Sept. 1: National Preparedness Month Sept. 1: Hurricane Gustav 3rd Anniversary Sept. 9: Marine Corps Relief and Appointment Ceremony, New Orleans Sept. 11: 10th Anniversary of 9/11 Sept. 13: Hurricane Ike 3rd Anniversary Sept. 24: Hurricane Rita 6th Anniversary Oct. 7: LA School Facility Managers Association Conference Please visit the Ready America website for information and resources about preparing families and children for all types of emergencies. Also visit these websites: http://www.ready.gov/kids/ http://www.fema.gov/kids/ Katrina/Rita: 42 occupied units Gustav/Ike: 12 occupied units September 2, 2011 Announcements Setting the Record Straight About FEMA’s Disaster Fund FEMA has received questions about how it will continue to fund the disasters that states are still recovering from, as well as the immediate response and recovery efforts for Hurricane Irene. For questions, please contact us at (202) 646-4500. FEMA’s immediate focus is to continue doing everything it can to support our state and local partners as it responds to Irene and meets the immediate needs of disaster survivors. To make sure FEMA has all the resources it needs to do this, FEMA is placing some funding restrictions on longer-term repair, rebuilding and mitigation projects from previous and current disasters that are funded through its Disaster Relief Fund (DRF). FEMA is implementing what is referred to as Immediate Needs Funding (INF), a strategy used in previous years to help preserve disaster relief funding for immediate needs. This will not impact the individual assistance disaster survivors are receiving for losses from recent disasters. States will continue to receive funding reimbursement for debris removal, emergency protective and response measures, and assistance to help with housing missions, mission assignments, and other critical needs. Longer-term recovery projects, for open disasters that had already been submitted by states, will continue to receive funding. The only projects that will temporarily be impacted are longer-term recovery projects and hazard mitigation projects that were not already in our system. Funding for these projects will be put on hold until additional appropriations are made available. For more information on the Disaster Relief Fund and Immediate Needs Funding: http://blog.fema.gov/2011/08/setting-record-straight-about-femas.html FEMA Launches Smartphone App and Text Message Updates On Aug. 26, FEMA launched two new digital tools: a FEMA App for smartphones, and a new tool for individuals to sign up for text message updates, which will give the American public additional ways to prepare for and recover from disasters. The FEMA App contains preparedness information for different types of disasters, an interactive checklist for emergency kits, a section to plan emergency meeting locations, information on how to stay safe and recover after a disaster, a map with FEMA Disaster Recovery Center locations and Shelters, and the FEMA blog. Visit this site: http://blog.fema.gov/2011/08/new-digital-tools-fema-app-and-text.html FEMA: Week in Review Louisiana Recovery Office New Orleans, LA Calendar Housing Update Contacts News Desk: (504) 762-2477 External Affairs Director, Andrea Davis: (504) 247-6628 / Andrea.Davis1@dhs.gov Outreach Lead, Lynette Fontenot: (504) 232-8602/Lynette.Fontenot@dhs.gov FEMAFEMA FEMA Ready Kids Ready Classroom Teaches Emergency Preparedness Nationwide Let's Get Ready! Helping Families Get Ready For Emergencies - Sesame Street