane-force winds. 

FEMA has obligated over $34.5 billion for nearly 11,060 projects for Puerto Rico’s recovery from Hurricane María. Over $431.2 million of these funds are for 12 permanent construction projects for facilities administered by ASSMCA.

For more information about Puerto Rico’s recovery,  visit fema.gov/disaster/4339, fema.gov/disaster/4473 and recovery.pr. Follow us on our social media at Facebook.com/FEMAPuertoRico, Facebook.com/COR3pr and Twitter @COR3pr.

 

 

frances.acevedo-pico Thu, 01/16/2025 - 13:57

Disaster Recovery Centers in Laurens, Screven and Wilkes Counties to Close Permanently Jan. 18

The Disaster Recovery Centers in Laurens, Screven and Wilkes counties are set to close permanently at 6 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18. They are currently open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

The recovery centers are at these locations:

Laurens County

Old West Laurens Middle School

338 West Laurens School Road 

Dublin, GA 31021

Screven County

Screven County Library

106 Community Drive

Sylvania, GA 30467

Wilkes County

Washington Fire Department

(Training Room)

212 E. Court St

Washington, GA 30673

There are other centers currently operating in Georgia. Residents can find the center closest to them by going to fema.gov/drc. All centers are accessible to people with disabilities or access and functional needs and are equipped with assistive technology. 

1. FEMA provides help to all disaster survivors, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation,
2. religion, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status. Our top priority is ensuring that disaster assistance is reaching people in need.

If you are in an affected county, you are encouraged to apply for FEMA disaster assistance. You can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov. You can also apply using the FEMA App for mobile devices or calling toll-free 800-621-3362. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in most languages. Survivors can also contact the Georgia Call Center at 678-547-2861 Monday through Saturday for assistance with their application.

For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance go to FEMA Accessible: Applying for Individual Assistance - YouTube.

For the latest information about Georgia’s recovery, visit fema.gov/helene/georgia and fema.gov/disaster/4821. Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or follow FEMA on social media at: FEMA Blog on fema.gov, @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol on X, FEMA or FEMA Espanol on Facebook, @FEMA on Instagram, and via FEMA YouTube channel. Also, follow Administrator Deanne Criswell on X @FEMA_Deanne

jakia.randolph Thu, 01/16/2025 - 13:29

FEMA Announces 2025 Traditional Reinsurance Placement to Manage Future Flood Risk

WASHINGTON -- FEMA announced its 2025 traditional reinsurance placement for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), continuing its risk management practice against catastrophic flood losses.  

The agency has transferred an additional $757.835 million of the NFIP’s financial risk to the private reinsurance market. This annual reinsurance agreement provides coverage in 2025 through the support of 27 private reinsurance companies. 

The 2025 reinsurance placement covers portions of NFIP losses above $7 billion arising from a single qualifying flood event. FEMA will pay total premium of $139.9 million for the coverage. 

The agreement is structured to cover:  

• 12.0334% of losses between $7 billion and $9 billion  
• 25.8584% of losses between $9 billion and $11 billion

Combined with the three capital markets reinsurance placements in 2022, 2023 and 2024, FEMA has transferred $2.058 billion of the NFIP’s flood risk to the private sector. If a named storm flood event is large enough to trigger all reinsurance agreements, FEMA will receive qualifying payments.   

“In addition to announcing this year’s traditional renewal, I’m also pleased to share that the NFIP has increased its reinsurer participation in the program,” said Elizabeth Asche, Ph.D., FEMA’s Assistant Administrator for Federal Insurance, and senior executive of the National Flood Insurance Program. “We now have 27 reinsurers, up from 18 last year, strengthening FEMA’s commitment to use private sector reinsurance to enhance the NFIP’s ability to pay flood insurance claims.”

Reinsurance is a financial risk management tool used by private insurance companies and public entities to protect themselves from large financial losses. If a qualifying catastrophic flood event occurs, reinsurance companies cover a portion of the NFIP’s losses to enhance FEMA’s ability to pay flood insurance claims without borrowing from the U.S. Treasury. 

FEMA contracted with Guy Carpenter and Company, a subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, to provide broker services to assist in securing the reinsurance placement.

FEMA received authority to secure reinsurance through the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 and the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014.  FEMA’s 2025 reinsurance placement builds upon its previous reinsurance placements as further development toward a stronger financial framework. 

