We know some residents impacted by Hurricane Sandy are experiencing long lines at gas stations and some states are facing fuel shortages.  At FEMA, and across the federal government, we recognize this problem and we are taking immediate steps to address this in three primary ways.

First, we are working to increase fuel supply so that resources are getting to impacted areas.  Hurricane Sandy disrupted the normal flow of fuel by preventing ships from entering vital ports in the Northeast and creating navigation hazards.                                  

This morning, Secretary Napolitano issued a temporary, blanket waiver of the Jones Act to immediately allow additional oil tankers coming from the Gulf of Mexico to enter Northeastern ports. This will provide more fuel to the region.  The Coast Guard also has re-opened the port of New York to all tug and barge traffic carrying petroleum products.  And Customs and Border Protection are working to ensure air and sea ports in the affected areas are fully staffed and ready to receive passengers and cargo as they return to operation.  In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency has exercised its authority under the Clean Air Act to temporarily waive certain federal gasoline requirements for gas sold and distributed in more than a dozen states.  This waiver will help ensure an adequate supply of fuels in the impacted states.

Second, we are coordinating with states and the private sector to accelerate the distribution of fuel to retail locations.  Due to the storm, some refineries and fuel facilities had to be taken off-line and others reduced operations. The Department of Energy is working with industry partners to ensure that the infrastructure to deliver petroleum is up and running to meet fuel demands.  

Normal operations have already resumed at two major refineries in Delaware and New Jersey, and pipeline companies have restored services to six pipelines servicing New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and north to Maine.  In short, we are working with companies and refineries and infrastructure owners to bring facilities back on line, increase production, and get more fuel flowing.

Finally, we are partnering with major utilities and the private sector to restore power so that gas stations that do have fuel in their tanks are able to get the pumps working again. President Obama has established a national power restoration working group to cut through the red tape, increase federal, state, tribal, local and private sector coordination and restore power to people as quickly as possible. 

Yesterday more than 60 power restoration vehicles and crews from private utility companies were airlifted from California to New York to assist with restoration.  The federal government also has provided hundreds of generators to help critical infrastructure sites and fuel stations operate until full power is restored.  Fuel points of distribution locations also are being identified and will be established in hard hit areas to accelerate fuel distribution.

It will take some time for our nation’s fuel supply chain to get back to full capacity.  But we are taking immediate steps in the short term to address the problem and fuel is now flowing into impacted areas.

(The views expressed in the CNN story do not necessarily represent the official views of the United States, the Department of Homeland Security, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA does not endorse any non-government organizations, entities, or services.)

With the great amount of devastation Sandy has brought upon states along the East Coast, I wanted to take a moment to share an article on CNN.com from Hurricane Katrina and Joplin survivors who felt the way many disaster survivors may feel at this point in time. Three days after Sandy’s landfall, millions of people remain without power and their homes and lives as they knew it, have completely changed.

Here’s an excerpt from storm survivors sharing their experiences and giving advice on how to move forward after experiencing a disaster:

Devastation is devastation, whether a hurricane rips up your home or a tornado takes the person you love most in the world. It's loss, shock and confusion. It's anger and sadness and resentment. It's being flustered like you've never been flustered before.

But it's going to be OK: Take it from the people who survived Hurricane Katrina and the Missourians from Joplin whose town was leveled by the worst tornado in U.S. history.

            They want Sandy survivors to know a few things:

You're probably on autopilot right now. You're moving through it. Stand in the ruins of the life you had before the disaster. Understand that was before. The after is when you're good and ready.

Hours will still go by though. Days will happen. You might not remember to eat because you're filling out paperwork and talking to insurance operators. You will get put on hold.

            Your life will feel forever on hold.

At some point, when you think you're handling it, you will stumble on something that reminds you of that old life, maybe it's a thing or it's a memory. Maybe this will happen when you finally get the sleep you've gone without since the disaster. You're going to feel really, really awful again for awhile.

…

Eileen Romero, Hurricane Katrina Survivor, “Understand that the life you had before something like this isn't coming back, and that's not always a bad thing. Discover and make yourself anew."

Read the rest of the story from CNN.

As we continue to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, we remain committed to bringing the resources of the federal family together to support disaster survivors. We are and will continue to work side by side in close coordination with state, local and tribal emergency management officials, voluntary and faith-based communities, and private sector to support response and recovery efforts in affected states.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy. While the worst of the weather is beyond some areas on the East Coast, Sandy remains a very large storm system that continues to pose life-threatening hazards for coastal and inland areas including high winds, heavy rains, dangerous storm surge and flash flooding, and snow and cold weather hazards in some areas.

