Governor Hickenlooper Notified of FEMA Denial for Additional County Designations

This afternoon Governor Hickenlooper was notified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the denial of additional county designations for disaster assistance. In September the State had requested Individual Assistance for 17 counties, Public Assistance (Categories A-G) for 20 counties, Public Assistance (Categories A-B) for one county and Hazard Mitigation statewide.

The letter from FEMA stated, “...based on the results of the joint federal, state, and local government Preliminary Damage Assessments, it has been determined that the damage to the residences in Broomfield, Denver, Gilpin, Otero, and Pueblo Counties is not of the severity and magnitude to warrant their designation under the Individual Assistance program. Furthermore, it has been determined that the damage to the infrastructure in Broomfield, Otero, and Pueblo Counties is not of the severity to warrant their designation under the Public Assistance program.”

The state has the right to appeal the denial within 30 days. Currently, the Governor’s Office is reviewing the denial and associated data to make a decision on whether or not to appeal.

Previous FEMA Awards for Colorado Flood Disaster Assistance

FEMA has previously awarded Individual Assistance for 11 counties, including: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, El Paso, Fremont, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan, Morgan and Weld. The deadline to apply for disaster assistance is November 14.

FEMA has previously awarded Public Assistance (Categories A-G) for 18 counties, including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, Crowley, Denver, El Paso, Fremont, Gilpin, Jefferson, Lake, Larimer, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Sedgwick, Washington and Weld.  Public Assistance (Category B Emergency Protective Measures - Direct Federal Assistance) for Broomfield and Pueblo.

FEMA also previously awarded Hazard Mitigation statewide.

Download the Media Release.

Third Extension Approved for Transitional Sheltering Assistance

At the state’s request, FEMA has approved a third extension to the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which pays for eligible flood evacuees to stay in participating hotels and motels.

Individuals and families who are still being assessed regarding their housing needs may continue to be eligible for TSA through Nov. 16 (checkout Nov. 17). The previous checkout date was Nov. 3.

TSA allows eligible individuals and families to stay temporarily in participating hotels, with FEMA and the state picking up the bill for eligible room costs and taxes.

Survivors may no longer have a need for TSA if their home is inspected and is found to be functional, accessible and has power.

An automated phone message notifies applicants if they are eligible for this period of assistance ending Nov. 16.

Individuals and families who are not eligible for the program may be considered for additional FEMA rental assistance.

Applicants may need to provide rental agreement information.


For questions, contact the FEMA helpline by phone, 800-621-3362, from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., MDT, seven days a week. Multilingual phone operators are available on the FEMA helpline. Choose Option 2 for Spanish and Option 3 for other languages. People who have a speech disability or are deaf or hard of hearing may call (TTY) 800-462-7585; users of 711 or Video Relay Service can call 800-621-3362.

A total of 379 households stayed in hotels and motels last night under TSA.

COFlood E-News: October 30

Issue 5

Colorado Flooding, Severe Storms, Mudslides, and Landslides

October 30, 2013

This E-News Update is created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Private Sector Function operating out of Colorado. The E-News Update includes information on federal and state resources available to help Colorado homeowners, renters, business owners and their employees recover from the flooding, severe storms, mudslides and landslides that were federally declared a major disaster on September 14, 2013. We welcome your comments, questions, and topics of interest.

To be added to the distribution list, put “SUBSCRIBE” in the subject line to Brandi.Briones@fema.dhs.gov or Chad.McCormick@fema.dhs.gov. To unsubscribe, write “REMOVE” in the subject line. 

Federal Assistance as of October 29, 2013

• Registrations for Individual Assistance (IA)…26,481

• Approved IA …$48.9 million

• U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans approved…$48.7 million

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in a designated county can apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov or call 1-800-621-3362 (use option 2 for Spanish, 3 for other languages) or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., MDT, seven days a week until further notice. For a guide on FEMA Individual Assistance and other types of aid, visit disaster assistance .

The following 11 counties are now designated for IA: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, El Paso, Fremont, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan, Morgan and Weld.

(Italics indicate the most recently designated counties.)

For more information on counties designated for Public Assistance (PA).

Registration Deadline is November 14, 2013

The Nov. 14 disaster assistance registration deadline affects survivors of severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides in the eleven counties designated for IA.  Federal/state disaster assistance for applicants can include money for serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

In addition, National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders whose homes or other structures were damaged by flooding have until the Nov. 14 deadline to file NFIP proof of loss claims.

Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) Opening in Colorado Springs and Fort Morgan

Colorado’s recovery continues with two DRCs opening in Colorado Springs and Fort Morgan. The Colorado Springs DRC will be open for one week only from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 29 to Saturday, Nov. 2.

To find DRCs closest to you, please visit the DRC Locator. DRCs provide information about disaster recovery programs and help applicants register for disaster assistance before the Nov. 14 deadline.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Opens Disaster Loan Outreach Centers (DLOCs)

To meet the needs of the community, SBA in conjunction with FEMA and the State of Colorado disaster recovery officials have announced the locations  of the following SBA DLOCs in addition to the existing DRCs in Colorado.

Aurora Central Library 14949 East Alameda Pkwy. Aurora, CO 80012 Mon.–Fri., 9am to 6pm Saturday, 9am to 1 pm

Colorado Springs Fire Training Center 375 Printers Pkwy. Colorado Springs, CO 80910 Mon.–Fri., 8am to 5 pm

Jefferson County Courthouse 100 Jefferson County Pkwy. Golden, CO 80401 Mon.–Fri., 9am to 5:30 pm

At the DLOCs, SBA customer service representatives will be available to meet with residents and business owners to answer questions, explain SBA’s disaster loan program, issue applications, help complete applications and close approved disaster loans. Note that Nov. 14 is the registration deadline for all individual disaster assistance.

