EM Update: September 21, 2011 Issue

Sept. 21, 2011

Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee bring flooding to Virginia

Gov. Bob McDonnell declared a state of emergency in response to flooding in Virginia that occurred as a result of the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee. 

Several counties and cities east of the I-95 corridor reported flash flooding.  Residents in several areas were evacuated, at least 50 swift water rescues of citizens were completed, and a bridge on Towlston Road in Fairfax County washed away.  Areas east of I-95 from Caroline County north received from 4-8 inches of rain, while areas west of I-95 received up to 3 inches of rain. Some areas received up to 15 inches of rain since Sept. 5.

Damage assessment teams of federal, state and local officials have completed Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments in affected areas in northern Virginia.  The governor could request federal disaster assistance after PDAs have been reviewed.

Irene recovery

Virginia has requested that U.S. Small Business Administration low-interest loans be made available to homeowners, renters and businesses to assist in recovery from Hurricane Irene.  If granted, these loans would be available in the city of Petersburg and New Kent County.  Under program guidelines, individuals in adjacent localities also would be eligible to apply for the low-interest loans.

The following 17 additional counties and cities have been added for federal Public Assistance: the counties of Accomack, Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Henrico, King George, King and Queen, King William, Mathews, Northumberland, Prince George and Surry and the cities of Colonial Heights, Franklin, Petersburg and Richmond.  Other local governments may be added for federal Public Assistance after damage assessments are complete.  VDEM and FEMA are holding informational sessions with local governments to explain the process.

Farmers and producers in localities impacted by Hurricane Irene should report losses of their crops, livestock and farming infrastructure to their local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.  The VCE will assess the damage, which could help in securing a disaster designation from the USDA Secretary.  Such a designation makes low-interest loans available and any supplemental relief that may be provided by Congress.  A list of Extension offices is available at http://www.ext.vt.edu/offices/index.html

Earthquake recovery

According to the Center for Earthquake Research and Information, a total of 35 aftershocks have occurred since the 5.8-magnitude earthquake on Aug. 23 in Louisa County.

Gov. Bob McDonnell has requested Individual Assistance for individuals and families in Louisa County.  If approved, the Individual Assistance program makes funding available for homeowners and renters in the form of grants and low-interest loans as well as disaster housing assistance.  The governor also requested disaster unemployment assistance, legal services and crisis counseling for Louisa County. 

Other localities could be added on as new or further damage is identified.

Virginia began damage assessments immediately after the earthquake, but unlike other natural disasters where damage is readily apparent, it became clear that structural engineers with earthquake experience were needed to properly identify and catalog the damage. FEMA damage evaluators from the west coast were brought in to assist.  Much of the quake damage was not visible from the outside of buildings, and evaluating the damage is more complex and time consuming than wind and flood damage.

The governor also requested Hazard Mitigation Assistance for all Virginia localities.

Damage has been reported in the counties of Culpeper, Page, Prince William, Goochland, Stafford, King George, Caroline and Spotsylvania and the city of Fredericksburg, though most damage occurred in Louisa County.  Louisa reported that 32 private properties are destroyed and 161 sustained major damage, and public property loss is reported to be about $66 million.  More than 800 structures were affected by the earthquake and aftershocks in Louisa County.      

FEMA employs Immediate Needs Funding strategy

To help ensure that FEMA has all the resources it needs to continue supporting state and local governments and individuals, FEMA is placing some funding restrictions on longer-term repair, rebuilding and mitigation projects that are funded through its Disaster Relief Fund. 

FEMA is using a strategy called Immediate Needs Funding, used in previous years to help preserve disaster relief funding for immediate needs.  This will not impact the individual assistance disaster survivors are receiving for losses from recent disasters.  States will continue to receive funding reimbursement for debris removal, emergency protective and response measures, and assistance to help with housing missions, mission assignments, and other critical needs. 

Longer-term recovery projects for open disasters that had already been submitted by states will continue to receive funding.  The only projects that will temporarily be impacted are longer-term recovery projects and hazard mitigation projects that were not already in FEMA’s system.  Funding for these projects will be put on hold until additional appropriations are made available.

Some Virginia project applications have already been approved and funded.  The majority of Virginia’s structural mitigation projects, however, are still under Environmental and Historical Review and have not been approved or funded.  Even if they were approved today they would not get funded until FEMA receives additional funding. 

For more information on the Disaster Relief Fund and Immediate Needs Funding, visit FEMA’s blog at http://blog.fema.gov/2011/08/setting-record-straight-about-femas.html  

National Preparedness Month continues

Localities and private sector partners across the Commonwealth have registered dozens of National Preparedness Month community events throughout the month.  Activities include community preparedness classes, exhibits at community events and exercises.  A calendar of events is available at http://Ready.gov

ReadyAG helps agriculture professionals prepare for emergencies

A national team of Cooperative Extension professionals have developed an educational tool to assist farm and ranch managers become better prepared for any disaster.  The tool is called ReadyAG—Disaster and Defense Preparedness for Production Agriculture.

Before disaster strikes, ReadyAG can help farmers and ranchers plan and prepare to prevent, mitigate, respond to, and recover from all types of damaging incidents.  ReadyAG is designed to help identify vulnerabilities and prioritize actions to make agricultural operations more resilient and sustainable in the face of adversity.

The project was funded by a USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (now the National Institute of Food and Agriculture) Special Needs project.  Extension faculty and staff from Cornell University, Oklahoma State University, Rutgers—the State University of New Jersey, The Pennsylvania State University, The University of Vermont, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and University of Maryland contributed to the development of the ReadyAG assessment.

