WASHINGTON - - FEMA is seeking public comments on how the agency’s programs deal with climate change and underserved communities and populations.
Earlier this year, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. released three executive orders, 13985, 13990 and 14008, requiring agencies to assess existing programs and policies to determine the following:
If agency programs and policies perpetuate systemic barriers to opportunities and benefits for people of color and other underserved groups.
If additional agency actions are required to bolster resilience to climate change.
If agency programs, policies and activities address the disproportionately high and adverse climate-related impacts on disadvantaged communities.
In seeking input, FEMA posted in the Federal Register a Request for Information (RFI)that contains a list of questions. The answers will assist FEMA in identifying specific programs, regulations and/or policies that may benefit from modification, streamlining, expansion or repeal to better address climate change and underserved communities and populations.
With the increasing severity and number of large-scale disasters in recent years, that may in part be from climate change, it is essential to reevaluate the agency’s programs. These efforts may help to reduce unnecessary barriers to participation and effectiveness, to serve all communities, to increase equity and to promote preparedness and resilience.
FEMA encourages public comment on and responses to these questions and seeks any other data commenters have that may be relevant to these review efforts.
The type of feedback most useful to the agency identifies specific programs, regulations, information collections and/or policies that could benefit from reform. Additionally, feedback should refer to specific barriers to participation; address how to improve risk perception; offer actionable data; and specify viable alternatives to existing approaches that meet statutory obligations.
To help the public and stakeholders understand how to submit feedback, FEMA will be hosting a series of webinars to explain the executive orders and the RFI process. These webinars will also explain the type of information needed to respond appropriately and will be announced in the coming days.
Feedback on the executive orders will be open through June 21, 2021. Comments may be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal, Docket ID: FEMA-2021-0011. Participants should follow the instructions for submitting comments.
CHICAGO – Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will host a Virtual Flood Map Information Open House on May 5, 2021, for communities in Paulding County. The open house will give residents the chance to review preliminary versions of a recently completed Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report and its accompanying preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM).
The FIS and the FIRMs provide base flood (also known as the 1-percent-annual-chance event) information, designate areas that are subject to significant flood hazards within areas of the county and offer information that public officials may use when permitting development in the floodplain.
At the virtual open house, representatives from various local, state and federal agencies will provide the most current information about flood risk, flood insurance, floodplain development regulations and the process for floodplain mapping within Paulding County. The newly prepared preliminary floodplain maps can also be reviewed at the meeting. Once the maps become effective, they will be used as the basis for flood insurance ratings as well as local flood protection regulations adopted under the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA also intends that they be used as tools to assist planning processes and outreach efforts to quickly respond to and recover from future events. Details for the Paulding County meeting are as follows:
WHAT: Paulding County—Virtual Flood Map Information Open House meeting
You may also call into the meeting using one of the following telephone numbers and entering the meeting ID and passcode shown above. Long-distance charges may apply.
(301) 715-8592
(312) 626-6799
(646) 876-9923
Property owners, Realtors, lenders and insurance agents are urged to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about flood risk and hazard mitigation within their community. Digital files of the Preliminary FIRM and FIS report can be downloaded from www.fema.gov/preliminaryfloodhazarddata.
The electronic version of materials from this meeting will be accessible to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation (sign language interpreters, Braille, CART, etc.), please make your request at least 48 hours before the event. Last minute requests will be accepted but may not be possible to fulfill. Send an email with any reasonable accommodation request to
FEMA-Region5-FloodInsuranceOutreach@fema.dhs.gov.
St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church (April 24th and April 25th), Virginia Beach, VA
A clinic will be available at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church April 24th from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Sunday April 25th from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. without an appointment. The church is located at 5345 Virginia Beach Blvd. Free Pfizer vaccines will be administered at the gymnasium and free onsite parking will be available. For more information: FEMA Ensures Equitable Access to Free COVID-19 Vaccine with Temporary Vaccination Site | FEMA.gov
First Baptist Church South Hill (April 26 - May 1), Chesapeake, VA
A clinic will be available at the First Baptist Church South Hill April 26 through May 1. Residents may receive their free Pfizer vaccine at this center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. without an appointment. The church is located at 3633 Galberry Road in Chesapeake, VA.
