DENTON, Texas – Revised preliminary flood risk information and updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps are available for review for portions of Coal County, Oklahoma located within the Choctaw Nation. Residents and business owners are encouraged to review the latest information to learn about local flood risks and potential future flood insurance requirements.
The updated maps were produced in coordination with Tribal, local, state and FEMA officials. Community review of the maps has already taken place, but before the maps become final, community stakeholders can identify any concerns or questions about the information provided and participate in the 90-day appeal and comment period.
The 90-day appeal and comment period will begin on or around Sept. 28, 2022.
Appeals and comments may be submitted through Dec. 27, 2022 for:
Portion of Coal County located within the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
An appeal must include technical information, such as hydraulic or hydrologic data, to support the claim.
Appeals cannot be based on the effects of proposed projects or projects started after the study is in progress.
If property owners see incorrect information that does not change the flood hazard information — such as a missing or misspelled road name in the Special Flood Hazard Area or an incorrect corporate boundary — they can submit a written comment.
The next step in the mapping process is to resolve all comments and appeals. Once these are resolved, FEMA will notify communities of the effective date of the final maps.
To review the preliminary maps or submit appeals and comments, visit your local floodplain administrator (FPA) or contact Choctaw Nation’s Emergency Management Department at 1-800-522-6170. A FEMA Map Specialist can identify your community FPA. Specialists are available by telephone at 1-877-FEMA-MAP (1-877-336-2627) or by email at FEMAMapSpecialist@riskmapcds.com.
There are cost-saving options available for those newly mapped into a high-risk flood zone. Learn more about your flood insurance options by talking with your insurance agent or visiting https://www.floodsmart.gov.
DENTON, Texas – Revised preliminary flood risk information and updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps are available for review for portions of Coal County, Oklahoma located within the Chickasaw Nation. Residents and business owners are encouraged to review the latest information to learn about local flood risks and potential future flood insurance requirements.
The updated maps were produced in coordination with Tribal, local, state and FEMA officials. Community review of the maps has already taken place, but before the maps become final, community stakeholders can identify any concerns or questions about the information provided and participate in the 90-day appeal and comment period.
The 90-day appeal and comment period will begin on or around Sept. 28, 2022.
Appeals and comments may be submitted through Dec. 27, 2022 for:
Portion of Coal County located within the Chickasaw Nation.
An appeal must include technical information, such as hydraulic or hydrologic data, to support the claim.
Appeals cannot be based on the effects of proposed projects or projects started after the study is in progress.
If property owners see incorrect information that does not change the flood hazard information — such as a missing or misspelled road name in the Special Flood Hazard Area or an incorrect corporate boundary — they can submit a written comment.
The next step in the mapping process is to resolve all comments and appeals. Once these are resolved, FEMA will notify communities of the effective date of the final maps.
To review the preliminary maps or submit appeals and comments, visit your local floodplain administrator (FPA). A FEMA Map Specialist can identify your community FPA. Specialists are available by telephone at 1-877-FEMA-MAP (1-877-336-2627) or by email at FEMAMapSpecialist@riskmapcds.com.
There are cost-saving options available for those newly mapped into a high-risk flood zone. Learn more about your flood insurance options by talking with your insurance agent or visiting https://www.floodsmart.gov.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska– Residents of the Regional Educational Attendance Areas of Bering Strait, Kashunamiut, Lower Kuskokwim and Lower Yukon who suffered property damage or loss from September’s severe storm, flooding and landslides are now eligible to apply for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State of Alaska. Available aid includes temporary housing expenses, basic home repairs, or other essential disaster-related needs that are not covered by insurance.
The State of Alaska and FEMA’s Individual Assistance (IA) programs are separate, and each have their own application process. However, it is important that survivors apply for both FEMA and Alaska’s IA programs. If a survivor is found ineligible for federal assistance, they may qualify for assistance through the State of Alaska, but applications must be submitted for both.
State of Alaska Individual Assistance
The state’s IA program has two elements that may help with disaster-related expenses. The Individuals and Family Grant program can provide grant funding to survivors with damage to their homes, personal property, transportation, or medical/dental expenses. The Temporary Housing program can provide rental assistance to those with unlivable homes damaged by September’s severe storm.
