Floods

Lawmakers Want Temporary Levees Turned into Permanent Protection

June 2, 2009 -- Washington – With floodwaters receding across North Dakota, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is advocating that temporary dikes be removed completely from communities impacted by spring flooding. However, Senators Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan and Congressman Earl Pomeroy are concerned that removal of the emergency dikes would leave communities with reduced flood protection.

The Congressional delegation today urged FEMA officials to allow federal funds targeted for dike removal to instead be used to upgrade the temporary levees used in this spring’s flood fight to more permanent structures.    » read more »

June 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Iowa Governor Chet Culver and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced a $4.6 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) investment to St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation and Coe College of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to help build an energy efficient, natural gas, steam heating plant that will restore permanent heating capacity to the hospital and college following flood damage inflicted in 2008. St. Luke’s Hospital and Coe College employ more than 3,000 workers.

The announcement comes after Governor Culver met with Secretary Locke in Washington, D.C., to discuss ongoing recovery efforts after last year’s natural disasters.    » read more »

Jun 2, 2009 -- LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe has sent a letter to President Obama requesting a major disaster declaration for 37 Arkansas counties impacted by storms and flooding throughout the month of May. The letter includes requests for Arkansas, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Clark, Cleveland, Conway, Dallas, Drew, Fulton, Grant, Greene, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Lincoln, Little River, Marion, Miller, Monroe, Nevada, Ouachita, Perry, Phillips, Pike, Poinsett, Polk, Prairie, Saint Francis, Saline, Searcy, Stone, and Union Counties.    » read more »

05/29/2009 -- KAMPEN -- U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today concluded her Congressional Delegation trip to the Netherlands where she studied the Dutch integrated water management system with federal government officials, including Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers. The Dutch's ability to manage water is world-renowned, and the Netherlands shares many of Louisiana's challenges with protecting populations and economic infrastructure below sea level.    » read more »

Additional areas can be added as damage assessments continue

May 27, 2009 -- CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has declared three additional southern West Virginia counties eligible for disaster aid following extensive flooding earlier this month.

McDowell and Raleigh Counties have been added for individual assistance and public assistance, and Mercer County for public assistance. Gov. Manchin this past weekend had requested the additional counties be added to the existing declaration for Mingo and Wyoming counties.    » read more »

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 »

Additional areas can be added as damage assessments continue

May 25, 2009 -- CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin has requested the addition of McDowell, Mercer and Raleigh Counties to the current federal disaster declaration for southern West Virginia, following severe storms, flooding, mudslides and landslides that occurred earlier this month.

The governor has requested the addition of McDowell and Raleigh Counties for both Individual and Public Assistance and he has requested the addition of Mercer County for Public Assistance.    » 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 »