NOLA City Announces FEMA Home Elevation Awards in Ongoing Efforts to Reduce Risk

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE� Monday, June 28, 2021 Contact:�LaTonya Norton For Media Inquiries Only communications@nola.gov (504) 658-4962

City Announces FEMA Home Elevation Awards in Ongoing Efforts to Reduce Risk NEW ORLEANS ��Today, the Hazard Mitigation Office, housed in the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, announced two Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) awards totaling $11.6 million, which will be used to elevate 49 pre-identified homes in New Orleans that have experienced repeated and severe flooding. � �Here in New Orleans, we�re seeing the direct impacts of climate change with major rain events happening more frequently and this past spring being one of the wettest in our city's recorded history,� said�Mayor LaToya Cantrell. �That�s why my administration has been so focused on mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. With these federal funds and support from FEMA, we will elevate the homes of 49 families who have suffered from flood loss in the past.� � The City�s Hazard Mitigation Office applied for the FMA funds on behalf of Orleans Parish homeowners whose structures have experienced severe and repetitive loss from flood damage. These properties will join the more than 200 structures that have received elevation funding since 2017 through the City�s effort to reduce the risk of property damage from future flood events. The 49 homes are located across the city, including in Broadmoor, Gentilly, Lakeview, Mid City, New Orleans East, the Ninth Ward, the Seventh Ward, Uptown, Venetian Isles, and the West Bank. The grant application was submitted by the Governor�s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and awarded by FEMA. � New Orleans Hazard Mitigation Administrator, Austin Feldbaum said, �FEMA�s grant programs play a critical role in financing projects that reduce the impacts of natural disasters in New Orleans, protecting both people and property. I am grateful for the support of our state and federal partners to mitigate many of our most flood-prone structures and to make flood insurance more affordable for our residents.� � FEMA Region 6 Hazard Mitigation Supervisory Grants Management Specialist, Shontae Davis said, �FEMA's Flood Mitigation Assistance grants help communities like New Orleans become more sustainable and disaster-resistant. FEMA continues to support our state and local partners to reduce risk in cities and parishes across Louisiana.� � New Orleans residents are encouraged to understand their flood risk, get flood insurance, and learn how to protect property from flood damage by visiting ready.nola.gov/rain. As a reminder, new flood maps were adopted in 2016, making flood insurance more affordable for many New Orleanians. Property owners may be eligible for a lower rate and are strongly encouraged to review their flood insurance policies, especially if they have not been updated since before the new map approval. � Flood insurance is essential in New Orleans, where property owners have received 7 times more on average from insurance payouts than from post-disaster assistance programs. A new flood insurance policy takes 30 days to take effect, so property owners should call their insurance agent as soon as possible to be insured for this year�s hurricane season. � Individuals who are interested in learning more about flood mitigation grants should contact the Hazard Mitigation Office at 504-658-8740 or hazardmitigation@nola.gov. �

Detroit Black Community Food Security Network. Community ownership, empowerment and access to healthy, sustainable food

 

“The food economy is the first economy of any society.   As we’re thinking about how we build a more sustainable  and just economy again, food has  to figure prominently in that.”     June 28, 2021       Dear Friend,   With the help of many, the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network is building community-based  food initiatives that promote food justice and self-determination.   Programs driving impact in our community I am pleased to share this video produced by the Kresge Foundation, “Our Common Purpose –  Detroit Black Community Food Security Network.” It communicates the foundation of their support  of our mission.  It also outlines the ways in which we are making a difference in our community,  through education and other outreach programs.   Please take a moment to watch the video and learn how your gift can make an impact in our  community and for future generations.    Click here to watch Our Common Purpose Video-DBCFSN; Kresge Foundation   Community ownership, empowerment and access to healthy, sustainable food We are making significant progress in developing the Detroit People’s Food Co-op and the  Detroit Food Commons. Through this development, we are working to increase access to healthy,  sustainably grown food, while building community ownership and empowerment.    Located in Detroit’s North End, it will be a unique cooperative business model, serving an urban,  predominately African American, low and moderate-income community.