The deadline to apply for Alaska’s IA program is Nov. 17, 2022. Survivors can apply for state assistance online at ready.alaska.gov/IA, or by calling the Disaster Assistance Hotline at 1-844-445-7131.
What is the FEMA Individuals and Households Program?
FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP) provides financial and direct services to eligible survivors who have disaster-related uninsured or underinsured necessary expenses and immediate needs. IHP is not a substitute for insurance and assistance is intended to meet the basic needs of the household, not to restore the home and contents to a pre-disaster condition. IHP can be divided into two categories: Housing Assistance (HA) and Other Needs Assistance (ONA).
Housing Assistance coversrepairs to structural parts of a home including windows, doors, floors, walls, ceilings, cabinets, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, utilities (electrical, plumbing and gas systems), and entrance and exit ways from the home.
FEMA may also pay up to the actual cost of the receipt or estimate for furnaces, wells and septic systems. If survivors have already repaired or replaced these systems, they may be able to submit valid receipts or estimates to see if they qualify for FEMA assistance.
Other Needs Assistance provides grants to survivors for uninsured, disaster-related expenses and needs. This assistance can include medical and dental expenses; funeral and burial costs; clothing; household items; specialized tools; subsistence equipment and supplies, educational materials; vehicles; and moving, storage or other necessary expenses related to the disaster.
The deadline to apply for FEMA Individual Assistance is Nov. 22, 2022. Residents in the designated areas can apply online at disasterassistance.gov, by calling 800-621-3362, or by using the FEMA mobile app. When calling, Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish and 3 for all other languages. Those who use a relay service such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give the FEMA operator the number for that service. Phone lines operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. AKDT seven days a week.
Some applicants may be referred to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to apply for a disaster loan. Long-term, low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits may be available to cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other sources.
Homeowners and renters should submit an SBA disaster loan application even if they are not sure they will need or want a loan. If SBA cannot approve the application, in most cases SBA will refer survivors to FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance program for possible additional assistance. If the application is approved, individuals are not obligated to accept an SBA loan but failure to return the application may disqualify them from other possible FEMA assistance.
Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at disasterloanassistance.sba.gov. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.govfor more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
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For more information about FEMA’s support to Alaska’s severe storms, flooding and landslide recovery, visit the FEMA Disaster Site. Follow FEMA Region 10 on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest updates.
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.
A Disaster Recovery Center in south St. Louis City will close on Friday, September 30 at 5 p.m., one day sooner due to a scheduled event at the location.
Salvation Army Temple Center
2740 Arsenal St.
St. Louis, MO 63118
(Near the corner of Arsenal and California)
The recovery center will re-open on Monday, October 3, as a U.S Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC).Hours will be 9 a.m.—6 p.m., Monday—Friday.
At a DLOC, SBA customer service representatives are available to meet with businesses and residents from St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County, who were affected by the flooding and severe storms that occurred July 25–July 28, 2022. SBA representatives will answer questions, explain SBA’s disaster loan program and close customers’ approved disaster loans on the days and times indicated. No appointment is necessary.
WASHINGTON -- FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell urges anyone in the path of Hurricane Ian to heed the warning of local officials as this storm begins to make landfall. Ian is predicted to bring life-threatening storm surge and widespread flooding. Criswell said FEMA established a search and rescue coordination group in Miami that includes Urban Search and Rescue teams, Coast Guard, Department of Defense, Department of the Interior and local Florida rescue teams. These teams are prepared to coordinate search and rescue efforts by sea, air and land.
On Tuesday, Administrator Criswell briefed President Biden about federal response efforts. Together, President Biden and Administrator Criswell called mayors in Florida to check on evacuations and their local preparations ahead of Ian. President Biden also called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Tuesday to discuss state and federal coordination efforts ahead of landfall.
The National Hurricane Center issued hurricane and tropical storm warnings for much of Florida’s coastline. Hurricane Ian is expected to cause life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic winds and flooding in the Florida peninsula. Catastrophic storm surge inundation is expected somewhere along the southwest Florida coastline from Englewood to Bonita Beach, including Charlotte Harbor.
Florida officials issued mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders in 18 counties ahead of Ian. If you are not in an evacuation zone, consider sheltering in place but know your home and its ability to withstand strong winds.
