Disaster Preparedness Daily News

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The U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) moved its disaster assistance operations from the Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium in Utelei to the Disaster Service Center at the Convention Center on Monday, December 7, 2009 at 8 a.m. The new location will be open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. until further notice.

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses from the September 29 earthquake, tsunami and flooding can continue to meet face to face with SBA customer service representatives to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program and close their approved disaster loans. No appointment is necessary at the center to speak with a representative.

Although the deadline to apply for property damage loans has passed, SBA is still offering working capital loans of up to $2 million at an interest rate of 4 percent with terms up to 30 years for small businesses and most private, non-profit organizations of any size. These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that cannot be paid because of the disaster’s impact.

These loans provide vital economic assistance to small businesses affected by the disaster to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. The filing deadline to return Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications is June 29, 2010. SBA customer service representatives can answer questions about SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, explain the application process and help each individual complete their application. Read the rest of this entry »

The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced December 3 that federal disaster aid has been made available for Arkansas to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding.

Federal funding is available to state 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 natural disasters like severe storms and flooding in the counties of Boone, Bradley, Calhoun, Carroll, Cleburne, Cleveland, Columbia, Conway, Cross, Dallas, Franklin, Fulton, Grant, Izard, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Monroe, Nevada, Newton, Ouachita, Poinsett, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, Saint Francis, Scott, Sharp, Stone, Union, Van Buren, White, and Woodruff that lie within the designated counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties and tribes within the state.

W. Michael Moore has been named the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Moore said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama’s major disaster declaration issued for Arkansas.

Assistance for the State and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:

• Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas and similar publicly owned property, as well as certain private non-profit organizations engaged in community service activities. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)
• Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for removing debris from public areas and for emergency measures taken to save lives and protect property and public health as a way of disaster preparedness plan.  (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)
• Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state and local governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

How to Apply for Assistance:

• Application procedures for local governments will be explained at a series of federal/state applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are paid through the state from funding provided by FEMA and other participating federal agencies.

FEMA’s mission is to support our first responders and ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.