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DR-1981 North Dakota Private Sector Update

Issue V, August, 2 2011

» More Information on North Dakota Flooding 

image of North Dakota DES seal                       image of FEMA seal

This E-News Update was created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Private Sector Function operating out of the Joint Field Office in Bismarck, N.D.  It includes information on federal and state resources available to help North Dakota homeowners, renters, business owners and their employees recover from the North Dakota flood.  We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions for topics of interest. Please e-mail Janice.Okai@fema.dhs.gov or call 701-221-8761. See the last section for subscribe/un-subscribe instructions.

Federal Assistance Situational Update

North Dakota (As of Close of Business August 1, 2011)

As of August 1, more than $135 million of federal and state disaster individual assistance in grants and low-interest loans has been approved for North Dakotans who suffered losses during the spring flooding.

State and federal officials encourage people affected by the disaster to register for assistance immediately by calling toll-free 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585.  The toll-free line is in operation from 6 a.m. to midnight (CDT) until further notice. Registration can be accomplished anytime at www.disasterassistance.gov or with a smartphone at m.fema.gov. Multilingual operators are available.
Updates:  You can also follow FEMA’s storm response on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion8 and Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA 

Disaster Unemployment Assistance

The deadline to register for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) has been extended for individuals in the designated counties below. The new deadline dates to file a claim in these counties are as follows:

Burleigh and Ward counties                           August 26, 2011
McHenry, Morton, and Renville counties         August 31, 2011
Barnes, Ramsey, and Richland counties         September 14, 2011
Spirit Lake Nation                                         September 14, 2011

For more information about DUA and deadline information, call 701-328-1152 or visit Jobsnd.com.

 

Additional Disaster Programs and Resources for Designated Areas

RESIDENTIAL DEBRIS REMOVAL
Individuals meet with a FEMA representative at a Disaster Recovery Center.The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), recently tasked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to remove debris caused by Souris River flooding in North Dakota.

To assist in making the residential debris removal operation as efficient as possible, the Corps requests residents place debris on the right-of-ways, within 10 feet of the roadway, and sort it into the following piles: Construction and Demolition Materials; Vegetative Debris; Large Appliances/White Goods; Electronics; Hazardous Waste; Household Goods. More information



PROTECTIVE MEASURES REMOVAL
Ward County and Velva residents with temporary flood protective measures placed on their property by the city, county, state (National Guard) or federal government during the Souris River flood fight are urged to fill out right-of-entry forms by Aug. 5 at the Minot Fire Department Headquarters, which is located at 2111 10th St. SW. The center will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. CDT.

By filling out a right-of-entry form, residents will enable the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its contractors to go on their property to remove these levees. more information

HANDLING FLOOD-DAMAGED VERMICULITE INSULATION
The North Dakota Department of Health, First District Health Unit and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are warning homeowners and volunteers cleaning out flood-damaged homes that insulation containing asbestos has been found in Minot.

Homeowners and volunteers should be aware that houses built or renovated between 1940 and 1986 may contain vermiculite insulation. Precautions should be taken to prevent potential exposure during clean-up activities. If a homeowner or volunteer needs to handle the vermiculite insulation during cleanup, the following guidance should be used to help protect the workers and others in the house. Handling Vermiculite Press Release

EPA recommends that asbestos cleanup or abatement activities be performed by state-accredited asbestos contractors. The North Dakota Department of Health can provide the names of accredited asbestos inspectors and asbestos abatement contractors for homeowners who wish to have asbestos removed from their home or visit the Department’s website at: http://www.ndhealth.gov/AQ/IAQ/ASB/Contractors.pdf.

Temporary Housing Unit Q&A

Temporary Housing Units (THU) are beginning to arrive for homeowners and renters in Ward County whose primary residences were severely damaged and are uninhabitable.  Below are answers to some recurring questions.

Q. Is a THU an option for renters?
A. Yes.  Renters can be placed in a THU based on their individual housing needs.

Q. Will accepting a THU impact other assistance I might receive from FEMA?
A. Direct housing assistance is provided in lieu of financial rental assistance under the Individuals and Households Program.

Q.   Who determines the home site for a THU?
A.    FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers, in coordination with the city and county, determine which group sites are suitable. Group sites will not be fully available until construction is completed.   When a THU is to be placed on a private site, inspectors conduct a preliminary inspection to determine if the site is feasible. In cases where applicants have feasible private sites, FEMA may be able to move units to those sites sooner.

Q.   What are the sizes of the THU?
A. Park Model units being placed on private sites at this time are 12’ x 40’.
Full size units, which are normally too large for placement on most private sites, are
14’ x 60’.

Recovery Centers

North Dakota residents who have been affected by the flooding can now visit the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services (NDDES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) if they have questions about recovery programs. The DRCs have recovery program representatives to speak one-on-one with applicants to help answer questions about assistance.  Updated locations and hours can be found at North Dakota DRCs.

Business owners may receive support from SBA customer service representatives at any  DRC or Business Recovery Center (BRC) in North Dakota.  The BRCs will be open on the days and times indicated until further notice.  No appointment is necessary. 

Business Recovery Center locations (both open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday thru Friday):

Bank of North Dakota
1200 Memorial Highway
1st Floor, SBDC Office
Bismarck, ND 58504

Minot Municipal Auditorium
420 3rd Avenue, SW, Room 103
Minot, ND 58701

For more information, applicants can contact the SBA Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 1-800-659-2955 or e-mailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or visiting the SBA web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.  Hearing impaired individuals can call 1-800-877 8339. Applicants may also apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Donations

Those wishing to donate money or goods to assist the Minot-area residents impacted by the summer flood should visit the donations website established by the state of North Dakota.  http://www.nd.gov/des/donations/.

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Last Modified: Tuesday, 02-Aug-2011 10:44:20 EDT