Hurricanes, Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Information from Other National Organizations

• ADA National Network/FEMA Webinar Series. When people are displaced from their homes during a disaster and find it necessary to stay in a community shelter, it is essential that community officials, responders, and shelter managers are prepared to provide service and reasonable accommodations to all shelter residents, including those with access and functional needs. The ADA National Network will hold a webinar on Thursday, October 12 at 2:30 ET. The webinar will describe how a Functional Assessment Service Team (FAST) can help people get what they need to safely stay in a community shelter and to assist them to return home as soon as possible. Register for the free webinar at http://www.adapresentations.org/registration.php
• CAP Report. TheCenter for American Progress released a report detailing a “policy road map for Congress” with four priorities: build infrastructure to higher standards, update and utilize flood risk data, prioritize communities with fewer resources to rebuild, and plan ahead to lower risks and costs for future disasters.

HUD

• Letter to PHAs. HUD sent an email to public housing agency (PHA) Executive Directors in Declared Disaster counties providing information regarding the availability of FEMA Public Assistance (PA) programs and data sharing.
  • PHAs may be eligible to apply for FEMA Public Assistance grants that cover emergency work that includes debris removal, demolition of unsafe structures, or boarding of windows, as well as permanent work.
  • HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) has been sending reports to PHAs about program participants who have registered for FEMA assistance. HUD will continue to send these reports on a regular basis.

HURRICANE MARIA

FEMA

U.S. Virgin Islands

• By the Numbers:
  • $10,510,000 Emergency Work (Categories A-B) dollars obligated** (unchanged from 10/2)
    **Funds made available to the State via electronic transfer following FEMA’s final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.

Puerto Rico

• By the Numbers:
  • 13,832 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
  • $6,916,000 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
  • $6,916,000 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
    *Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

• Florida Governor Assists Puerto Ricans. Florida’s Governor, Rick Scott, announced the opening of Disaster Relief Centers to assist households from Puerto Rico displaced by Hurricane Maria at the Orlando and Miami airports, as well as at the Port of Miami. The Governor also signed Executive Order 17-259 to provide Florida resources to assist households displaced from Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria who arrive in Florida. For example, Section 5 of the Executive Order provides that all public facilities such as schools owned or leased by the state, regional, or local governments that are suitable for use as public shelters shall be made available at the request of local emergency management agencies. Section 8 allows medical professionals, social workers, and counselors with professional licenses from other states to render free services to people affected by Hurricane Maria.

Local Perspective

• Death toll. Puerto Rico’s Public Safety Secretary Héctor Pesquera acknowledged that the number of deaths resulting from Hurricane Maria exceeds the official government count of 16.

HURRICANE IRMA

FEMA

Florida

• By the Numbers: (as of 10/2)
  • 673,124 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
  • $691,373,241 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
  • $453,771,427 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
  • $237,601,814 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
    *Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.
• Increased Federal Cost Sharing. President Trump authorized an increase in the federal-cost share to 90% from 75% for debris removal and emergency protective measures in Florida for 30 days.

Georgia

• By the Numbers: (as of 10/2)
  • 7,722 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
  • $8,480,184 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
  • $5,766,983 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
  • $2,713,201 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
    *Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

HURRICANE HARVEY

FEMA

• By the Numbers: (except for PA, unchanged from 10/2)
  • 286,009 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
  • $698,001,453 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
  • $501,496,859 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
  • $196,504,594 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
  • $323,676,092 Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated** all of which are for Emergency Work (Categories A-B)
    *Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.
    **Funds made available to the State via electronic transfer following FEMA's final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.

Local Perspectives

• Timing of HUD funds. Local and state officials in Texas continue to worry about the timeline of receiving disaster relief funds from HUD, pushing the agency to shorten comment periods. Officials are also nervous about how the $7.4 billion in CDBG-DR funds will be distributed between affected areas and within Texas.
• Debris Removal. Neither city nor county officials in Houston have filed with FEMA to provide debris removal services for private properties, forcing residents to clean up themselves.