Flooding

May 26, 2009 -- MOORHEAD, Minn. -- One-fourth of all businesses that close because of a disaster never reopen, according to the Institute for Business and Home Safety. But businesses that have a disaster preparedness plan - and implement it - typically have less damage, loss and downtime than those that do not.

The recent flooding in the Red River Valley affected hundreds of Minnesota businesses. With this current disaster risk in mind, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) urge business owners and managers to increase their chance of surviving this or any other type of event by being ready before disasters happen.    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- BISMARCK, N.D .- Federal aid in housing grants, disaster loans and direct federal assistance mission assignments now stands at $42.7 million, the Federal Emergency Management Agency reported today. As part of the $42.7 million, FEMA has obligated $24.48 million in 46 Mission Assignments to other federal agencies, including $15 million to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for removing temporary flood protection measures, such as earthen levees, sandbags and flood protection products.    » read more »

Leaders Focus on Clean-Up Assistance, Future Prevention Efforts

May 26, 2009 -- Lisbon – At a meeting with community leaders from across Ransom County, Senator Kent Conrad today pledged his full support to help Lisbon-area families and business owners recover from the damage caused by Sheyenne River flooding.

“North Dakotans have a long tradition of pulling together in the face of adversity. The situation facing families and businesses in Lisbon and throughout Ransom County is no different,” Senator Conrad said. “With the cooperative efforts of everyone at the state, local and federal level we will help Ransom County make a full recovery.”    » read more »

Community Protection Programs Would Face Steep Cuts under Senate Budget Proposal

May 26, 2009 -- HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced that eight contracts and 22 grants have been awarded for 47 flood protection and stream improvement projects in 21 counties. An additional four projects in two counties are currently in the grant execution process and will be awarded soon.

Total value for the 51 projects is more than $2.5 million but Governor Rendell warned that funding for these projects in the future will be jeopardized under spending cuts proposed in the state Senate version of the 2009-2010 budget.    » read more »

2009 Spring Floods One of Worst Seasons on Record

May 25, 2009, Fairbanks, Alaska - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has sent a letter to the federal government officially requesting a federal disaster declaration for the spring floods of 2009. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sent preliminary damage assessment teams into the field last week and they are working their way down the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers village by village.    » read more »

May 21, 2009 -- Oklahoma City -- Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry today requested that President Obama grant public assistance for 17 Oklahoma counties in the aftermath of severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that battered parts of the state between April 25 and May 16.

The counties included are: Alfalfa, Cherokee, Choctaw, Craig, Dewey, Garfield, Garvin, Grant, Jefferson, Love, Major, Mayes, Nowata, Rogers, Tillman, Wagoner and Woods. More counties can be added to the request as additional information becomes available.    » read more »

May 21, 2009, Juneau, Alaska – Responding to the flooding on the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers, the State of Alaska has officially requested a preliminary damage assessment (PDA) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to evaluate the losses in residential property, businesses and public infrastructure.

“The state emergency managers have done a terrific job working with local responders to coordinate response and initial recovery to this year’s spring flooding,” Governor Sarah Palin said. “Now we must rebuild our communities and this formal request is the first step in that process.”    » read more »

May 20, 2009 -- LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe today declared Ashley, Cleburne, Greene, Howard, Jackson, Marion, Nevada, Ouachita, Pike and Polk Counties state disaster areas, taking the total of flood-related county declarations to 42. Last week, Beebe declared Arkansas, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Clark, Cleveland, Conway, Dallas, Drew, Fulton, Garland, Grant, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Lafayette, Lee, Lincoln, Little River, Lonoke, Jefferson, Miller, Monroe, Perry, Phillips, Pope, Poinsett, Prairie, Saline, Searcy, Stone, St. Francis and Union Counties.    » read more »

May 18, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Senators Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller (both D-W.Va.) and Representative Nick J. Rahall, II (D-W.Va.) today announced $2,000,000 in funding from the Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration for road repairs in southern West Virginia following severe flooding on May 9th, 2009.

"The Obama Administration approved the federal disaster declaration promptly, and I am pleased to see money beginning to move into Southern West Virginia just as quickly to make these necessary infrastructure improvements and help get the area back on its feet as quickly as possible," said Senator Byrd.    » read more »

Additional areas can be added as damage assessments continue

May 15, 2009 -- CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin and state emergency management officials late this afternoon received word that President Obama has approved the governor’s request for a federal disaster declaration for southern West Virginia, following severe storms, flooding, mudslides and landslides that occurred last weekend.

This designation enables federal funding and personnel to be allocated to the flood-ravaged areas to assist with cleanup efforts and to provide additional assistance to those who were directly affected by the flooding and storms.    » read more »

May 14, 2009 -- HARRISBURG – The first grants to protect Pennsylvania’s flood prone communities and address unsafe, high-hazard dams under the historic H2O PA water-related infrastructure renewal program were approved today, Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell announced.

Seventeen dam projects and five flood control projects received a total of $57.4 million, Governor Rendell said.

“Pennsylvania’s water-related infrastructure—its drinking water and wastewater plants, dams and flood protection projects—are aging and deteriorating after decades of neglect and underinvestment,” Governor Rendell said. “This is creating a difficult challenge for communities that are facing costly, but much needed, upgrades to their water and wastewater systems.    » read more »

May 15, 2009 -- AUGUSTA – Florida Governor John E. Baldacci today announced a Federal grant totaling more than $2.1 million to assist communities impacted by spring flooding that began April 28, 2008. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery aid will provide valuable resources to about 96 municipalities across the seven counties affected by the flooding that began on April 28, 2008.    » read more »

Foreclosure protection offered to displaced families in 10 counties

May 14, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to 10 storm-ravaged counties in Mississippi and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, flooding, and tornadoes in March.    » read more »

Governor Culver signs I-JOBS bills into law with $100 million for UI disaster efforts

May 14, 2009 -- IOWA CITY – Nearly one year after record floods destroyed many landmark buildings on campus, Iowa Governor Chet Culver today traveled to the University of Iowa, where he signed Senate File 474, which provides $100 million for the University’s disaster recovery efforts as part of the Governor’s $830 million I-JOBS Program.    » read more »

May 13, 2009 -- FRANKFORT, Ky.—Following the devastating storms and extensive flooding that have ravaged parts of the state and forced hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians from their homes, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear asked President Barack Obama this afternoon to declare a major disaster for impacted areas of the state.    » read more »