For more information, visit the NFIP Reinsurance Program webpage on FEMA.gov.
 

amy.ashbridge Wed, 01/15/2025 - 20:18

FEMA Transitional Sheltering Assistance Available for Los Angeles County Residents

LOS ANGELES - FEMA and the state of California are working to ensure that displaced survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires have access to safe, accessible temporary shelter. Reimbursement for out-of-pocket hotel costs, financial assistance towards rent and home repair and FEMA-provided temporary hotel or motel stays are currently being provided to eligible households. 

Renters and homeowners who have already applied for disaster assistance may be eligible to stay temporarily in a hotel or motel paid for by FEMA through the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) Program. This program is offered to enable displaced residents to work on their interim housing plan.

Affected residents do not need to request this assistance. FEMA will notify them of their eligibility through an automated phone call, text message, and/or email depending on the method of communication selected at the time of application for disaster assistance. 

TSA is a temporary program intended to provide short-term lodging for eligible disaster survivors whose primary residence is uninhabitable or inaccessible because of the disaster and are not covered by insurance additional living expenses or loss of use. Eligible applicants sign a terms and conditions document confirming their eligibility end date when they check into a participating hotel.

Under the TSA program, FEMA pays the cost of room, taxes, and non-refundable pet fees directly to participating hotels and motels. Survivors are responsible for all other costs, including laundry, restaurant/room service, parking, telephone, or movie rental. 

Continued eligibility is determined on an individual basis. When eligibility ends, survivors will be notified by FEMA seven days prior to checkout date. TSA is limited to participating hotels and motels. Applicants must refer to the TSA Locator to find a hotel, which will be visible to them when they go to DisasterAssistance.gov.

Emergency hotel and motel stays are just one of several ways FEMA is helping wildfire survivors with housing needs. FEMA is offering other forms of housing assistance such as Displacement Assistance, Rental Assistance, and/or Lodging Expense Reimbursement:

• Displacement Assistance helps survivors who can’t return to their home following a disaster by giving them up-front money to help with immediate housing needs. It is money you can use to stay in a hotel or motel, stay with family and friends, or for any other available housing options.
• Rental Assistance pays for alternate temporary housing if a homeowner or renter is displaced from their primary residence because of damages resulting from the wildfires in Los Angeles County. This may include renting an apartment, house or staying at a hotel, bed and breakfast or Airbnb.
• Lodging Expense Reimbursement (LER) pays out-of-pocket lodging expenses that are not covered by insurance benefits like additional living expenses or loss of use. The resident’s pre-disaster primary residence must be unlivable, inaccessible, or affected by an extended disaster-caused utility outage. Eligible expenses may include the cost of the room and taxes charged by a hotel or other lodging provider. This does not include costs for food, phone calls or transportation. LER is limited to reimbursement and is not provided in advance or in the form of direct payment to a hotel or motel. The costs must have also been incurred on or after Jan. 7, 2025. Residents can upload their receipts to their DisasterAssistance.gov account.

To apply for FEMA assistance, homeowners and renters can: 

• Go online at DisasterAssistance.gov and in Spanish language at DisasterAssistance.gov/es.
• Call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362 for assistance in multiple languages.
• Download the FEMA App for mobile devices.  
• Go to a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center. To find one in your area, click here  or text DRC along with your Zip Code to 43362 (Example: “DRC 91001”)

If you use a relay service, captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. To view an accessible video on how to apply, visit Three Ways to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance - YouTube. 

For the latest information about California’s recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4856

California is committed to supporting residents impacted by the Los Angeles Hurricane-Force Firestorm as they navigate the recovery process. Resources for financial assistance, housing, funds for repair and more are available to help individuals and families. Visit CA.gov/LAFires for up-to-date information on disaster recovery programs, important deadlines, and how to apply for assistance.

amy.ashbridge Wed, 01/15/2025 - 17:35

Survivors Begin Living In FEMA-Provided Housing As Their Recovery Continues

Individuals and families who lost their homes to Helene’s wrath are beginning to move back to areas near their homes. FEMA Direct Temporary Housing Assistance is available to eligible survivors in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties to bring some comfort and stability as survivors recover and their homes are restored. Travel trailers and manufactured housing units have arrived in Tennessee and survivors started moving into private sites this week. 

Preparing travel trailers and manufactured housing units for placement on private property can be a complex process that involves ordering, installation, permitting, utility hookups and inspection before they are ready for survivors to occupy. Just like a large construction project the process, leading to unit occupancy can encounter multiple challenges and delays such as non-functional utilities or right of entry permissions. FEMA does not permit units for occupancy but works closely with applicants and local governments to complete the process.

