WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues coordinating the efforts of the federal family, working alongside state, Commonwealth, tribal, territorial, and local emergency responders to help address the immediate needs of survivors following Hurricane Irma.
Tens of thousands of federal workers are supporting preparedness, response, and recovery to Hurricane Irma, including more than 3,200 FEMA staff, and more than 13,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen from 22 states, in rescue, evacuation, security and support operations.
Crewmembers from Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Jacksonville Beach make repairs to a light damaged by Hurricane Irma, Friday, Sept. 15, 2017, in Brunswick, Georgia. The ANT Jacksonville Beach crew is responsible for over 950 aids to navigation throughout northeastern Florida and southeastern Georgia. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Aids to Navigation Team Jacksonville Beach)
The Department of Energy is coordinating with its partners to facilitate communications, provide situational awareness, and expedite restoration efforts. More than 60,000 personnel are activated from more than 250 investor-owned electric companies, public power utilities, and electric cooperatives from all corners of the United States and Canada, to support power restoration. Private sector partners estimate that power should be returned to 95 percent of customers by September 17. Restoration to severely damaged areas will take additional time.
For those in designated areas in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov is the quickest way to register for federal assistance, including FEMA assistance. If survivors do not have access to the internet, they may register by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY). If survivors use 711 relay or Video Relay Service (VRS), they should call 800-621-3362 directly.
FEMA disaster assistance teams go door to door in Florida after Irma.
FEMA received more than 413,000 registrations to date and has already approved $92.8 million for Hurricane Irma survivors. As it becomes safe for people to return to their homes, FEMA expects registration numbers to increase.
Federal Efforts Underway as of September 16, 2017
- The American Red Cross (ARC) is operationally focused on safety, shelter, food, which includes shelf-stable meals, and positioning personnel and supplies. More than 8,100 people were provided refuge from Hurricane Irma in more than 100 government and Red Cross evacuation centers across four states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To date, the ARC served more than 380,000 meals and snacks. More than 3,000 Red Cross workers are responding to Irma now, with almost 350 more volunteers on the way.
- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) currently have more than 350 personnel engaged and have received 35 FEMA Mission Assignments (MA). For Florida, USACE’s mission assignments include providing temporary power, temporary roofing, debris removal, and infrastructure assessment. For Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, USACE’s mission assignments include providing temporary power, temporary roofing, debris removal/technical assistance, infrastructure assessment, and a commodities management subject-matter expert.
- The U.S. National Guard Bureau (NGB) is sending additional personnel to support law enforcement and security operations; they’re scheduled to arrive in the affected areas in the next four days. National Guard soldiers and airmen continue staffing critical points of distribution to deliver essential resources including food and water, and continue clearing debris to open roads in affected areas. The National Guard continues search and rescue efforts in the Keys, while route clearance, shelter operations, law enforcement support, communication restoration and essential resource distribution remain a priority as well. The National Guard is augmenting civilian law enforcement in securing areas affected by Hurricane Irma and in helping citizens rebuild their communities.
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) continues to work with its partners to ensure that fuel remains available in the areas impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Harvey. The fuel situation is stable, and DOE is working with its interagency and private sector partners to ensure that it remains available throughout the region. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve delivered 3.1 million barrels of crude, out of the 5.3 million authorized. A blog post about these efforts can be found here, and DOE continues to provide situational updates here.
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is sending a large, mobile air traffic control tower to Key West to help increase the safety and number of operations at the damaged airport. The mobile tower is currently at Bradley Airport, Connecticut and will be en route soon to Key West, and operational mid-week.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) response coordinators are working with federal and U.S. Virgin Islands territory agencies to identify long-term solutions for health care in the U.S. Virgin Islands; the territory’s entire medical care system and public health system were hard hit by the storm. National Disaster Medical System and U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps teams have seen more than 3,700 patients, including dialysis patients evacuated from the Caribbean islands to Puerto Rico, as well as at the St. Thomas hospital, Florida shelters, and two hospitals in the Florida Keys. The HHS continues to provide the Disaster Distress Helpline (1-800-985-5990), which remains open 24/7 for free help coping with the stress of the storm.
- The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to provide personnel to support the efforts in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and share information about carbon monoxide and generator safety: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/co-materials.html. The agency is currently translating guidance material into more than ten languages for survivors.
- The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is working with the U.S. Navy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Key West, Florida, to open the shipping channel from the sea buoy to the Mole Pier, to facilitate the safe movement of relief supply deliveries. However, the port of Key West remains closed at this time. Since Sept. 12, sixteen (16) tank ships have been cleared to deliver their supplies of fuel to ports in Florida. Eight additional tank ships are expected to arrive in the coming days. Coast Guard National Strike Force crews are working with local, state and federal teams on 64 pollution cleanup responses across the storm-impacted areas.
- The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a message from Attorney General Jeff Sessions to those impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Harvey. To view this release, click here or see the video. The NCDF Disaster Fraud Hotline is (866) 720-5721. The Bureau of Prisons is providing updates at www.bop.gov.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to coordinate closely with local, state, tribal and federal partners, especially the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in response to Hurricane Irma. EPA deployed six National Priority List (NPL) Assessment Teams to Florida this week and over one third, and counting, of the NPL sites in Florida have been assessed. EPA is also exercising enforcement discretion for diesel fuel use by utility work vehicles and equipment. Florida Governor Rick Scott issued a request that will go into effect immediately, and terminates when all diesel reserves have been used or by the end of the day on September 22, 2017, whichever comes first.
- The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) is working with the United States Postal Service and the Department of Treasury regarding check payments to be delivered. Cycle 3 benefit payments will be delivered on September 20. They estimate approximately 5,700 checks will be issued in the areas affected by Irma. The SSA will continue to monitor the status of all check payments in affected areas.
- The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) continues to restore all mail processing operations in the state of Florida, including the areas hardest hit. In the Florida Keys, delivery and retail operations have resumed today in Key Largo and Tavernier. All facilities in Puerto Rico are open except for one post office.
VATF1 and NYTF1 personnel w/ @forestservice force protection officers re-raised US flag above the old firehouse at Fort Christian. [U.S. Virgin Islands]
Sailors work with heavy equipment to remove debris from Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, Sept. 15, 2017. Clean up efforts are in full swing across the Florida Keys after Hurricane Irma caused extensive damage across the state. (U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Dustin R. Williams)
###
FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.
Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.twitter.com/femaspox, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Brock Long’s activities at www.twitter.com/fema_brock.
The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.