JIC Recovery Release No. 26 - Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams to go Door-to-Door; USDA Offers Disaster Assistance - GHS OCD

Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams to go Door-to-Door:

Guam residents will start seeing FEMA’s Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) crews in neighborhoods today to help Typhoon Mawar survivors apply for federal disaster assistance and to identify needs within communities.

DSA crews primarily focus on helping underrepresented populations that may be hard to reach by traditional channels. Their mission is to assess, and report critical and emerging disaster needs to FEMA leadership for decision-making purposes. Their essential duties include:

Provide on-site guidance to survivors about the application process, and an overview of FEMA disaster assistance.
Review survivors’ applications, providing basic information about application status and other eligible assistance, and collecting new information or documents for case files.
Engage disaster survivors and local officials in identifying immediate unmet needs for a quick resolution via FEMA and/or its partners including voluntary agencies.
Support community outreach and partnerships with the local, state, tribal or territorial emergency managers, disability partners, private sector, voluntary agencies and faith- and community-based organizations to foster a culture of strengthened alliances to support the delivery of inclusive, equitable services to survivors.

USDA Offers Disaster Assistance:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering several programs to help agricultural producers.

Risk Management
For producers who have risk protection through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), USDA recommends reporting crop damage to the local Guam Farm Service Agency (FSA) office. Those with NAP coverage can file a Notice of Loss (Form CCC-576) within 15 days of loss becoming apparent, except for hand-harvested crops, which should be reported within 72 hours.

Disaster Assistance
USDA also offers disaster assistance programs, for livestock, fruit and vegetable, specialty and perennial crop producers. First, the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybee and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) reimburses producers for a portion of the value of livestock, poultry and other animals that died as a result of a qualifying natural disaster event or for loss of grazing acres, feed and forage. The Tree Assistance Program (TAP) also provides cost share assistance to rehabilitate and replant tree, vines or shrubs loss experienced by orchards and nurseries. For LIP and ELAP, producers will need to file a Notice of Loss for livestock and grazing or feed losses within 30 days and honeybee losses within 15 days. For TAP, individuals will need to file a program application within 90 days.

Documentation
It is critical to keep accurate records to document all losses following this devastating typhoon event. Crop producers are advised to prepare acreage and production data which include, but are not limited to; type of crops, planting dates, farm acreage, and production data. Livestock producers are advised to document beginning livestock numbers by taking time and date-stamped video or pictures prior to and after the loss.

Other common documentation options include:

Purchase records
Production records
Vaccination records
Bank or other loan documents
Third-party certification

Other Programs
The Emergency Conservation Program and Emergency Forest Restoration Program can assist landowners and forest stewards with financial and technical assistance to restore damaged farmland or forests. Additionally, FSA offers a variety of loans available including emergency loans that are triggered by disaster declarations and operating loans that can assist producers with credit needs. You can use these loans to replace essential property, purchase inputs like livestock, equipment, feed and seed, or refinance farm-related debts, and other needs.

Meanwhile, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides financial resources through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help with immediate needs and long-term support to help recover from natural disasters and conserve water resources. Assistance may also be available for emergency animal mortality disposal from natural disasters and other causes.

Additional Resources
Additional details – including payment calculations – can be found on USDA’s NAP, ELAP, LIP, and TAP fact sheets. On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool can help determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local Guam FSA Office at 671-300-8550 or 671-300-8551.

Visit the following links for the latest advisory information:

GHS/OCD Website: https://ghs.guam.gov/
GHS/OCD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHSOCD/
JRM Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jrmguam

For more information, contact the Joint Information Center at (671) 478-0208/09/10.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

X
Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.

JIC Recovery Release No. 26 - Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams to go Door-to-Door; USDA Offers Disaster Assistance