FEMA also leases space from available commercial parks, such as RV campgrounds located in affected areas to set up travel trailers. Once a survivor takes possession of a FEMA unit, they are required to do three things every 30 days:

• Demonstrate a continued need for housing assistance.
• Recertify their eligibility.
• Show they are making progress toward a permanent housing solution.

Occupants may be eligible to stay in FEMA provided units for up to 18 months from the date the disaster was declared while securing a permanent housing solution. Each housing recipient must sign and comply with a licensing agreement for the duration of their stay.

kwei.nwaogu Wed, 01/15/2025 - 14:10

FEMA Public Assistance Available for Bamberg, Calhoun, Orangeburg Counties Following November Severe Storms and Flooding in South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governmental agencies and certain nonprofits (including faith-based organizations) in Bamberg, Calhoun and Orangeburg counties in South Carolina that were affected by severe storms and flooding of Nov. 6-14, 2024, may be eligible for FEMA Public Assistance. This assistance can help cover costs for debris removal, protective measures, public buildings and equipment, public utilities, and more. 

This is a new major disaster declaration and separate from the declaration for Hurricane Helene.  

The Public Assistance Program provides federal funding on a cost-share basis to assist states, federally recognized tribal governments, U.S. territories, local governments and private nonprofits that provide essential social services to the public. It is FEMA’s largest grant program.

The state of South Carolina will conduct applicant briefings to inform potential applicants of the assistance available and how to apply. Applicants then file a Request for Public Assistance (RPA) and identify damage that resulted from the disaster. FEMA determines eligibility for reimbursement after state review.

The state will manage Public Assistance funds received from FEMA. This includes disbursing the funds to the applicant.

For more information about FEMA’s Public Assistance program, visit Assistance for Governments and Private Non-Profits After a Disaster | FEMA.gov

Additionally, all areas of the state are now eligible for Hazard Mitigation assistance.

For more information about disaster recovery operations in South Carolina, visit  fema.gov/severestormsflooding/south-carolina

martyce.allenjr Wed, 01/15/2025 - 13:32

Disaster Recovery Center Open in Fulton County

FEMA has opened a Disaster Recovery Center in Fulton County to provide one-on-one help for Georgians affected by Tropical Storm Debby (damage Aug. 4—20, 2024) and Hurricane Helene (damage Sept. 24—Oct. 30, 2024). 

The center is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday – Saturday, through Saturday, February 8. It is located at:

Fulton County
Evelyn G Lowery Library at Cascade
3665 Cascade Road SW
Atlanta, GA 30331

Additional centers are open in the following counties:

Open Monday – Saturday from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. 

Appling County 

Appling County Center
83 S. Oak St.

Baxley, GA 31513

Coffee County

The Atrium 
114 N. Peterson Avenue 

Douglas, GA 31533

Emanuel County

Southeastern Technical College 

Special Programs Bldg.

346 Kite Road, Building 1

Swainsboro, GA 30401

Jefferson County

National Guard Bid-EOC

1841 Hwy. 24 West

Louisville, GA 30434

 

Laurens County

Old West Laurens Middle School

338 West Laurens School Road 

Dublin, GA 31021

Closing permanently 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18

Lowndes County

Valdosta State University Foundation, Inc.

901 N. Patterson St.

Valdosta, GA 31601

McDuffie County
Thomson Depot                                                                                     111 Railroad Street

Thomson, GA 30824

Richmond County

Hub for Community Innovation

631 Chafee Avenue 

Augusta, GA 30904

Screven County

Screven County Library

106 Community Drive

Sylvania, GA 30467

Closing permanently 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18

Wilkes County

Washington Fire Department (Training Room)

212 E. Court St.

Washington, GA 30673

FEMA Mobile Registration Center location and hours

Bulloch County

Kiwanis Ogeechee Fairground

16942 GA-67

Statesboro, GA 30458

Monday, Dec. 23—Friday, Jan. 17, 2025

8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

To find center locations in the state, visit FEMA’s Hurricane Helene Georgia Page, FEMA’s DRC Locator or text “DRC” and your Zip Code to 43362. All centers are accessible to people with disabilities or access and functional needs and are equipped with assistive technology. 

