BRACE Update Provided by Greg Strader, Executive Director
Greg shared the update from Escambia County that may provide several resources that agency partners and case managers can share with their clients and impacted citizens. Highlights are below:
NEW: Flood debris collection is currently taking place in the most impacted areas in Escambia County. Residents should be aware that debris cannot be removed from private property and all debris ready for collection must be moved to the curb. As of Saturday, May 10, Escambia County has opened a Residential Debris Drop-Off Site at the John R. Jones Athletic Park, 555 East Nine Mile Road. Hours of Operation will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Sunday until further notice. This debris drop-off site will only available to Escambia County residents. Businesses and commercial haulers are prohibited. Material accepted at this drop-off site will be limited to storm generated mixed construction and demolition waste. Please do not bring household garbage, household hazardous waste or tires. For more information, please contact the Escambia County Solid Waste Management at (850) 937-2160.
NEW: FEMA reports that tele-registration through 05/12/2014 stands at 5,859. Approved eligible housing program assistance through today is $5,474,321 and other needs assistance is currently approved at $251,544. Cumulative applications by county are: 4,707 applications in Escambia; 961 applications in Santa Rosa.
NEW: FEMA reports that Disaster Recovery Centers are open at Brownsville Community Center at 3100 West DeSoto Street in Escambia County; Gulf Breeze Community Center at 800 Shoreline Drive and at Pensacola State College’s Milton Campus at 5988 Highway 90 in Santa Rosa County. The hours of operations are: Sundays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Mondays – Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
NEW: FEMA Recovery Agents are in the Field
FEMA crews are visiting homes, businesses, local organizations and churches in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Using tablets, crew members can help a survivor fill out an application for assistance on the spot – collecting information in person. Crew members can be identified easily by their photo badges and FEMA clothing. Florida residents are reminded to ask for federal identification before providing personal information. Survivors in designated counties may also receive a phone call from FEMA Individual Assistance specialists if they have already registered for disaster assistance. If called, applicants could be asked to verify their identity with some of the following information:
• The last four digits of their Social Security number.
• The address of their damaged home.
• The applicant’s current mailing address.
• The applicant’s current phone number.
If applicants receive a phone call from FEMA representatives and question the validity of the caller, they can contact the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 to verify the source of the call.
NEW: From the Governor’s Office:
· Governor Rick Scott today activated Florida’s Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program. The program will provide emergency, short-term, interest-free loans to small businesses in Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties to assist in re-establishing business during the interim period before other aid and insurance claims are processed. Owners of small businesses with two to 100 employees in counties impacted may apply for short-term loans of $1,000 to $25,000 through June 29, 2014. Loans are granted in terms of 90 or 180 days and are interest-free for that time period. To be eligible, a business must have been established prior to the issue of Executive Order# 14-144 that was signed by Governor Scott on April 30, 2014, and demonstrate physical damage as a result of this event. To complete an application, or for more information on the program, visit www.floridadisasterloan.org. For questions regarding local administration of the Emergency Bridge Loan Program, contact the Florida Small Business Development Center Network State Office at (850) 473-7800 or toll-free at (866) 737-7232.
· Governor Scott releases Disaster Unemployment Assistance to Escambia and Santa Rosa counties- more information in attached document: To file a DUA claim, call 1-800-681-8102. Hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.
NEW: Escambia County Update through through 4:30pm today:
· To date, 4,700 residents of Escambia County have registered for FEMA assistance. FEMA opened Escambia County Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) yesterday at the Brownsville Community Center, 3100 West Desoto Street, Pensacola, where applicants may go with questions or for information about FEMA or other disaster assistance. The hours of operations for the DRC are: Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Monday – Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
· Project Outreach Site Changes: Project Outreach field teams are stationed at tents throughout Escambia County to provide information and to connect citizens with the appropriate agencies. The following sites remain open and will be operational until 7 p.m. this evening and tomorrow, Tuesday, May 13, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Crescent Lake, 6105 Fairview Drive; Damascus Road Mission Baptist Church, 8198 Untreiner Avenue; Lake Charlene*, Corner of 6815 Kitty Hawk Circle – A FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Team (DSAT) will be on site from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Legion Field, 1301 West Gregory Street
· Additionally, FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams will be going door-to-door in the following impacted neighborhoods tomorrow between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.: Downtown area; Innerarity Point and Grand Lagoon areas; Tonbridge Circle area; Man o War Circle, Ashland Avenue and Ponderosa Drive; Lake Charlene Outreach Tent – Corner of 6815 Kitty Hawk Circle
· Help for Renters: FEMA’s “Individual Assistance†is also available to renters and anyone who has lost personal belongings in the recent flood is encouraged to file a claim with FEMA. Applicants may register at a Project Outreach Site, FEMA’s main “Disaster Recovery Center†at the Brownsville Community Center, 3100 West Desoto Street, or they can register by calling FEMA at (800) 621-3362 or TTY (800) 462-7585. If you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call (800) 621-3362. Operators are multilingual and calls are answered seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CDT. You can register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by smartphone or tablet at m.femagov.
· An American Red Cross shelter is located at the Fricker Community Center, 900 North “F†Street, Pensacola, and is currently housing 59 people. FEMA will be onsite from 6 to 9 p.m. today to register citizens for assistance.
· Debris Removal: Escambia County will continue debris removal efforts and information on locations for pickup tomorrow will be provided as soon as it becomes available. For more information on debris removal, please contact the Escambia County Solid Waste Management at (850) 937-2160 and for more information on obtaining FEMA or other assistance; please call the Escambia County Citizens Information Line at (850) 471-6600.
· 22 Roadways are currently closed for repairs in Escambia County. The list of closures is attached.