Some important safety reminders if you’re in an area that has been, or is still being, impacted by this storm:

• Continue to listen to your local officials – If you evacuated and are returning home, make sure local officials have deemed the area safe to return to.  If Sandy is still impacting your area and local officials give the order to evacuate, do so immediately.  
• Stay off the roads - Emergency workers may be assisting people in flooded areas or cleaning up debris. You can help them by staying off the roads and out of the way.
• If your power is out, safely use a generator or candles - Never use a generator inside a home, basement, shed or garage even if doors and windows are open. Keep generators outside and far away from windows, doors and vents. Read both the label on your generator and the owner's manual and follow the instructions.  If using candles, please use caution. If possible, use flashlights instead. If you must use candles, do not burn them on or near anything that can catch fire.
• Avoid downed power or utility lines - They may be live with deadly voltage.  Stay away and report them immediately to your power or utility company.
• Don’t drive or walk through flood waters – It only takes a small amount of water to move people or vehicles. If you encounter a flooded roadway, don’t attempt to pass through water – turn around, don’t drown.  And if your home has flood water inside or around it, don’t walk or wade in it.  The water may be contaminated by oil, gasoline or raw sewage.

How to help those affected by Sandy

We’ve had a number of questions come in on our Facebook and Twitter accounts about how to help those who have been impacted by Hurricane Sandy.  A few pointers to remember:

• Cash is the most efficient method of donating – Cash offers voluntary agencies the most flexibility in obtaining the most-needed resources and pumps money into the local economy to help businesses recover.
• Volunteer or donate through a trusted organization – At the national level, many voluntary, faith-based and community-based organizations are active in disasters, and are trusted ways to donate to disaster survivors. In addition to the national members, each state has its own list of voluntary organizations active in disasters.

Numerous blood drives have been canceled as a result of the storm and the Red Cross has a need for blood donations. To schedule a blood donation or for more information about giving blood or platelets, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Here’s a video from President Obama reminding everyone how we can help those in need after a disaster:

Latest update on FEMA’s activities

Last night, the President declared major disasters for New York and New Jersey, making disaster assistance available to those in the heaviest hit areas affected by the storm.  Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the following counties in New York and New Jersey can begin applying for assistance by registering online or on your phone at www.DisasterAssistance.gov:

• Declared counties in New York: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Richmond, Suffolk, & Queens.
• Declared counties in New Jersey: Atlantic, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean & Union Counties

Those impacted can also apply by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.

In addition to federal disaster assistance being available in several counties, states and localities and the American Red Cross continue to operate emergency shelters in many states.  You can search for open shelters by visiting the Red Cross website, downloading the FEMA smartphone app, or by texting the word “shelter” and a zip code to 43362 (4FEMA).  For example, if you’re searching for a shelter in the 01234 zip code, you would text Shelter 01234.

Finally, we continue to work closely with our emergency management partners and are embedded with state teams to support response efforts and assess unmet needs. Our priority focus remains on life-saving and life-sustaining activities.  Currently, more than 1,500 FEMA personnel are positioned along the East Coast working to support disaster preparedness and response operations, including search and rescue, situational awareness, communications and logistical support.  Here are some details about our staff’s support:

• Twenty-eight teams comprised of 294 FEMA Corps members are pre-staged to support Sandy.
• Seven federal urban search and rescue task forces have been activated and are deploying in the Mid-Atlantic as needed and requested. 
• Fourteen Incident Management Assistance Teams
• Twelve liaison officers are positioned in state emergency operations centers along the East Coast supporting preparedness activities and ensure there are no unmet needs. 
• Ten Disability Integration Advisors supporting emergency management in ten states on current alert and warning, evacuation and sheltering needs and preparing for potential post-storm operations.

Please share these important safety reminders and we hope you’re taking every precaution to stay safe.

A lot of activity has been happening around FEMA lately as we get ready for Hurricane Sandy to come into land.  Today, we visited a very busy place called the National Response Coordination Center, or NRCC, where lots of people come together to work on helping those who may get rain, wind, or lose power from Hurricane Sandy.

The workers get help to states and people that may be affected by Hurricane Sandy.  Right now, everyone is focused on getting prepared before the storm may hit.  Here is a picture from inside the big room showing all the workers.

During times of emergency, people from FEMA and many other government agencies work in the NRCC to make sure people and supplies are being used in the best way.  These people work on many different things, but they all come together as a team to ensure everything is covered. They help set up safe places for people to go during and after a storm and make sure things like water & food are moved into the right areas so people can get them after an emergency.  Some of the voluntary organizations we’re working with are the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army USA, the Humane Society of the United States, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.  These organizations and many more are working together to make sure everyone is prepared for Hurricane Sandy.

This shows some of the agencies that work with FEMA in the NRCC – We are standing next to a few of their “seals” or symbols:

And we even got to sit in the NRCC for a few minutes and wear the same vests worn by the people who work there.  The vests help to show who everyone is and what they’re working on!

Finally, workers in the NRCC told us the simple things people can do now to get prepared for Hurricane Sandy. They can be sure to have an emergency kit with a flashlight, batteries, food, water, and more!  Here’s a picture with us and an emergency kit – ask your parents if your family has one!

We had fun learning about the teamwork that happens in the NRCC and we hope everyone who may be affected by Hurricane Sandy is getting prepared like we are!