Those interested in confirming their appointment time in advance can do so at the following links:
A clinic will be available at the Gethsemane Baptist ChurchApril 26 through April 30. Residents may receive their free Pfizer vaccine at this center from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. without an appointment. The church is located at 5405 Roanoke Ave, Newport News, VA 23605.
Those interested in confirming their appointment time in advance can do so at the following links:
Military Circle Mall (April 21- 24, April 26- May 1), Norfolk, VA
The FEMA-supported Community Vaccination Center located at Military Circle Mall be closed on Sunday, April 25. On Monday, April 26 residents can continue receiving their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the site through May 1 and second doses through May 22. The Military Circle Mall vaccination center is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome. Visit COVID Vaccine Information | City of Norfolk, Virginia - Official Website for additional information.
All Hampton Roads residents over the age of 16 can are eligible to receive their free vaccine at the Military Circle Mall location and the offsite clinics. Individuals who are 16 or 17 will need to have a parent or guardian with them at the vaccination site in order to receive the vaccine.
Reasonable accommodation for people with access and functional needs is available as well as information and onsite interpretation in a variety of languages, including American Sign Language.
For information on all available clinic visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or they call 1-877-829-4682.
FEMA helped deliver more than 3.7 million shots and is supporting 1,351 community vaccine centers across the country. Today, federal community vaccination center pilot centers are opening in Bessemer, Alabama; Tulsa, Oklahoma and Central Point, Oregon.
Additionally, FEMA mobile vaccination units continue bringing vaccinations to hard-to-reach and high-risk populations who cannot access services from fixed sites, delivering more than 16,000 vaccines to individuals to date. Ten mobile vaccination units are currently operating in Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and South Dakota.
FEMA remains committed to helping ease some of the financial stress created by the pandemic, providing financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses incurred after Jan. 20, 2020. The agency has received more than 120,000 applications since the program launched last week.
Applicants may apply by calling 844-684-6333 (TTY: 800-462-7585) from 9a.m. to 9p.m. EDT, Monday through Friday. Multilingual services are available. Callers who use a relay service, videophone or captioned telephones should provide their specific number assigned to that service. It is important that FEMA can contact applicants. Please note that phone calls from FEMA may come from an unidentified number.
Additionally, the application period for $110 million in Emergency Food and Shelter Program supplemental funding is now open. Nonprofits, faith-based, and government organizations that provide shelter, food, transportation, basic heath and first aid, COVID-19 testing and associated medical care needed during quarantine and isolation and other supportive services may apply.
The funds reimburse the district for the cost of inspections and emergency repairs to 42 buildings throughout the system, as well as water remediation to those facilities after the storm. Previously, FEMA awarded $355,464 for these costs.
FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency. FDEM works with FEMA during all phases of the program and reviews projects prior to FEMA final approval.
Applicants work directly with FEMA to develop projects and scopes of work. FEMA obligates funding for projects to FDEM after final approval.
Once a project is obligated, FDEM works closely with applicants to finalize grants and begin making payments. FDEM has procedures in place designed to ensure grant funding is provided to local communities as quickly as possible.
FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides grants to state, tribal and local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations, including houses of worship, so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.
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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.
WASHINGTON -- FEMA announced today that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Tennessee to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe winter storms from Feb. 11-19, 2021.
Federal funding is available to 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 winter storms in Bedford, Cannon, Coffee, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Moore, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Scott, Shelby and Smith counties.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Myra M. Shird has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
ORLANDO, Fla. – FEMA has approved a grant of $2,453,528 for the State of Florida to help the City of Jacksonville defray the cost of emergency response associated with Hurricane Dorian in 2019.
FEMA Public Assistance program funds will reimburse the city for labor, equipment, materials and contracts for the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office. The funds will help pay for barricades, evacuations, security and the staffing of emergency operations centers.
The program provides grants to state, tribal and local governments, and certain types of private nonprofit organizations, including some houses of worship, so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies. The Florida Division of Emergency Management works with FEMA during all phases of the program and conducts final reviews of FEMA-approved projects.
The federal share for Public Assistance projects is not less than 75 percent of the eligible cost. The state determines how the nonfederal share of the cost of a project (up to 25 percent) is split with subrecipients such as local and county governments.
GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico – Environmental protection allows the population to enjoy nature, while contributing to their well-being and also indirectly promotes the creation of small business in the ecotourism industry. This positive cascade effect is how Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator for Puerto Rico, José Baquero Tirado, described the recent $6.2 million obligation to the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) and the municipalities of Villalba and Aibonito for projects related to the enjoyment of the environment.
