|
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell visited with local officials in Florida to discuss federal government support to survivors and affected communities in Florida.
Critical life-safety activities include:
- Federal search and rescue teams – including FEMA Urban Search and Rescue, U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Defense, Customs Border and Protection – and the state of Florida, coordinate rescue efforts with local officials, prioritizing hospitals, healthcare facilities and barrier island communities. Visit missing.fl.gov if you or someone you know need assistance or a safety check.
- More than 100 FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Team staff work in the hardest hit communities to help survivors apply for assistance and identify immediate and emerging threats.
FEMA published a dedicated Ian webpage that includes information on how to donate, volunteer, dispel rumors and find assistance. After a disaster, there often are many rumors and misunderstandings. Do your part to the stop the spread of rumors by finding and sharing information from trusted sources and discouraging others from sharing information from unverified sources. Find facts about common disaster related rumors at Common Disaster-Related Rumors | FEMA.gov.
For those who evacuated, you can start a claim now even if you haven't returned home yet. When you get to your home, take photos to document damage and keep receipts from all clean-up and repair related purchases. These steps may help maximize insurance and federal disaster assistance and payments.
FEMA announced the updated edition of the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Risk Rating 2.0 Flood Insurance Manual effective Oct. 1. The Flood Insurance Manual is available on FEMA.gov.
The agency’s regular updates to the Flood Insurance Manual reflect an ongoing effort to deliver clear guidance in an easy-to-understand format.
The updated edition of the Flood Insurance Manual does not change flood insurance coverage or supersede the terms and conditions of the Standard Flood Insurance Policy. The guidance in this edition reflects the NFIP’s existing underwriting requirements and its current rating methodology, Risk Rating 2.0.
The October 2022 edition of the Flood Insurance Manual clarifies and enhances guidance provided in the October 2021 Risk Rating 2.0 edition of the Flood Insurance Manual.
FEMA’s goal is to make NFIP products and processes easy to understand and enable insurance professionals to provide policyholders with consistent and reliable service.
Together, we can make America more flood resilient and build a culture of preparedness by closing the nation’s insurance gap.
Beginning Oct. 5, leaders from across public and private sectors will gather to discuss community needs and the growing threat of natural hazards.
Co-hosted by FEMA and the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), the Resilient Nation Partnership Network’s Alliances for Inclusive Resilience Virtual Forum Series will include key speakers including FEMA Acting Deputy Administrator of Resilience Victoria Salinas; Chief Resilience Officer of Flint Michigan, Lottie Ferguson; and Greenville, Mississippi Mayor Errick Simmons.
The Alliances for Inclusive Resilience virtual series is part of the 7th Annual Partnership Forum led by the FEMA Resilient Nation Partnership Network. Attendees will have an opportunity to hear from diverse speakers about community-led resilience, engage with industry peers and identify opportunities for future collaboration.
Discussions will occur 1-3 p.m. ET every Wednesday in October.
Registration for the event is open to all. To learn more about the event, speakers, or to register for any session, visit the event website or email fema-resilientnation@fema.dhs.gov.
The series will cover the following topics:
The Resilient Nation Partnership Network is a diverse network of voices united in their commitment to help communities act and become more resilient toward natural disasters and climate-related events. What started as a handful of like-minded individuals have flourished to over 1,500 member organizations.
To learn more about the Resilient Nation Partnership Network or how you or your organization can get involved, visit FEMA.gov.
The FEMA Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dam Grant and the National Dam Safety State Assistance Grant programs are awarded $33 million as part of fiscal year 2022 grant funding to 49 states and one territory for non-federal dams.
For the next five years, FEMA will award $733 million through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in dam safety grants to states and territories to enhance dam safety and rehabilitate or remove aging dams. This year’s funding includes an additional $15 million through the law.
Dams play a vital role in the nation’s overall infrastructure. They contribute to the economic development of the United States and to the social welfare of the American public.
Eligible non-federal dams are:
- Located in a state or territory with a dam safety program.
- Classified as ‘high hazard potential’ by the dam safety agency in the state or territory where the dam is located.
- Have an emergency action plan approved by the state or territorial dam safety agency.
- State or territorial dams, where the dam fails to meet minimum dam safety standards of the state or territory and poses an unacceptable risk to the public.
Approximately $22 million of the $33 million being awarded is through the FEMA Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dam Grant program. Eligible applicants are limited to states that have a state dam safety program authorized by state legislation. Funding will provide technical, planning, design and construction assistance in the form of grants for rehabilitation of eligible high hazard potential dams across 18 states and Puerto Rico.
The other approximate $11 million is available through the National Dam Safety State Assistance Grant Program to establish and maintain effective state programs that ensure dam safety and protect human life and property. Every state with a dam safety program and Puerto Rico will benefit from this funding.
In a state or territory with an enacted dam safety program, the state administrative agency or an equivalent state agency is eligible to apply. Each eligible state may submit only one grant application.
More information is available on fema.gov. Questions regarding the grants can be sent to the Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dams Grant Program.
Oct. 9-15 is National Fire Prevention Week. This year, we focus on home fire escape plans. Follow these “Be. Know. Do.” tips to learn why it is so important to have a home fire escape plan and find tips to create one with your family.
Be.
Be aware that if you have a fire, you could have less than 2 minutes to escape.