Working for a Just Food System,     Malik Yakini Executive Director Detroit Black Community Food Security Network Inc. 11000 W McNichols Rd, Suite 103 Detroit, MI 48221 myakini@dbcfsn.org   DBCFSN is a 501c3 Organization Registered Charity: 33-1140762

One Health 101: What is All the Fuss? A One Health in the US Webinar Series Part 1 June 30, 2021 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm ET

 

One Health 101: What is All the Fuss? A One Health in the US Webinar Series Part 1 June 30, 2021 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm ET Everyone is welcome to attend.

In light of COVID-19 and previous outbreaks of other zoonotic diseases that pass between animals and humans (Examples: SARS, MERS, HIV Aids, Ebola, Zika etc), leaders at the recent June 11-13, 2021 G7 Summit in Cornwall, England endorsed “strengthening a ‘One Health’ approach across all aspects of pandemic prevention and preparedness.” There is an emerging need for a better understanding of what One Health is all about. The One Health Commission and The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, in partnership with the Wilson Center and the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, are collaborating to host a public educational webinar series that will answer the questions: What do I need to know about One Health? Why do I need to know it? Why is it so important? And what can I do about it?”

Webinar 1 - June 30, 2021 Featuring: Jimmy Tobias, Investigative Journalist whose Dec 2020 cover story for The Nation connected One Health to health security globally as well as in U.S. cities. See also the Nation Conversation Podcast; Bernadette Dunham, DVM, PhD, Professorial Lecturer at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health describing One Health for Zoonotic Diseases and Beyond Greg Gray, MD, MPH, Director of Duke One Health at the Duke University Global Health Institute explaining how One Health translates into effective public safety and benefits everyone. Together, they will explain how a One Health approach can translate into keeping the public safe from future outbreaks. The formal webinar will end at 1:00 pm but the webinar will remain open until 1:30 pm for further live Q&A for those who wish to continue the conversation.

For more information visit the event webpage (https://tinyurl.com/OneHealthCommissionOHinUS).  Free but you must Register (https://tinyurl.com/2bu95mrz) to receive your unique login link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. A recording of the webinar will be made available afterwards on the Event webpage.

Upcoming Topics in the webinar series: One Health in the US: Gaps and Challenges (TBD) One Health in the US: Biosurveillance (TBD) Spread the Word!! Find our event posts on Twitter and Facebook for sharing via social media. Learn more about COVID-19 and One Health. (https://tinyurl.com/COVID-OH-21)

This announcement shared by the One Health Commission, a US based a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, E.I.N. 27-0799294, working locally and globally, dedicated to implementing One Health and One Health actions around the world.

2021 Hurricane Season: FEMA, VITEMA, and GVI Partner in Preparation Through Five Days of Workshops

 

 

 

This month, FEMA, VITEMA, VING and a variety of GVI agencies gathered in-person at the V.I. National Guard's Lt. Col. Lionel A. Jackson Armory, Estate Bethlehem Compound on St. Croix and VITEMA's Emergency Operations Center in St. Thomas, as well as virtually, for a Response Capstone Event which included five days of workshops focused on improving the joint response to potential tropical storms impacting the territory this year. Read more>>

 

Have Jurisdictions within STATES become Federal Welfare Receivers? Lack of Planning? Unknown Vulnerabilities? June 2021

With vulnerability, mitigation, and other risk management plans is there a lack of Emergency Management funding and planning at the local level to anticipate events?

Have local jurisdictions lack of planning relying more, and more on federal assets and resources to come to the rescue?

FEMA Advisory

FEMA Support for Florida Following Building Collapse 

---

On June 24, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. approved an emergency declaration for the state of Florida making federal assistance available to supplement state and local recovery efforts to the emergency conditions resulting from the Surfside Building Collapse.

• The declaration authorizes the Individuals and Households Program for Miami-Dade County.
• Survivors whose primary home was damaged or destroyed by the building collapse may be eligible for financial assistance for temporary housing and uninsured losses under the Housing Assistance provision of the IHP.
• Financial assistance is also available under the Other Needs Assistance (ONA) provision of the IHP to assist with funeral and medical expenses, uninsured losses to personal property and vehicles, and other necessary expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster.
• The President directed FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts to help alleviate the hardship and suffering caused by the collapse.
• FEMA is committed to providing assistance to all eligible applicants and ensuring that information and resources are distributed equitably.
• Disaster response works best when it is locally executed, state managed, and federally supported. FEMA is in close coordination with the State of Florida and is assisting state and local efforts.

