DHS ‘moving heaven and earth’ in Hurricane Sandy recovery effort

Wed, 2012-10-31 03:39 PM By: Mark Rockwell


FEMA team loads
Sandy aide
The Department of Homeland Security and other emergency response agencies and groups are “moving heaven and earth” in efforts to get the northeastern U.S. back on its feet after Hurricane Sandy moved through the area, said DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano in a conference call on Oct. 31.

Napolitano called Sandy “the largest most serious storm to affect the U.S.”

She said the response would require an equally big response, including not only the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), but also volunteer organizations, state and local governments and a lot of patience from those affected.

As of Oct. 31, she said President Obama issued disaster declarations for Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, and emergency declarations for New Hampshire, Virginia, and West Virginia, she said.

The declarations make federal money available to the states’ recovery efforts. She noted that the $3.6 billion in the Disaster Relief Fund would cover recovery expenses for the massive storm. She was less clear, however, when asked if the fund would be adequate for future emergencies in the coming months, since the storm hit so early in the fiscal year.

DHS, she said, is working to get big electrical generators to power critical infrastructure like hospitals and nursing homes darkened by the storm, she said. Currently, there are 252 of the big generators deployed, she said and more than 280 more en route to the hardest hit areas. DHS is also working with the Army Corp. of Engineers on procuring or finding additional emergency generators.

Nine federal urban rescue teams have been deployed by the agency, said Napolitano and since Oct. 30, more than 700 rescues have been performed.

She warned people anxious to return home in hard-hit areas that it could take a while longer to clear roads, turn off live downed live wires and other initial clean-up work necessary to ensure their safety.

Over 250 shelters in 16 states house over 11,000 storm victims currently, she said. So far, DHS has deployed 2,200 people up and down the east coast to help with recovery efforts and 7,400 National Guard troops have also been deployed to help.

All ports on the east coast, with the notable exception of the Ports of New York and New Jersey, are open, said Admiral Kevin Cook, deputy commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area on the call. The Coast Guard, he said, is still working with the New York Port Authority and commercial port users to insure the area’s safety, including making sure channels are open and there are no underwater obstructions or blockages that could cause even more problems to shipping in the busy seaways around the city.

“The picture is coming together,” he said, but noted he was working with the Army Corps of Engineers to assess significant damage to piers in New York harbor. He said he understands the critical nature of shipping to the city and national economy. “This is our top priority today,” he said.

On the same conference call, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said although only three states -- New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island -- have applied for quick release funds to help restore transportation infrastructure, he expects many more requests in the coming days, especially from hard-hit New Jersey. LaHood said he has approved $13 million in the funding for New York and Rhode Island, with New York receiving the lion’s share of $10 million, so far. His agency, he added, is still reviewing North Carolina’s request.

DHS