FEMA Online Registrations Popular for New Yorkers 

Release Date: June 14, 2007
Release Number: 1692-058

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ALBANY, N.Y. -- Registering for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) over the Internet is a popular option for New Yorkers.

During the recovery period for the April nor'easter disaster, statistics show that more than 30 percent of the registrations were generated from the FEMA Web site at www.fema.gov.

"The average online registration percentage per disaster is usually 15-16 percent," said FEMA's Federal Coordinating Officer Marianne C. Jackson. "During this disaster, the online registrations actually doubled."

To date, 7,946 New York households in the seven-county disaster area have registered for individual assistance (IA). Nearly 2,500 of those registrants opted to use the Internet. Counties declared for IA are Albany, Dutchess, Orange, Richmond (Borough of Staten Island), Rockland, Ulster, and Westchester.

Officials say the large percentage of online registrations may be due to a variety of factors, including consistent promotion of the online service in FEMA press releases, public service announcements, and informational flyers; increase in the number of computers available in homes and public locations; and familiarity with online registration from previous declarations.

"We're not surprised to hear that New Yorkers are taking advantage of the FEMA online registration option," said John R. Gibb, Director of the State Emergency Management Office and State Coordinating Officer. "New York State is on the cutting edge of technology and our citizens are well versed on the advantages of the Internet."

FEMA's online registration service became available in July 2004. It was used, for the first time, during the recovery process for a disaster in the Northern Mariana Islands in August 2004.

Homeowners, renters, and business owners who have suffered loss or damage from the April nor'easter and who have not yet registered need to do so by calling toll-free 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the hearing or speech impaired, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily or register online at www.fema.gov. Online, be sure to use the name as it appears on the Social Security card. The deadline to register is June 25, 2007.

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Last Modified: Thursday, 14-Jun-2007 13:50:20