On April 6, 2019, Rep. Graves introduced H.R. 2174 to reform the Corps' management of the Missouri River. This bill will:

• Remove fish and wildlife as an authorized purpose of the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System
• Make flood control the highest priority of authorized purposes of the system

Introduced an amendment to secure funding for Army Corps investigations to study flood control and mitigation

On June 27, 2019, Congressman Graves introduced the “Resilient Communities Act of 2019” (H.R. 3531), which allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide Missouri and other states resources to set up a fund for mitigation projects that reduce disaster risks. The bill gives local communities greater flexibility for the types of projects that are eligible for disaster funding, compared to FEMA’s existing programs.  This bill will:

• Expand the types of projects eligible – for example, repair and reconstruction of non-federal levees – which will support and enhance FEMA’s existing mitigation programs. 
• Expand assistance to projects related to non-profits and businesses, if they reduce flood risk.

Individual and Households Program

• Provides financial assistance and services to those who are unable to pay necessary expenses or meet serious needs through insurance or other means
  • Eligible Applicants:
    • Must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien
    • FEMA must be able to verify the applicant's identity
    • The applicant's insurance cannot meet their disaster-caused needs
    • The applicant's necessary expenses and serious needs are a direct result of a federally declared disaster

Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program

• Provides assistance to communities with the implementation of a sustained pre-disaster natural hazard mitigation program
  • Purpose of the program is to reduce overall risk to the population and structure from future hazard events
  • Eligible Applicants:
    • States, U.S. Territories, Federally-recognized tribes, and local governments
    • Local governments are eligible Subapplicants and can sponsor applications on behalf of homeowners to submit to the Applicant

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)

• Provides funds to communities after a disaster declaration to protect public or private property through a variety of mitigation measures
• Recipients of HMGP are primarily responsible for prioritizing, selecting, and administering the state and local hazard mitigation projects
• Eligible Applicants:
  • Individuals, businesses, and private nonprofits via local governments

Disaster Legal Services

• Confidential legal assistance to low income individuals who are unable to secure legal services to adequately meet their disaster-related needs. Services include:
  • Help with insurance claims for doctor and hospital bills, loss of property, etc.
  • Help with repair contracts and contractors
  • Drawing up new legal papers lost in a disaster
  • Advice on problems with landlords
  • Eligible Applicants:
    • Must be a survivor of a Presidentially declared disaster that includes individual assistance

Disaster Case Management

• Involves a partnership between a case manager and a disaster survivor to develop and carry out a Disaster Recovery Plan including:
  • Assessment of survivor's disaster-caused unmet needs
  • Development of a goal-oriented plan
  • Organization and coordination of information on resources
  • Eligible Applicants:
    • Must be a survivor of a federally declared disaster that includes individual assistance

Crisis Counseling Program

• Assists disaster survivors through the provision of community-based outreach and mental health services:
  • Individual and Group Crisis Counseling
  • Educational resources and information on services available for survivors
  • Assessments of adult and children for mental health referral services
  • Eligible Applicants:
    • Must be a survivor of a federally declared disaster that includes individual assistance

Visit www.fema.gov for additional details about program and grant requirements.

The first step for individuals or businesses to receive federal disaster assistance is to contact FEMA at 1-800-621-3362.

FEMA Region VII Regional Office:

9221 Ward Parkway

Kansas City, MO 64114

Rehabilitation and Inspection Program (RIP)

• Provides disaster preparedness, response services, and advanced planning measures designed to reduce the amount of damage caused by an impending disaster.
• This includes:
  • Public sponsors of flood control projects that sustained damages in Spring 2019 flooding are eligible to apply for Rehabilitation Assistance
  • Non-federal projects must have been accepted into the Corps' RIP program prior to the onset of the flood and still be in Active status at the time of the flood
    • Assistance for non-federal projects is cost-shared between the public sponsor (20%) and the Corps (80%)
  • Federal projects must be in Active status by having passed its last inspection

For more information, visit the following websites:

Kansas City District

https://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/

Omaha District

https://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/

Rock Island District

https://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/

St. Louis District

https://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/

Unemployment Insurance (UI)

• Unemployment benefits are provided for eligible workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own and are actively looking for a new job.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)

• DUA provides assistance to individuals whose employment or self-employment has been lost or interrupted as a direct result of a major disaster and who do not qualify for regular unemployment assistance

National Dislocated Worker Grants (DWGs)

• DWG creates temporary jobs for eligible individuals to assist with the clean-up, recovery, and humanitarian efforts in areas impacted by disasters

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

• OSHA makes assistance available to help protect those participating in recovery efforts

Wages?
Call the Department's Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243 for questions about being paid correctly following a disaster.

Health and retirement benefits from your employer's plan?
Call the Department's Employee Benefits Security Administration at 866-444-3272.

Recording Hours Worked?
Download the Department of Labor's "Timesheet" app to record the number of hours you have worked and how much you may be owed.