Today’s homes burn faster than ever. You may have as little as two minutes, or less, to safely escape a home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Your ability to get out of a home during a fire depends on early warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.
Know.
Know the importance of working smoke alarms and how to create a home fire escape plan for everyone in your home.
A working smoke alarm will alert you that there is a fire, and you need to escape. Fire moves fast. You and your family could have only minutes to get out safely once the smoke alarm sounds.
For the best protection, use combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that are interconnected throughout the home. These can be installed by a qualified electrician, so that when one sounds, they all sound. This ensures you can hear the alarm no matter where in your home the alarm originates.
Do.
Do create a home fire escape plan and practice the plan. Make sure your plan meets the needs of all your family members, including people with sensory or physical disabilities.
Have a plan for everyone in the home. Children, older adults and people with disabilities may need assistance to wake up and get out. Make sure that someone will help them!
It is important for everyone to plan and practice a home fire escape. Everyone needs to be prepared in advance, so that they know what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Given that every home is different, every home fire escape plan will also be different.
For more information on home fire escape plan, check out the USFA home fire escape plan page.
A new resource will help economic development and hazard mitigation planners achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
The Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy and Hazard Mitigation Plan Alignment Guide connects economic development and hazard mitigation plans so communities can be more resilient from natural hazards. The guide was a collaboration between FEMA and the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA).
Communities, states and federal officials can use the guide when preparing or reviewing FEMA Hazard Mitigation Plans and EDA Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies. Included in the guide are strategies to help align strategies with approved local plans.
Hazard mitigation plans and EDA Strategies are key plans to improve community resilience. An EDA Strategy must include economic resilience in its approach while a hazard mitigation plan identifies and plans for natural hazard risks to key sectors, including the economy. Aligning plans can benefit communities in many ways, including businesses reopening more quickly and keeping critical facilities and infrastructure working during and after hazard events.
Community partners will better coordinate, share priorities and actions that reduce risk and use a wide range of resources and funding when hazard mitigation and economic plans are aligned. This is because plans reinforce each other and are easier to implement.
The guide includes economic development concepts to add to hazard mitigation plans. It also encourages integration of information from risk assessments and hazard mitigation ideas to use in a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies.
To view and download the guide, visit FEMA.gov.
FEMA has awarded $6 million in grants to help enhance the nation’s ability to respond to and recover from all-hazards events. Three different recipients will receive grants from the Fiscal Year 2022 Homeland Security National Training Program Continuing Training Grants.
This competitive program attracts applicants from state, local, tribal and territorial governments, along with eligible non-profit organizations to include colleges and universities. In fiscal year 2022, FEMA made three awards:
- $1.5 million for the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness with a focus area on operationalize climate resilience for equitable outcomes.
- $1.5 million for the Georgia Institute of Technology with a focus area on operationalize climate resilience for equitable outcomes.
- $3 million for the Center for Rural Development with a focus area on equity in tribal and rural preparedness.
For additional information or questions, email FEMA at ASK-GMD@dhs.gov. To learn more about Fiscal Year 2022 Homeland Security National Training Program Continuing Training Grants, visit FEMA.gov.
FEMA Hosts Final Webinar of the Hazard Mitigation Assistance 2022 Summer Engagement Series
On Oct. 4. FEMA will host the last webinar in the Hazard Mitigation Summer Series: Using Grant Funding to Build Resilience. The webinar will provide information and an overview to applicants and subapplicants on how to develop and submit applications for FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which includes the HMGP Post Fire program.
The webinars provide an overview of the fiscal year 2022 Notice of Funding Opportunity for BRIC and FMA and are designed for regional leaders and key stakeholders in states, local communities, tribes and territories and other interested individuals to learn more about the grant programs and grant application strategies.
To register, visit Hazard Mitigation Assistance 2022 Summer Engagement Series. For special accommodations, contact fema-hmacomms@fema.dhs.gov.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
FEMA Co-Hosts Webinar Series for Resilient Nation Partnership Network
Join the Resilient Nation Partnership Network and leaders from the private and public sectors as we discuss how to build community trust and advance resilience. It takes a unified effort to address equity and inclusion.
The Oct. 5 session, "Social Cohesion: Making Access, Inclusion and Equity Priorities in Resilience," includes a keynote address from FEMA Acting Deputy Administrator of Resilience Victoria Salinas.
To learn more about the month-long webinar series, please visit Alliances for Inclusive Resilience by Resilient Nation Partnership Network.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
USFA to Host Fire Administrator's Summit on Fire Prevention and Control
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), a component of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in partnership with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), will host the U.S. Fire Administrator's Summit on Fire Prevention and Control: State of Science on Oct. 11, 2022, from 1 to 6 p.m. EDT.
A first-of-its-kind livestreaming event from the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland, the Fire Administrator's Summit on Fire Prevention and Control: State of Science features presentations from the country's most prominent fire service leaders and researchers.
For more information and to register for the event, please visit firehero.org.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
FEMA Seeks Feedback on Private-Public Partnerships
FEMA seeks input from whole community partners on the draft “Restoration and Recovery Guide for Private-Public Partnerships.” The open comment period will conclude on Oct. 12.
This guide is for local government, private sector, non-governmental organizations, community planners and other stakeholders with authorities to manage or provide resources for restoration and recovery.
To download the document, visit FEMA.gov. Please submit feedback to NPD-Planning@fema.dhs.gov no later than Oct. 12.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
|