Safety Considerations for Residents
Manufactured homes are extremely vulnerable. If you live in a manufactured home, determine where you will go before the storm hits, as these types of structures may not withstand hurricane wind or surge damage.
Download the FEMA App. Use this free app to receive local weather alerts and warnings.
Prepare for power outages. Take an inventory of the items you need that rely on electricity. Plan for batteries and other alternative power sources to meet your needs when the power goes out. Have enough nonperishable food and water.
State, Federal Actions
On Saturday, President Joseph R. Biden approved Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ request for an emergency declaration. The declaration authorizes FEMA to support the state’s response efforts ahead of Ian. More than 5,000 Florida National Guard members from Florida and Tennessee are postured to support the response.
FEMA is prepositioning supplies and personnel to strategic locations in Georgia, Florida and Alabama. This will allow us to get help where it needs to be as soon as possible. This includes commodities at Maxwell Airforce Base in Alabama to include water, meals, infant/toddler kits, cots and other emergency supplies.
FEMA has 3.7 million meals and 3.5 million liters of water staged in Alabama. Florida officials prepared 360 trailers with more than two million meals and more than one million gallons of water for distribution to affected areas.
The U.S. Coast Guard staged 17 helicopters, 14 fixed wing aircraft and 18 small boats for immediate search & rescue response with an additional 15 aircraft and 20 small boats on standby.
There are more than 1,300 federal response workers on the ground in Florida to support emergency operations. Nearly 840 FEMA personnel are supporting the response from Florida, and our other offices and field locations. The agency has nearly 3,500 reservist personnel available to deploy to support. Additionally, more than 7,500 Surge Capacity Force members are rostered to deploy if needed. The agency is establishing a personnel mobilization center to expedite forward movement when needed.
Incident Management Teams are at the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, in Miami and Atlanta. Mobile Emergency Response Support teams are also in Tallahassee and Atlanta to support any state coordination needs.
Four Mobile Communications Operation Vehicles are staged at Maxwell Air Force Base with and additional unit in Orlando.
Several hundred generators and pumps, in addition to debris removal equipment, have been staged for response and recovery efforts.
A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers power restoration team is at Craig Field in Alabama ahead of the storm, additional personnel are en route to Broward County. FEMA also pre-staged 169 generators and 110,000 gallons of fuel and 18,000 pounds of propane.
Approximately 30,000 power restoration mutual assistance individuals are prepositioned. Additional personnel are available to provide support post-landfall.
FEMA activated a medical support contract for ambulances and paratransit seats. Federal and state resources have provided more than 300 ambulances for evacuations and response efforts.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a Public Health Emergency. They deployed a 38-person disaster medical assistance team to Miami, and two teams are deployed to Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. HHS also deployed health and medical task force teams and four pharmacists to Atlanta.
The state of Florida has completed 124 onsite visits to nursing homes and assisted living facilities that were previously identified as out of compliance with generator requirements. All operating long-term care facilities have a generator on-site.
FEMA and Department of Energy are conducting ongoing analysis of impacts due to the potential damage or loss of 58 fuel racks in the Tampa area along with broader energy system analysis across Florida and adjacent systems in Georgia.
Resources for Evacuees and Survivors
Volunteer agencies are preparing to perform feeding operations including the American Red Cross, Florida Baptist, Salvation Army, Feeding Florida, Farm Share, Midwest Food Bank, Operation BBQ Relief, Mercy Chefs and World Central Kitchen. FEMA and its partners have capacity to serve tens of thousands of meals per day.
The USDA Food and Nutrition Service has approved Florida’s request to issue October Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits on Sept. 28.
More than 90 shelters are open. The American Red Cross is prepared to open 60 post-disaster which can accommodate 30,000 individuals. Additional shelter supplies are on hand, including cots & blankets, to provide to non-Red Cross shelters to support an additional 30,000 people.
For a list of open general and special needs shelters in the state of Florida, visit Shelter Information. Residents may also find assistance by calling 800-342-3557.The state of Florida is deploying several hundred shelter support staff to address staffing needs.
Download the FEMA App for real-time weather alerts from the National Weather Service and directions to open shelters. The app also includes a customizable checklist of emergency supplies and disaster survival tips.
