FEMA Experts Educate Thousands of New Yorkers on Mitigation

July 3, 2007

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. More than 9,000 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," says Marianne C. Jackson, federal coordinating officer for FEMA.

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," says 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 says.

"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," continues Michaud. "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, [developing] 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 says. "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:

9,024 disaster-related discussions
4,561 discussions about mitigation building techniques
1,935 individuals had questions concerning the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
5,050 customers with issues about mold and mildew remediation
268 individuals were interested in elevating their home and/or appliances
3,424 individuals who had suffered damage and had not yet registered with FEMA
3,279 individuals were referred to the FEMA Helpline or Disaster Recovery Center where they could get further information and assistance.

- FEMA

Contingency Planning