This award from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) includes over $5.1 million for repairs at the Punta Santiago Vacation Center in Humacao, one of the most important ecotourism destinations in the eastern part of the island. The facility is located near Balneario Punta Santiago and the Efraín Archilla Humacao Nature Reserve, a 3,186-acre recreational park and a refuge for wildlife such as the tinglar, brown pelican and Puerto Rican boa. The award also includes funding to repair the Punta Santiago Aquatic Park.
For his part, Humacao Mayor Reinaldo Vargas said that the opening of this vacation center will have a positive impact on businesses in Punta Santiago, because of its tourism appeal. The monthly occupancy at the center was around 600 people and the DNER estimates that the economic loss after its closure is approximately $2.2 million.
“Sales will benefit, as well as the possible opening of new businesses and jobs. Bordering the Punta Santiago area is the Efraín Archilla Nature Reserve, which has several micro-businesses dedicated to recreation. These are local businesses dedicated to equipment rental, so they would directly benefit from the flow of visitors and tourists arriving to the area,” added the mayor.
Towards the central region of the island, another ecological recreation space that was approved over $420,800 in federal funding for repairs is the La Piedra Degetau observation deck, or mirador, as it is also known, and passive park in Aibonito. It has several wooden gazebos, among gardens, trees and an observation post.
Nearby, the municipality of Villalba was obligated over $121,300 to repair the municipality’s observation deck, a passive recreation area located at the top of Puerto Rico’s Central Mountain Range. At an altitude of 3,300 feet above sea level, the Mirador between Villalba and Orocovis has sports facilities, a children's play area, gazebos and a lookout point that provides views of the island's north and south coasts, the Atlantic Ocean, the North Karst area and Puerto Rico’s geographic center.
“These obligations of funds from FEMA will allow the reconstruction of safe and eco-friendly spaces that will boost the recovery of tourism in various regions of the island. In addition, the projects will promote the socioeconomic development of Puerto Rico by fostering the creation of businesses that will result in new job opportunities. At COR3 we will assist in the processes related to each of these recovery projects,” said Manuel A. Laboy Rivera, Executive Director of the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience (COR3).
HUMACAO, Puerto Rico (April 19, 2021) – FEMA awarded over $5.1 million for repairs at the Punta Santiago Vacation Center in Humacao, one of the most important ecotourism destinations in the eastern part of the island. The facility is located near Balneario Punta Santiago and the Efraín Archilla Humacao Nature Reserve, a 3,186-acre recreational park and a refuge for wildlife. FEMA Photo/Eduardo Martínez
HUMACAO, Puerto Rico (April 19, 2021) – The award also includes funding to repair the Punta Santiago Aquatic Park. FEMA Photo/Eduardo Martínez
DENVER – FEMA has provided more than $1.2 million in additional Public Assistance funding to South Dakota. The assistance was made available under a major disaster declaration issued June 7, 2019. FEMA has provided a total of $51.8 million to South Dakota communities for that disaster.
The $1.2 million was provided to the Southeastern Electric Cooperative to complete repairs to bring the damaged and destroyed parts of the electric distribution system back to their pre-disaster design, function, and capacity.
The funding is provided through FEMA’s Public Assistance Grant Program. which reimburses state, tribal, local and certain non-profit agencies for a portion of the repair and rebuilding of public infrastructure damaged as a result of a presidentially-declared disaster.
The program provides at least a 75-percent funding share for eligible costs. Remaining costs are the responsibility of the state and local applicants for assistance.
DENVER – FEMA has provided more than $57.9 million in additional Public Assistance funding for the COVID-19 response in Colorado. The assistance was made available under a major disaster declaration issued March 28, 2020. FEMA has provided a total of $578.9 million for the Colorado COVID-19 response to date.
The $57.9 million was provided to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for administering and managing the state vaccination program’s costs and contracts.
This funding is authorized under the January 21, 2021, Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense & the Secretary of Homeland Security and Section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Act.
For the COVID-19 response, FEMA has simplified the Public Assistance application and funding process to address the magnitude of this event and to allow local officials to receive eligible funding more quickly. These reimbursements play a critical role as state, local and tribal officials work tirelessly to assist their communities during this response.
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