FEMA Mitigation Outreach – Help Limit Damage from Future Severe Weather

Take action before the next disaster. FEMA mitigation specialists will be stationed in several locations to provide free rebuilding information Thursday, Oct. 31 through Saturday, Nov. 2.

Downtown Ace Hardware 215 S. College Ave. Fort Collins, CO 80524	Clay’s Ace Hardware 1001 E. Harmony Rd., Unit B Fort Collins, CO 80525
Ace Hardware of Firestone 8258 Colorado Blvd. Firestone, CO 80504	Windsor Ace Hardware 1245 Main St. Windsor, CO 80550

Hours of operation: Click here to confirm hours.

Before beginning any repair work, property owners should contact their local building officials to find out what permits are required to repair or rebuild in that specific community.

Determination Letters Must Be Read Carefully

An applicant who has received a determination letter of ineligibility should be sure to read the entire letter to find out why. In some cases, all the applicant needs to do is send FEMA a copy of the private insurance determination letter.

Applicants who receive this letter can call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362

(TTY 800-462-7585) or visit a DRC to find out how to appeal this decision, submit any required documents or make changes to contact information.

Colorado Businesses Contribute to Flood Relief

Colorado companies continue to make contributions for local flood relief to help rebuild communities. Here are the companies to make the latest donations.

Follow Up-to-Date News

Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management supports the needs of local government and partners with them before, during and after a disaster. The division enhances preparedness statewide by devoting available resources toward prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery, which will ensure greater resiliency of Colorado communities.

For more information: Twitter @COEmergency, Facebook: COEmergency, www.coemergency.com and www.CORecovers.info

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. 

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion8, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate's activities at twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property.  SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private, nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property.  These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants can go to www.sba.gov/disaster or call (800) 659-2955 (TTY 1-800-977-8339).

Downloads:

• E-News Update:  October 30
• E-News Update Spanish:  October 30
  

U.S. 36 between Lyons and Estes Park will open Monday, other recovery efforts moving forward

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Office of Gov. John Hickenlooper and ColoradoUnited.com  

ColoradoUnited, 303-865-8151, mediainquiries@coloradounited.com     

---

DENVER — Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013 —  U.S. 36 between Lyons and Estes Park will reopen Monday, Nov. 4, several weeks ahead of schedule after National Guard troops from various states and the Colorado Department of Transportation worked around the clock to repair the highway.

“Rebuilding state roadways damaged by the flood is critical to getting people back in their homes and businesses completely reopening,” Gov. John Hickenlooper said. “We are very grateful for the men and women from CDOT, the National Guard and the Colorado State Patrol for their work to repair U.S. 36. Their efforts, along with Larimer and Boulder counties, made it possible to reopen the highway much earlier than expected.”

 

CDOT crews were joined in recent weeks by Army and Air National Guard troops from Colorado, Montana, Utah and Kansas to repair U.S. 36. Other recovery updates include:

Roadway Recovery on Track

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is reporting steady progress in road recovery:

• On Tuesday, Oct. 29, at an event in Longmont, representatives of the National Guard, the State of Colorado and the local community saluted the partnership that made reopening U.S. 36 early possible. More than 700 attended the event.
• CDOT expects to open U.S. 34 B in Greeley by the end of this week, providing a critical trucking route through northeastern Colorado.
• 78 percent of state and federal roadways are now open, with the remaining on track for opening by Dec. 1.
• U.S. 34 is open from Estes Park to Drake, for local access only.
• U.S. 36 is open from Blue Mountain Road to Apple Valley Road, for local access only.

Recovery Office reports Significant Progress

With nearly 1,500 skilled resources focused on the recovery effort, the Recovery Office reported:

• About 1,000 Lyons residents returned to their homes last weekend, Xcel Energy relit most pilot lights for natural gas, water service was restored to about 90 percent of the town and most of the sewer system is operating.
• FEMA has approved $49 million in Individual Assistance.
• The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved $48.7 million in low-interest disaster loans to Colorado homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofit organizations.
• The U.S. Department of Education’s Project SERV has granted $750,000 for flood-impacted Colorado schools to reimburse districts for expenses to return to safe, secure and healthy operations.
• The Colorado Department of Labor & Employment has received a grant of more than $4.6 million in national emergency funds from the U.S Department of Labor. The funds are designated to help people secure jobs related to the recovery effort.
• Fundraising and volunteer efforts gained momentum this past week with more than $10 million raised in support of the Red Cross, United Way and HelpColoradoNow. Two notable events were the Colorado Rising benefit concert featuring Dave Matthews, The Fray and other Colorado Musicians on Oct. 27 and Lakewood High School’s winning Katy Perry’s ROAR contest with proceeds supporting disaster recovery nationwide.

People Access ColoradoUnited.com for Information and Resources

With more than 11,000 visitors since its launch, ColoradoUnited.com continues to provide information and resources about the flood recovery. Subject experts have provided the promised 24-hour response to all inquiries received via the Contact Us page.

 

###

About ColoradoUnited

Gov. John Hickenlooper appointed Jerre Stead, executive chairman of Englewood-based IHS Inc., to be the state’s Chief Recovery Officer. The Recovery Team is focused on making Colorado more innovative, safer and resilient in its infrastructure, community and environment. Go to www.ColoradoUnited.com for more information.