Team Norfolk Update 11-30-16 @ 5:15pm

Team,

I trust all is well with you and yours during this holiday season!  Please see the latest updates below…

Hurricane Matthew Update
Since the last Hurricane Matthew update, FEMA reported 422 individuals in Norfolk have registered / received assistance – second to Virginia Beach among the four localities originally included in the FEMA Individual Assistance declaration.  Because the number of people in Norfolk visiting the Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at the Workforce Development Center had remained in the single digits for well over a week, and FEMA typically looks to close down DRC operations when such numbers are in the single digits, Norfolk’s DRC had closed operations this past Saturday.  Nonetheless, assistance is still available to anybody who wishes to register online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.  The toll-free telephone numbers are still operating from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.  Downloading the FEMA app is another way to access DisasterAssistance.gov for federal disaster assistance.

Southside Long-Term Recovery Group
A Southside Long-Term Recovery Group is being established and will meet tomorrow (Thursday) where Southeastern Virginia VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) member organizations, faith-based organizations, private nonprofits, civic groups and private sector business are forming to support the ongoing recovery needs of Southside Hampton Roads.  This group will meet to collaborate and coordinate with local governments in order to fully support the repair/rebuilding efforts of survivors homes.  If you and your organization are interested in participating, please let me know!

On the Public Assistance / Government Infrastructure side, a workshop facilitated by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management was conducted this afternoon.  After the City submits its Request for Public Assistance (RPA) form, FEMA will schedule a kickoff meeting.  The City’s Risk Manager is the lead contact for submitting all City information to the State.  Likewise, he will be coordinating with FEMA on their visit and also conducting Just-in-Time training on documentation needs with the appropriate agencies.  For those who want to take a deeper dive into the Public Assistance process, please review the FEMA Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide.  Herein lies all the answers!

Hazard Mitigation Funding
Today’s workshop also relayed information about post-incident Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) availability, which means there are various projects for which Norfolk (and other localities) can apply.  It is important to maintain realistic expectations however.  The amount of HMGP funding is based on percentage of total eligible Individual Assistance and Public Assistance under the declaration.  The guestimate which will be available through HMGP from Hurricane Matthew is approximately $3M.  Therefore large-scale projects are unlikely.

Recovery Plans
One focus throughout this recovery process, and discussed during the November Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) meeting, is Team Norfolk’s Recovery Plan(s).  Please visit our Plan Review Portal at http://www.norfolk.gov/index.aspx?NID=3422&ART=5363&ADMIN=1.  WE NEED YOUR HELP!!  Please review the DRAFT Short-Term - Intermediate Recovery Strategy and provide us any feedback.  To be clear, along with the Basic Plan Concept of Operations, there are Hazard-Specific Annexes (all soon to be posted as well) which contain material pertinent to the individual nuances for those incidents such as Active Shooter, Winter Storms, Tropical Storms, etc.  This Short-Term – Intermediate Recovery Framework is focused on that phase beyond initial response operations and up through months after any disaster.  Focus is on meeting the immediate needs of the community.  Team Norfolk’s Long-Term Plan is also under development which will address recovery issues for months and years afterward.  This Long-Term plan will be inclusive of Norfolk’s Resilience Strategy, plaNorfolk 2030, Vision 2100 and Hazard Mitigation Plan (2016 update near completion).  In other words, while rebuilding and rebounding from a catastrophic incident, Team Norfolk will not be starting from scratch; rather, we will be doing so in a purposeful and methodical way following a path toward resilience laid down ahead of time with constant community input.

Conclusion
Hurricane Matthew is not over!  While not as flashy as immediate response operations, the recovery component – inclusive of the FEMA reimbursement process – is critical and those folks working to make it happen should be commended.  It requires painstaking attention to detail which can either result in FEMA reimbursement or no reimbursement.  Likewise, this incident, along with that which occurred on the campus of The Ohio State University, and the upcoming winter season, are constant reminders to not only review our plans but update them as well – TOGETHER.  That is our commitment and we’re thankful for all who take the time to help!

Sincerely,

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

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

Hurricane Matthew Update 11-4-16 @ 4:45pm

Team,

While we do not necessarily get a breakdown per locality as to $ amounts approved, denied, referred, withdrawn or ineligible, we do know nearly 100 Norfolkians have contacted FEMA for assistance by close of business yesterday.  Reports are done on a daily basis so numbers from today will be seen tomorrow morning. 

Information about how to register for FEMA assistance has gone out by all means available – special thanks to our partners in the media as well as our Houses of Worship through Operation Brother’s Keeper who have done a great job getting the word out!  FEMA has contacted me to let me know they will be doing even more by deploying a team in our area to physically visit neighborhoods, door-to-door, to conduct outreach.  To give credit where due, once the Presidential declaration was made, through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) FEMA has been forward-leaning, very proactive, very responsive and committed to finding help where possible for those in need.  Communication and coordination between local, regional, state and federal has been exactly how we train, practice and hope for when it counts most.