When disaster strikes, lifesaving and life-sustaining operations require a dependable power source required for critical facilities to provide survivors with food, water, shelter and medical treatment.
The partnership between FEMA and the V.I. Water and Power Authority (WAPA) over the past five years has played a significant role advancing the work needed to strengthen the power grids to better withstand future storms and to increase year-round reliability. There are several projects taking place throughout the territory to support the construction efforts, such as the repair of electrical substations, burying of electrical lines and installation of wind resistant composite power poles to replace older wooden ones.
Through FEMA’s Public Assistance program, nearly $721.7 million has been approved for permanent repairs to electrical distribution systems and substations on St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and Water Island. This funding includes $506 million in hazard mitigation measures to strengthen both grids’ resilience to end the cycle of disaster damage and reconstruction.
"Projects for wind farms and microgrids are in the planning stages and it’s been shown that these systems deliver affordable, clean and efficient energy,” said FEMA USVI Recovery Director Kristen Hodge. “Additionally, President Biden's commitment to climate resilience through federal funding represents an investment that will ensure communities are better prepared for disasters before they strike.”
Burying of electrical lines from Cruz Bay to the Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center on St. John has been completed. Four electrical underground projects for Golden Grove, Midland, the Wilfred "Bomba" Allick Port and Transshipment Center in Frederiksted are underway on St. Croix.
FEMA and the territory will continue to their partnership to energize a legacy for renewable energy sources. In the western area of St. Croix, engineering and design work on a microgrid project will begin as WAPA has received a grant of $4.5 million through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The estimated project cost is $129.7 million.
WAPA was also the sub-recipient of $4.3 million for engineering and design work on the Bovoni wind farm and microgrid project on St. Thomas. The estimated project cost is $59.3 million.
FEMA and the territory will continue to work together to strengthen the power grid, build back better to increase the resiliency of critical services and improve the quality of life for all Virgin Islanders.
Composite power poles line the landscape in June on Midland Road on St. Croix. The V.I. Water and Power Authority plans to install 8,584 composite poles across the territory that are made to better withstand hurricane-force winds. FEMA has approved nearly $721.7 million for permanent repairs to electrical distribution systems and substations on St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and Water Island. FEMA/K.C. Wilsey
Workers compact the ground in February for the installation of an electrical transformer pad in Cruz Bay on St. John. The V.I. Water and Power Authority plans to make St. John’s power grid more resilient with the burying of electrical lines in Cruz Bay. FEMA/Eric Adams
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma residents have just one more day to visit the joint federal/state Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Seminole County. The center will close permanently at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 27. The DRC was opened to help survivors affected by the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that occurred May 2-8.
SEMINOLE COUNTY
Seminole State College
David L. Boren Library Room 105
2701 Boren Blvd.
Seminole, OK 74868
Hours Monday-Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Closes permanently at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 27.
Survivors can also call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362 if they have questions about their FEMA application or have additional needs. The final day to apply for federal assistance is Wednesday, Sept. 28.
BOSTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending almost $1.7 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse Northeastern University for the cost of steps taken to protect the health students, faculty and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $1,648,768 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the private research university in Boston for the cost of contracting and using its own staff to perform emergency protective measures between January and September 2020.
Among the steps taken were providing additional on-site security; provisioning emergency meals and water; purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE) and disinfection and decontamination supplies; and completing disinfection and decontamination within the Northeastern campus.
“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Northeastern University with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Providing resources for our institutions of higher education to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is critical to their success, and to our success as a nation.”
FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.
So far, FEMA has provided nearly $1.3 billion in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.
BOSTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending nearly $2.5 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse Southcoast Hospitals Group, Inc. for the costs of purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID pandemic.
The $2,479,654 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the non-profit, community-based health system that operates three hospitals in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island for purchasing PPE between January and October 2021.
The group purchased surgical masks, N95 respirators, medical gloves, medical gowns, bouffant head coverings, face shields, eye protection, and shoe covers for St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.
“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Southcoast Hospitals Group, Inc. with these costs,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the pandemic fight is critical to their success, and our success as a nation.”
FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.
So far, FEMA has provided nearly $1.3 billion in Public
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