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Last week, FEMA announced recipients of the 2019 Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dam Grant Program. This program was authorized under the recently funded Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act.
The purpose of the Grant Program is to provide funding to non-federal sponsors, including government and non-profit organizations to rehabilitate, repair, or remove high hazard potential dams. Funding is restricted to states and territories that have a dam safety program for dams classified as “high hazard potential” by the state or territorial dam safety agency.
The grant program provides technical, planning, design, and construction assistance in the form of grants for rehabilitation of eligible high hazard potential dams. Eligible applicants must be non-federal sponsors, which include non-federal governments and non-profit organizations.
Visit the FEMA website to view additional information on the HHPD grant program.
FEMA released the results from the 2018 National Household Survey, which measures individuals' attitudes and behaviors regarding preparedness and assesses what influences them to begin preparing for a future hazard. Every year, FEMA surveys the American public to assess how the culture of personal disaster preparedness and resilience has changed over time.
Estimates from the 2018 survey suggest that an increasing percentage of the American public are actively preparing for disasters:
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57 percent have taken three or more basic actions to prepare, eleven percentage points higher than last year's estimate.
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94 percent have taken at least one action to prepare.
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67 percent of adults have set aside some money for an emergency, although most have set aside less than $500.
When focusing on areas at higher risk of certain disasters, residents in areas at risk for hurricanes are most likely to have taken preparedness actions.
Approximately 5,000 adults in the U.S. were surveyed in both English and Spanish. The survey includes both a nationally representative sample and hazard-specific oversamples including tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes and urban events.
Visit the FEMA website for more information and a full list of results. For more about preparedness research, please visit Ready.gov.
 The second week of National Preparedness Month 2019 highlights the importance of knowing your community’s risks and what to do when they occur. Having a plan and taking action in advance means that everyone can be prepared, no matter where or when disaster strikes.
When making a plan it is vital to involve your entire family, as you may not all be together when a disaster occurs. Follow these steps to help you prepare:
- Sign up for emergency alerts so that during an emergency, you receive life-saving information from your state and local municipality.
- Have an evacuation plan and know your evacuation route.
- Identify several places you could go in an emergency such as a shelter, a friend’s home in another town or a motel. Choose destinations in different directions so that you have options.
- Plan for your pets (e.g., carrying case, food and supplies, and pre-identify shelters to use). Not all shelters accept pets, so plan ahead for a safe place for them to stay.
- Making a family emergency communication plan in advance will let all members of the household know how to reach each other and where to meet up in an emergency.
- Collect, copy, and store your financial information using Your Disaster Checklist.
Each September, National Preparedness Month reminds us to prepare ourselves, our families, and our communities for the disasters and emergencies that could happen where we live, work and visit.
Learn more about the many ways that you can prepare in the case of a disaster or emergency by going to Ready.gov.
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Congressional Support for National Preparedness Month
FEMA appreciates the support of the Members of Congress who are serving as 2019 co-sponsors for National Preparedness Month. Throughout September, the FEMA Bulletin will feature statements from these members.
Senator Ron Johnson, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of Wisconsin
“As Hurricane Dorian devastated parts of The Bahamas and threatened America’s east coast, communities all across America continue to recover and rebuild after historic damage from the 2017 and 2018 hurricane seasons. Last year’s passage of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act will help improve building code implementation, provide better guidance on evacuation routes, and implement a new national public infrastructure mitigation program. I am honored to serve as congressional co-chair for the 2019 National Preparedness Month and urge all Americans to plan ahead and heed the warnings of public safety officials.”
Representative Bennie Thompson, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security of Mississippi
“In recent years, we’ve seen intensifying natural disasters devastate our communities across the country. This year, severe weather and record flooding have upended the lives of thousands across the country, including many in my home state of Mississippi. When we are not prepared our communities suffer. It should be the utmost priority of the American government to not only bring awareness to the issue, but to provide the necessary preparedness resources to protect families and save lives. That is why I am proud to be a Co-Chair for the 2019 National Preparedness Month, working towards solutions that push the importance of emergency preparedness.”
In this week’s episode, experts from FEMA’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear office discuss how FEMA would deal with an improvised nuclear device detonation. Listen in as they work through an in-depth scenario that explores the office’s mission of planning for dangerous, man-made events.
The FEMA podcast is an audio program series available to anyone interested in learning more about the Agency, hearing about innovation in the field of emergency management, and listening to stories about communities and individuals recovering after disasters.
FEMA Hosts Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Webinars
FEMA is hosting webinars to provide an overview of two Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) competitive grant programs: Flood Mitigation Assistance and Pre-Disaster Mitigation.
Each webinar provides overview of the grant programs and details about the agency’s funding priorities and review process.
• Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 2 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 2 p.m. ET
How to Participate:
• Register on FEMA Adobe Connect.
• FEMA Teleconference: 1-800-320-4330 Code: 338559#
Application Deadline Extended for Emergency Food and Shelter Program
Sept. 16 is the new deadline to submit applications for Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance funding under the Emergency Food and Shelter Program. The program is for organizations that provided assistance to southern border migrants released from the custody of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. These organizations may be reimbursed for eligible expenses incurred on or after Jan. 1 through June 30.
The application, “Supplemental Funding Guidance,” and other instructional resources may be found on the Emergency Food and Shelter Program website. All applications must be completed via the website by 11:59 p.m. ET, Sept. 16.
For questions or guidance, please contact the National Board.
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