Before FEMA teams go out into the neighborhoods, we will brief them as to those areas with greatest need based on maps depicting the heaviest reported damage as well as the geographic locations for calls for assistance to our Norfolk Cares Call Center.  Messaging to those areas via Neighborhood Specialists, Norfolk Alert, NextDoor and other means will be done letting them know teams with appropriate credentials will be visiting.

It is important to note FEMA is not the only Federal organization assisting those in need!  Along with any Federal declaration of Individual Assistance the Small Business Administration (SBA) automatically makes available to those localities specified by FEMA low-interest, long-term disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners, and renters to repair or replace uninsured/underinsured disaster damaged property. 

 SBA Disaster Loans available are as follows and can be found in greater detail here.

• Business Physical Disaster Loans – Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property owned by the business, including real estate, inventories, supplies, machinery and equipment. Businesses of any size are eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, private universities, etc., are also eligible.
• Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) – Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period.
• Home Disaster Loans – Loans to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate and personal property, including automobiles.

For SBA assistance, START WITH FEMA by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired between the hours of 7am-9pm.  FEMA is the repository of information and can best ensure maximum benefit of all available resources!

Thanks to all our partners of Team Norfolk!  And thanks to you with hopes of a great weekend for you and yours!

Sincerely,

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

Hurricane Matthew Update 11-3-16

Team,

As mentioned in yesterday’s update, FEMA Assistance for Individuals and Households is available for those in need after Hurricane Matthew (FEMA Declaration # FEMA-4291-DR). 

To request this assistance, folks should register online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.  The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.  Downloading the FEMA app is another way to access DisasterAssistance.gov for federal disaster assistance.

A fact sheet on the Individuals and Household Program is available here.

FEMA’s Virginia state-specific information website is now available here.

On-site assistance will also be available at the Ocean View Senior Center at 600 East Ocean View Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23503.  Unless otherwise stated, hours of operation will be 7am-7pm beginning Monday (subject to change)

Debris Removal: Still underway!  Update on Bulk Waste Collection available here.  In case you’re wondering about the process, it’s really quite impressive.  Team Norfolk partnered with Crowder Gulf who has been removing all the wooded/green debris our joint Public Works and RPOS teams had begun moving out of the right-of-ways immediately after the storm.  Crowder Gulf and their subcontractors have been taking their collections to a debris site where it is measured, documented and then eventually placed into a tub grinder.  Over 23,000 cubic yards of wooded/green debris are now mounds and mounds of mulch, being taken away by United Disposal.  Large stumps to be addressed (ground and mulched) next week.  See pic of mulch mounds below.

Mitigation Funding: One resource tied to this declaration is the availability of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).  The amount of HMGP funding available is yet to be determined; it is based on the total Federal assistance provided by FEMA for disaster recovery.  A list of eligible HMGP activities is provided below with additional details available here, and easy reference brochures here and here).

For the sake of clarity, there are competitive mitigation grant funds available under FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) program on an annual basis (i.e. Pre-Disaster Mitigation, or PDM, and Flood Mitigation Assistance, or FMA).  These are the funding sources by which Team Norfolk elevates properties throughout the city.  HMGP is not offered annually, but instead is only available after a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration.  Please review list of eligible projects and let us know if any apply to your needs.  Remember, this is not for individual property owners to apply directly to FEMA; the city serves as the applicant.  Also, any projects Team Norfolk considers must be included as a goal or objective in our Hazard Mitigation Plan.  If it’s not, the document can be amended to include such projects – we just need to know.  Likewise, projects should be consistent with the Norfolk Comprehensive 2030 Plan, Vision 2100 as well as Norfolk’s Resilience Strategy.

Lastly, we’re still awaiting word on any federal assistance for Public Infrastructure / Response Efforts (i.e. “Public Assistance”).  Again, this was submitted by the Governor as a separate request with immediate post-storm focus on meeting the needs of homeowners.  Since Norfolk surpassed the threshold, it is reasonable to expect it will come.  We’ll keep an eye out and will report as able.  Please keep in mind, this type of assistance is not relevant to homeowners; rather, it is assistance for the responding locality to help recoup their response and recovery costs.

Thanks!

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

 

 

 

Hurricane Matthew Update - INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE APPROVED - 11-2-16

Ladies and Gentlemen,

FEMA Individual Assistance has been approved for Norfolk, as well as Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and Newport News.  This is assistance for residential and commercial properties affected by Hurricane Matthew.  Click here for the President’s Declaration. 

This Federal declaration is a result of the Team’s hard work and diligence capturing, documenting and reporting damages from the storm.  It is also due in no small part to the close coordination among our city, VDEM and FEMA.

To request this assistance, folks should register online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.  The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.  Downloading the FEMA app is another way to access DisasterAssistance.gov for federal disaster assistance.

For those requesting face-to-face assistance with FEMA, we are requesting a FEMA mobile unit be stationed near the most heavily impacted area of the city and accessible by public transport.  Details of this request and timeframe of arrival will be forthcoming.

I am attaching three infographics below explaining the disaster assistance process.

Please note: a separate request was made for Public Infrastructure and Government response efforts – still awaiting the verdict!

Thanks, everyone!

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