Disaster Assistance Update and LEPC Notification 11-9-16 @ 9am

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As of close of business yesterday, FEMA has registered 201 individuals in Norfolk, 1,677 total in the four localities in the Federal declaration.

FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) Crew in Neighborhoods
Team Norfolk met yesterday afternoon with the FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) Crew lead (door-to-door outreach staff) and FEMA’s Intergovernmental Agency liaison (IGA) to discuss additional outreach and information into the community.  Primary message to all in our community: if you’re not sure whether you qualify for FEMA assistance based on losses from Hurricane Matthew, CALL AND REGISTER!  You may be eligible for something and not know it, and if you don’t want it, there is no obligation.  This should not be a case of calling asking for help and being immediately denied; rather, call and the folks on the other end of the line are committed to helping find any and every resource for which you may be eligible.  Let them help!

Note: a list of rumors about the assistance is provided at the end of this update.

This is a request to our community partners and especially Norfolk Operation Brother’s Keeper: If you are aware of ANYONE who has been displaced as a result of Hurricane Matthew, they could very well be eligible for assistance.  While we have a number of properties affected, we have received no information on anyone who may have been displaced, temporarily relocated, etc.  If there is anyone in your church family or neighborhood who experienced such loss, they should either call FEMA at the info below, or if you let me know, we will request the FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance team visit them directly.

Please also find below a list of items you’ll need when registering for Disaster Assistance.  Likewise, if you received a denial letter from your insurer, share that with FEMA as well as federal resources are intended to assist the un- and under-insured. 

FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams will begin going out into the community today; messaging is to go out through Norfolk Alert, NextDoor and any other available means informing folks 1.) FEMA will be in the area, 2.) they will travel in teams and have the proper credentials, and 3.) there are no charges for their assistance - they will not be asking for money.  If someone contacts you and says they’re from FEMA and asking for money, call and report it.  We will maintain a list of all authorized FEMA representatives. 

FEMA On-Site Disaster Recovery Center (DRC)
FEMA and Team Norfolk partnered up to offer Norfolk Human Services’ Workforce Development Center (201 E Little Creek Rd, Norfolk, VA 23505) for on-site FEMA assistance.  Per the pic below, the team should be ready to assist folks beginning today at noon (announcement will be made by FEMA and City when DRC is officially operational).  The DRC will remain open every day from 7am to 7pm    through Tuesday, November 15th!

Therefore, all the ways one may register for FEMA assistance:

1. Call 800-621-FEMA(3362) or TTY 800-462-7285
2. Online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov
3. Visit Disaster Recovery Center opening today at noon and then everyday from 7am-7pm through November 15
4. Register with a representative of FEMA’s Disaster Survivor Assistance teams in the neighborhood.

Debris: Every wonder what is done with the 26,000+ cubic yards of wooded/green debris?  Check out the Morbark 1300 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGuuuYyiTYg!

Next Team Norfolk Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) Meeting:

Please note change in meeting time!  Instead of our usual 1-3 meeting, we will instead meet earlier: 11am-1pm.  This is so we can participate in a very timely and worthwhile webinar: “Principles for Preparing a Community’s Disaster Recovery Plan” offered by the American Planning Association’s Hazard Mitigation and Disaster Recovery Planning Division.

Not only is this a chance to learn more about recovery planning, we will have our DRAFT Recovery Plan(s) on hand for your review as well as Mr. George Homewood, Director of Norfolk’s Department of City Planning (as well as President of the APA Virginia Chapter)!

Please RSVP if you plan to attend.  We will do our best to offer refreshments; however, you are encouraged to bring your own lunch.

Thanks!

Jim
Director, Norfolk EOC
james.redick@norfolk.gov

 

Rumor Control: FEMA disaster assistance concerns answered

To avoid misinformation circulating on social networks regarding the recovery effort for Hurricane Matthew in Virginia always ask for clarification from official sources. Rumors spread fast: please tell a friend, visit our rumor control page often and help us provide accurate information about the types of assistance available.

Check here often for an ongoing list of rumors and their true or false status.

RUMOR:  FEMA doesn’t pay survivors enough.

FACT:  FEMA grants are not the same as insurance. They are not intended to ‘make you whole.’ FEMA grants help eligible survivors with a start to get their lives back on track. They help with some basic disaster-related costs. They are usually not enough to get a household back to how it was before the disaster. FEMA looks at each case individually.

RUMOR:  I already cleaned up and repaired the damage to my home. I heard it’s too late to get help from FEMA.

FACT:  You may be eligible for FEMA assistance even if you’ve already repaired the damage. It will help if you have “before” photos and receipts for your repair expenses. Register with FEMA to find out more. You may be eligible for a grant for repair assistance that will help cover your costs. The deadline to register for FEMA registration is January 2, 2017.

RUMOR: FEMA assistance has to be repaid.

FACT:  FEMA assistance is a grant, not a loan. Grants do not have to be repaid. Some homeowners, renters, businesses, and nonprofit organizations may take out disaster recovery loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). SBA loans have to be repaid but are at a lower interest rate than usual. Again, FEMA grants do not have to be repaid. In addition, FEMA grants are not taxable and do not affect your eligibility for other federal benefit programs, such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

 

RUMOR:  If there are other family members or roommates living with me, FEMA isn’t going to give them any help.

FACT:  FEMA is committed to giving each individual survivor all the help he or she is eligible for. FEMA evaluates the needs of all eligible survivors on a case-by-case basis. Be sure to tell FEMA about the needs of all members of your household whether they are related to one another or not. Call the FEMA helpline at 800-321-3362 if you need to update your registration or have questions about the needs of any members of your household. 

 

RUMOR: There is no easy way to get true, reliable information about FEMA’s disaster assistance programs.
FACT: Straight answers and plain facts are available from the disaster assistance program experts on FEMA’s Help Line. Call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585 to learn about disaster assistance programs. Toll-free lines are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EDT daily. Multilingual operators are available. Survivors can also go to their nearest Disaster Recovery Center to get questions answered. Trust information only from official sources.


RUMOR: If survivors receive FEMA assistance, it could reduce their Social Security benefits.
FACT: No. Disaster assistance does not count as income. FEMA assistance will not affect Social Security, Medicare, or other federal and state benefits, and it is not counted as income for tax purposes.


RUMOR: If you receive money from FEMA you have to pay it back.

FACT: FEMA grants do not have to be repaid.

RUMOR: Receiving a letter from FEMA stating the applicant is not eligible means the person will not get any assistance.

FACT: Not necessarily. Receiving such a letter does not always mean an applicant is not eligible for disaster aid, even when the letter states “ineligible” or “incomplete.” Such a letter can simply be an indication that further information is needed, or that the applicant’s insurance claim needs to be settled before disaster aid can be granted. Call the FEMA help line, 800-621-3362, or visit your nearest Disaster Recovery Center with questions.

RUMOR: If you take FEMA assistance, they take your property.
FACT: Not true. FEMA has no authority to take property of any kind from anyone.

For more information on Recovery Efforts visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4291 and www.vaemergency.gov