Operational Support to Partially Collapsed Building in Surfside, FL

• Following the collapse of the 12-story apartment/condo building in Surfside, FL on June 24, rescue personnel from Miami-Dade and City of Miami Task Forces responded to the initial collapse and have been on scene since.
• The Miami-Dade and City of Miami Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) teams are part of FEMA’s national US&R program; however, the teams deployed under their own authority as a local resource.
• Two additional US&R teams, operating under state authority and comprised of 35 members each, are en route to the site and expected to arrive Friday, June 25.
• US&R teams are routinely deployed for local and state response.
• Residents in unaffected portions of the structure have been evacuated.
• Cause of the collapse is unknown at this time.

FEMA Support

• FEMA is sending technical experts to support the city and state. Three additional US&R teams are prepared to respond and assist with the ongoing search and rescue activities.
• The US&R Incident Support Team is on alert and three FEMA liaison officers are en route to the scene. Additionally, FEMA’s Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) 1 is deploying to Surfside to assist.
• IMAT Teams are response-oriented and deploy in support of state, local, tribal and territorial government efforts to save lives, protect property, and provide life-sustaining services.

National Urban Search and Rescue System and Capabilities

• The National US&R Response System, established under FEMA’s authority, is a framework for organizing federal, state and local emergency response teams as integrated federal resources.
• Federal Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) Task Forces with the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System (the system) are equipped and ready to deploy within six hours in various response models.
• The system’s 28 US&R task forces can be deployed by FEMA to a disaster area to assist in structural collapse rescue, or they may be pre-positioned when a major disaster threatens a community. Specific capabilities include:
• Physical search and rescue operations in damaged/collapsed structures.
• Emergency medical care for entrapped survivors, task force personnel and search canines.
• Reconnaissance to assess damage and needs, and provide feedback to local, state, tribal, territorial, and federal officials.
• Assessment/shut-off of utilities to houses and other buildings.
• Hazardous materials surveys/evaluations.
• Structural/hazard evaluations of buildings needed for immediate occupancy to support disaster relief operations.
• Additional US&R teams are available to deploy nationwide to respond to other emergencies, should they be needed.

Awareness to Actions and Reactions. Civil Unrest & OSHA Guidance. July 20, 2021. 10:00 AM PDT | 01:00 PM EDT

 

Civil Unrest & OSHA Guidance July 20 2021 Time: 10:00 AM PDT | 01:00 PM EDT Duration: 60 Minutes Register Now! Overview: The circumstances surrounding the recent outbreaks of violence and civil unrest developed hourly (let alone daily), and with the rapid-fire nature of modern media and social media channels, details will vary from broadcast to broadcast, leaving many in the workforce in confusion and fear. Read more.. Brenda Neckvatal Devoted Volunteer , Navy SEAL Community, Brenda Neckvatal is an international award-winning HR professional and is often referred to as the “HR Force of Nature” by her clients. Not only does she help business leaders solve their most difficult people issues, she is a specialist in crisis management, government contracting HR compliance, and mentor to women in HR working as an HR department of one. Read more.

Register Now!

Disaster Safety Aligned with BEMA International http://disastersafety.info/

 

How to Survive a Flood -

                 https://www.almanac.com/content/flood-safety-and-survival-tips
 
Tornado Safety - 

                https://www.thehartford.com/claims/tornado-safety
 
How to Prepare for an Earthquake and Assemble a Bugout Bag - 

               https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-prepare-for-an-earthquake
 
What to Do During an Earthquake - 

               https://www.quakekare.com/earthquake-preparedness/what-to-do-during-an-earthquake
 
The Complete Guide to Hurricane Safety - 

                 https://productdiggers.com/hurricane-safety-guide/
 
What To Do After A Disaster Damages Your Home - 
                  https://www.mortgagecalculator.org/helpful-advice/natural-disaster-recovery.php
 
Resources to Help if You Have Survived a Disaster - 

                  https://www.unitedway.org/my-smart-money/immediate-needs/ive-experienced-a-natural-disaster/resources-to-help-if-you-have-survived-a-disaster
 
FEMA Programs to Support Disaster Survivors - 

                   https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual/disaster-survivors