FEMA Experts Educate Thousands of New Yorkers on Mitigation 

Mitigation Experts Advise 9,000 Rebuilding from April nor'easter

Release Date: June 15, 2007
Release Number: 1692-060

» More Information on New York Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Within days of the disaster declaration that followed this year's rare April nor'easter, customers at the region's building supply stores began coming away with more than tools and repair materials.

Some - more than 9,000 in all - took with them a variety of professional tips to protect themselves, their families, and homes from future flood-related damages.

Teams of mitigation experts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reached out to 9,024 New Yorkers shopping at home building supply stores, large and small, during the period May 4 to June 11.

In partnerships with Lowe's, Home Depot, and several home building stores in many of the counties in the disaster-declared area, the experts provided advice on building techniques, disaster recovery resources, flood insurance, health concerns, and other issues.

"Promoting disaster-resistant communities is a top priority for us, and getting the mitigation message out to where people shop and live is a real plus," said Federal Coordinating Officer Marianne C. Jackson of FEMA.

The participating stores were: Home Depot locations in Fishkill, Middletown, Port Chester, Staten Island, Wappingers Falls, West Nyack, and Yonkers; Lowe's stores in Catskill, Glenmont, Kingston, Middletown, Newburgh, Orangeburg, Poughkeepsie, and Staten Island.

Additionally, self-service mitigation exhibits were maintained at Brewer's Hardware and Marine Center, Mamaroneck; Williams Design Center, Millbrook; Williams Lumber locations in Salt

Point, Rhinebeck, and Hopewell Junction; William Tell Hardware, Hopewell Junction; Nichols Hardware, Beacon; Sun Paint and Hardware, Fishkill; and Blue Steel Feed, also in Fishkill.

As flood-stricken New Yorkers began rebuilding their homes, cleaning up and recovering from the storm and subsequent flooding, the outreach teams provided information on disaster recovery issues.

"The purpose of the outreach at home supply stores is to be quickly and conveniently available to citizens where we can do the most good after a disaster," said FEMA Mitigation Outreach Coordinator Jay Michaud. "That place is at a local store where people come to purchase lumber and other supplies to start rebuilding their homes."

The teams offered a variety of FEMA-produced books, pamphlets, and leaflets that describe techniques on how to mitigate to better withstand disasters.

"Our teams can discuss the techniques with customers right in the store so they can purchase the materials needed for a rebuilding project," Michaud said.

"The most important thing anyone can do to prepare for a possible disaster is to assess their personal risk and take necessary measures to mitigate risk of any peril to which they may be susceptible," Michaud said. "That may be elevating the mechanical components of a structure, elevating the house itself, ensuring proper drainage, brush control, or attaching wind and seismic fasteners, and most of all, a disaster plan."

The mitigation experts can help with all of that and more. Not only do the teams assist individuals with building techniques, they also offer information to help them begin the cleanup process, from safety tips to how to deal with mold and mildew. They also direct individuals to the FEMA registration process.

"Many times the contact with a team member is the first time that person knows that federal and state assistance is available," Michaud said. "We make sure that individual knows how to register for assistance."

Although the five mitigation outreach teams - 23 employees overall - greeted and spoke to approximately 43,000 customers between May 4 and June 11, they tracked only those conversations on mitigation issues.

They reported:

FEMA maintains an extensive library of print and electronic publications on disaster mitigation, preparedness, NFIP, and related topics. Many are available online by following the link for the Resource Information Library at the bottom right-hand corner of the fema.gov Web site.

FEMA publications also can be ordered by calling 1-800-480-2520.

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: Friday, 15-Jun-2007 12:17:22