Homeowners and renters in Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Dodge, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Fulton, Glascock, Glynn, Hancock, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, McDuffie, McIntosh, Montgomery, Newton, Pierce, Rabun, Richmond, Screven, Stephens, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Telfair, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wheeler and Wilkes counties can visit any open center to meet with representatives of FEMA, the State of Georgia and the U.S. Small Business Administration. No appointment is needed.

If you are in an affected county, you are encouraged to apply for FEMA disaster assistance. You can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov. You can also apply using the FEMA App for mobile devices or calling toll-free 800-621-3362. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in most languages.

For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance go to FEMA Accessible: Applying for Individual Assistance - YouTube.

For the latest information about Georgia’s recovery, visit fema.gov/helene/georgia and fema.gov/disaster/4821. Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or follow FEMA on social media at: FEMA Blog on fema.gov, @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol on X, FEMA or FEMA Espanol on Facebook, @FEMA on Instagram, and via FEMA YouTube channel. Also, follow Administrator Deanne Criswell on X @FEMA_Deanne.

jakia.randolph Wed, 01/15/2025 - 13:23

FEMA Determination Letters are Important First Step to Receive Assistance

WASHINGTON - Los Angeles County wildfires survivors who registered for FEMA assistance will receive a letter from FEMA. If the letter says you are “not approved” for assistance, it does not mean you have been denied assistance. It may simply mean that FEMA cannot approve your application with the information submitted so far. 

People with Insurance May Receive an Initial “Not Approved” Decision; FEMA Assistance May Still Be Available

FEMA may need your insurance determination to be finalized in order to continue processing your FEMA application to make sure you are not receiving funding for the same damage twice. By law, FEMA cannot pay for costs related to the wildfires that your insurance already covers. 

Once 30 days or more have passed since you filed your insurance claim and you have not received your settlement, please contact the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362 for assistance in multiple languages. FEMA may be able to provide some initial funds while you wait for your insurance payout. 

FEMA Wants to Keep You on Track Towards Recovery

Often, a “not approved” decision may mean that you only need to send additional information or supporting documentation for FEMA to continue reviewing your application for financial assistance. Examples of missing documentation may include:

• Proof of insurance coverage.
• Settlement of insurance claims or denial letter from insurance provider.
• Proof of identity.
• Proof of occupancy.
• Proof of ownership.
• Proof that the damaged property was the applicant’s primary residence at the time of the disaster.

Be careful to enter your information correctly. Typos and missing numbers or information may also cause delays or an initial “not approved” determination letter.

If you have questions about your letter, call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362. Assistance is available in multiple languages. If you use a relay service such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, provide FEMA your number for that service when you apply.

You Can Appeal FEMA’s Decision

It is important to read your FEMA letter carefully because it will include the amount of money FEMA may provide and information on the appropriate use of that money. The letter will also explain your application status and advise what you need to do to appeal if you do not agree with FEMA’s decision.

You can appeal any FEMA decision or award amount by sending documents that show you qualify and need more help, like estimates for repairs, receipts, bills, etc. Each determination letter you receive from FEMA explains the types of documents that may help you appeal FEMA’s decision or award amount for that type of assistance.

With the letter, FEMA will provide an appeal form that may be used to provide additional information, if you choose to do so. You may also download the appeal form. When submitting any documentation or information to FEMA, you must include your FEMA application number and disaster number (DR-4856-CA) on every page.

FEMA cannot duplicate assistance provided by another source, such as insurance settlements. However, those who are underinsured may receive further assistance for unmet needs after insurance claims have been settled by submitting their insurance settlement or denial documents to FEMA. FEMA does not provide funding for insurance deductibles.

If someone other than an applicant or co-applicant writes the appeal letter, that person must sign it and provide FEMA with a signed statement authorizing the individual to act on behalf of the applicant.

Other ways to submit documents include:

• Mail: FEMA National Processing Service Center, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville MD 20782-7055
• Fax: 800-827-8112 Attention: FEMA
• At a Disaster Recovery Center: To find the nearest one, visit fema.gov/drc

Other Federal Support May Be Available

Regardless of your eligibility for FEMA assistance, homeowners, renters and business owners can receive low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Homeowners can borrow up to $500,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters can borrow up to $100,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property, including personal vehicles.

Businesses may receive up to $2 million for physical damage or economic injury. The SBA can also lend additional funds to businesses and homeowners to help with the cost of improvements to protect, prevent or minimize the disaster damage from occurring in the future. Information and details on the location of future disaster recovery centers is available by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955.

amy.ashbridge Tue, 01/14/2025 - 22:40