The tool is available at http://readyag.psu.edu/

Save the date: Virginia Public Safety Expo, Nov. 10

Virginia’s public safety agencies will hold the Virginia Public Safety Expo on Nov. 10 to exhibit public safety resources and serve as a benefit for the Virginia Disaster Relief Fund.  First responders, state employees and Virginia’s emergency management partners in the private sector are invited for a day featuring demonstrations, training, lunch and a bake sale.  The rain date will be Nov. 15.  The event will be at the Virginia State Police Administrative Headquarters parking area from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  A shuttle will be available to transport attendees every 30 minutes to the Expo and back starting from the Patrick Henry Building, located at 1111 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219.

2011 State Coordinator's Briefing

LMS Enrollment Reminder:  VDEM Course V400

The Coordinators’ Briefings are an annual opportunity for VDEM to provide the latest information on state and federal policy and procedure regarding activities for local government emergency management personnel. Jurisdictions receiving EMPG funding are required to attend.  Due to the current budget situation and recent Governor’s Executive Order directions, VDEM encourages all participants to use official vehicles for travel purposes and, when possible, to attend the closest Coordinator’s Briefing as a one-day commute.  Registration will begin at 8 a.m., and the briefing will be from 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Walk-ins will NOT be permitted.

Enroll through the Commonwealth of Virginia Knowledge Center/Learning Management System.  Attendees who do not have an account with any state domain must create one by clicking on the register link at the following address: https://covkc.virginia.gov/vdem/external. Attendees who have a Knowledge Center account should login through their host domain and enroll.  Click on Learning Center, Course Information and Enrollment and type 2011 in the keywords blank.  Attendees MUST enroll in the appropriate section by the LMS enrollment deadlines below. 

Attendance confirmations with details and directions will be emailed two weeks prior to each event to those who are enrolled and accepted to participate.

Please also note the hotel reservation cut-off date, as the block rate is only guaranteed until that date. 

• Oct. 25 in Blacksburg at The Inn at Virginia Tech
  Hotel reservation cut-off date:   Sept. 28
  LMS enrollment deadline:   Oct. 11

For Hotel Reservations, please contact (540) 231-8000 and request the group rate of $95 for the VDEM room block on Oct. 25.  Credit card required.

• Nov. 2 in Waynesboro at the Waynesboro Best Western and Conference Center
  Hotel reservation cut-off date:   Oct. 10
  LMS enrollment deadline:   Oct. 19

For Hotel Reservations, please contact (540) 942-1100 and request the group rate of $77 for the VDEM room block on Nov. 1.  Credit card required.

• Nov. 8 in Williamsburg at the Crown Plaza – Fort Magruder Hotel
  Hotel reservation cut-off date:    Oct. 17
  LMS enrollment deadline:  Oct. 25

For Hotel Reservations, please contact 1-877-227-6963 and request the group rate of $71 for the VDEM room block on Nov. 7.  Credit card required.

NIMS Guideline for the Credentialing of Personnel published

The NIMS Guideline for the Credentialing of Personnel is now final and available for use.  The Guideline provides guidance on credentialing for federal, state, tribal and local personnel, as well as for critical infrastructure and key resources, voluntary and nonprofit response personnel. 

The Guideline builds on the doctrine established in NIMS Guide 0002 National Credentialing Definition and Criteria, dated March 27, 2007.  The Guideline addresses the full range of responders who may be called upon and need to establish their legitimacy through proof of identity, qualification/affiliation and authorization to deploy.

The Guideline and the NIMS Guide 0002 can be found at the NIMS Resource Center at the following URLs:

• The Guideline - http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/ResourceMngmnt.shtm#item3
• The NIMS Guide 0002 - http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/ng_0002.pdf

Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program deadline extended to Sept.  23

FEMA has announced that the Assistance to Firefighters Grant application period will be extended for one additional week.  The new deadline for AFG applications is Sept. 23 at 5 p.m.  The earthquake that affected so many communities in the eastern United States, as well as the continued responses related to Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee and the active wildfires in southwestern United States have had a direct impact on organizations’ ability to prepare and apply for grant assistance under the AFG program.  The AFG Program Help Desk is ready to assist with any questions applicants may have and can be reached by calling 1-866-274-0960 or email at firegrants@dhs.gov

VDEM Training Calendar

Due to budgetary constraints, VDEM must cancel a class if a minimum of 15 students have not enrolled two weeks before the class begins.  Sign up early.

The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Learning Management System Knowledge Center provides information and enrollment for each class.  Students who do not already have an account through any state agency Learning Management System domain must register for a VDEM LMS account (a one-time process) in order to enroll.  Students who have an account through any state agency should log in at that agency’s LMS address and enroll in the desired course(s).  Help videos for registration and enrollment processes are provided on the VDEM LMS login page at https://covkc.virginia.gov/vdem/external/.  Assistance is available from VDEM’s LMS Help Desk at lmshelp@vdem.virginia.govor (804) 897-9995.

The table below lists VDEM courses for the next quarter:

EM Update is the best way to communicate best practices and to get a heads up on issues that might affect you. Articles include case studies, cost/resource-saving local programs, examples of partnerships and regional cooperation and recognition of emergency managers who receive awards and honors in the field.

Please don't hesitate to contact the editor whenever you have a project that might benefit localities or want to highlight an important issue concerning Virginia's emergency response community. Contact Jolie Shank at (804) 897-6510 or by e-mail at pio@vdem.virginia.gov.

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