June 24, 2016

EMERGENCY INFORMATION CENTER

My offices stand ready to assist you. If you need assistance or would like to volunteer to help out, please click here for more information. Please follow me on Twitter and Facebook for more updates.

LATEST UPDATES

8/22 - Deadline for requesting FEMA assistance extended

The deadline for registration has been extended to Wednesday, Sept. 7, for survivors to request help from FEMA with losses due to the June 22-29 severe storms, floods, mudslides and landslides. FEMA granted the extension at the request of West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. The state of West Virginia and FEMA continue to urge anyone with unmet needs to register for disaster assistance.

Here is how to register:

o Call 800-621-3362 (voice, 711 or video relay services) or 800-462-7585 for TTY users.

o Go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov.

o Visit your nearest Disaster Recovery Center. Find that center by calling
800-621-3362 or going online to www.fema.gov/drc.

Three DRCs remain open:

Greenbrier County

Mobile Disaster Recovery Center, Southeastern Labor Council, AFL-CIO,
65 West Main St., White Sulphur Springs, WV 24986

Greenbrier County

Town Hall, 201 Kanawha Ave., Rainelle, WV 25962

Kanawha County

Tent in parking lot across from Dollar General Store,
120 Maywood Ave., W., Clendenin, WV 25045

The DRCs are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. They are closed on Sundays.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has two types of loans that could lead to smarter, faster recovery for businesses, homeowners, renters or private nonprofits:

Physical Damage Disaster Loans
The deadline to apply for an SBA Physical Damage loan would also be extended to Wednesday, Sept. 7.

Economic Injury Disaster LoansThe deadline for small businesses to apply for an SBA Economic Injury Disaster loan is March 27, 2017.

SBA disaster loan applications can be submitted in one of three ways: online at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/; in person at a DRC; or by mail.

There are many good reasons for survivors to fill out and return an SBA low-interest disaster loan application. If you don’t apply you won’t know what’s available to you. If you qualify for a loan you are not obligated to accept it. Call the SBA at 800-659-2955 or go to a DRC. If the SBA determines you are not eligible as a homeowner or renter, SBA will refer you back to FEMA. This could make you eligible for more FEMA aid.

7/29 - Temporary Housing Units in West Virginia

To be considered for a Temporary Housing Unit - Register with FEMA

Homeowners and renters who sustained losses from the severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides that occurred June 22-29, 2016, can apply for disaster assistance three ways:

Call toll-free 800-621-3362 (voice, 711 or video relay service) or 800-462-7585 (TTY). Lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.
Visit DisasterAssistance.gov
Visit a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center; find locations at www.fema.gov/DRC or by calling the Helpline.

At the request of the state of West Virginia, FEMA is bringing in temporary housing units to house eligible disaster survivors in Clay, Greenbrier, Kanawha and Nicholas counties. Those are the only counties where temporary housing units are being used.

FEMA’s housing assessment team is identifying applicants in the four counties who were displaced from their homes by the severe storms, flooding, mudslides and landslides that occurred June 22-29 and who may qualify for a temporary housing unit. Generally, only those whose homes were destroyed, severely damaged or made inaccessible by the disaster can be considered for a housing unit.

Decisions about eligibility are made on an individual, case-by-case basis. There is no “one size fits all”. The process of identifying eligible applicants is ongoing. It is unknown how many applicants will be eligible.

Households placed in THUs receive regular visits from FEMA to check on their continued eligibility and to assist them in meeting their permanent housing goals.

7/19 - Volunteer Update

Local flood response organizers are reporting an urgent need for volunteers to help with flood cleanup efforts over the next 10 days.

According to Volunteer West Virginia Executive Director Heather Foster, almost 1,500 homeowners have reported needing cleanup and recovery assistance, primarily in Kanawha, Clay, Greenbrier and Nicholas counties.

"Immediately after the flood we had a huge number of people putting their hand up to help, which was so inspiring," Foster said. "Now is a critical time to maintain that momentum."

To volunteer, all individuals and groups are encouraged to simply report to the Volunteer Reception Center nearest them. Groups of 10 or more should call in advance so the center can prepare work assignments. If you registered online and haven't received a call to volunteer, please report directly to the nearest reception center for an assignment.

A complete list of Volunteer Reception Centers is found at wvflood.com/volunteer.

7/13 - The Major Disaster Declaration for the State of West Virginia (FEMA-4273-DR-WV) has been amended to include Braxton, Gilmer, Lewis, Randolph, Upshur, and Wayne Counties for Public Assistance and Lincoln County for Public Assistance (Categories A and C-G), (already designated for Individual Assistance and emergency protective measures [Category B], including direct federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program).

7/8 - West Virginia storm survivors should ‘stay in touch’ with FEMA

West Virginia homeowners and renters who have registered for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are encouraged by recovery officials to “stay in touch” with the agency after they have applied for assistance.

Applicants changing their addresses or phone numbers – even if only temporarily – should update that information with FEMA. Missing or erroneous information could result in delays getting a home inspection or in receiving assistance. When registering with FEMA, it’s a good idea to provide a secondary contact phone number – both a cell phone and a landline number, for example.

FEMA has provided two ways for homeowners and renters to update their information:

Visit the FEMA website at DisasterAssistance.gov to upload documents.
Call the toll-free FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (voice, 711 or relay service). TTY users should call 800-462-7585. Lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.

When updating status information, callers should refer to the nine-digit number issued at registration. This number is on all correspondence applicants receive from FEMA and is a key identifier in tracking assistance requests.

For more information on West Virginia recovery, visit the disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4273, Twitter at www.twitter.com/fema and the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management at www.dhsem.wv.gov/Pages/default.aspx

6/29 - The Major Disaster Declaration for the State of West Virginia (FEMA-4273-DR-WV) has been amended to include Pocahontas and Webster Counties for Individual Assistance.

Additionally, FEMA-4273-DR-WV has been amended to include Pocahontas and Webster Counties for emergency protective measures (Category B), including direct federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program.

Please click for an updated release and fact sheet.

6/28 - The Major Disaster Declaration for the State of West Virginia (FEMA-4273-DR-WV) has been amended to include Clay, Fayette, Monroe, Roane, and Summers Counties for Individual Assistance.

Additionally, FEMA-4273-DR-WV has been amended to include Clay, Fayette, Monroe, Roane, and Summers Counties for emergency protective measures (Category B), including direct federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program.

Please click for an updated release and fact sheet.

6/27 - The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet issued the following statement after the announcement of the Presidential disaster declaration for several counties in West Virginia affected by the severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides that began on June 22, 2016. Click here for the full release.

6/25 - President Obama has issued a major disaster declaration for the State of West Virginia triggering the release of Federal funds to help individuals and communities recover from the Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides that occurred June 22, 2016, and continuing. Please click here for a detailed fact sheet on the declaration.

Individuals in Greenbrier, Kanawha, and Nicholas Counties can apply for disaster assistance with FEMA the following ways:

Apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
FEMA accepts registrations through your smartphone at m.fema.gov
Constituents may call the registration phone number at 1-800-621-3362; those who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The numbers will operate 7am-10pm, seven days per week until further notice.
Individual assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs.

MORE INFORMATION

For a list of donation drop-off locations, please click here.

If are in need immediate assistance, please contact one of my offices:

Charleston: 304-342-5855 (Toll free - 855-275-5737)

Martinsburg: 304-264-4626

Fairmont: 304-368-0567

Washington, D.C.: 202-224-3954

If you are elderly, disabled or ill and cannot access water, please call the Emergency Operations Center at 304-746-8828 for assistance.

IMPORTANT LINKS AND CONTACT INFO

Find Open Shelters

County Emergency Contact Info

United Way of Central West Virginia