7-14-10 —     Wayne County residents who suffered damage due to the May flooding still

have a few days left to register for disaster aid. But that deadline is

quickly approaching.

    FEMA will accept registrations until Monday, July 12 at 8 p.m. EDT,

according to information released by the agency.

    ³There is still time to register for disaster assistance,² said Doug

Mayne, Federal Coordinating Officer for the Federal Emergency Management

Agency (FEMA). ³We can¹t help you if we don¹t know that you need help.²

    John Heltzel, director of the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management

added, ³We want to make sure that every Kentuckian that is eligible receives

the disaster aid they need. Tell your friends, neighbors and relatives that

they must register with FEMA before the deadline.²

    Registering for disaster assistance is simple. You can apply online

anytime at www.disasterassistance.gov or by phone at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).

Phone lines are open every day from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m.

    Anyone who had damage from the disaster should register even if they¹re

not sure if they qualify. Let FEMA decide your eligibility.

Not the last word

    If you have already registered for disaster assistance with FEMA and

received a letter stating you are not eligible, officials from the Kentucky

Division of Emergency Management and FEMA have one important message‹don¹t

give up.

    ³The letter might mean that FEMA doesn¹t have all the information needed

to make decisions about the application,² stated Mayne. ³It¹s important to

take the time to carefully read the information and instructions outlined in

the letter.²

    The letter provides applicants with specific reasons for the decision.

Sometimes it is nothing more than missing information such as a signature,

proof of identity, documentation of disaster damage, and/or proof of

occupancy or ownership of the damaged property.

    In other cases, FEMA may not have your insurance information. By law,

FEMA cannot duplicate what your insurance covers so you need to provide

details as to what is covered by your policy.

    It¹s important that you file a claim with your insurance company as soon

as possible. Applicants have up to 12 months from the date they registered

with FEMA to submit insurance information for review and possible approval

of disaster assistance to cover uninsured losses.

    Finally, if you received an SBA loan application you must complete and

return it to be considered for FEMA grants that cover personal property,

vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses. No one is

obligated to accept a loan but FEMA cannot process your application without

a completed SBA loan application.



Be prepared for the next disaster



    As any scout can tell you, ³Be Prepared² is an excellent motto. With the

storms and flooding of early May still fresh in people¹s minds, now is a

good time for you and your family to prepare for the next disaster‹whatever

it may be.

    There are three important steps to personal preparedness:

    1. Get a kit.

    2. Make a plan.

    3. Be informed.

Your kit

    You and your family should be prepared to survive on your own for at

least three days after an emergency. This means having enough food, water,

and other supplies. Remember, basic services such as electricity, gas,

water, sewage treatment, and telephones may not be available for days, a

week or longer.

At a minimum, your kit should include:

    € Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days,

for drinking and sanitation.

    € Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food.

    € Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone

alert and extra batteries for both.

    € Flashlight and extra batteries.

    € First aid kit.

    € Whistle to signal for help.

    € Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air, plastic sheeting and duct

tape to create a shelter-in-place.

    € Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal

sanitation.

    € Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities.

    € Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food).

    € Local maps.

    € Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger.

    You should supplement your kit with materials specific to your family

needs. This could include prescription medications, food and supplies for

infants or pets, and games or toys for children. Chlorine bleach (when

diluted nine parts water to one part bleach) is good for disinfecting and

can treat water (16 drops per gallon of water).

Your Plan

    Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is

important to plan in advance. Decide how you will contact one another; how

you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations.

    € Identify an out-of town contact. It may be easier to make a

long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact

may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.

    € Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has a

cell phone, coins, or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. If

you have a cell phone, program that person(s) as ³ICE² (In Case of

Emergency) in your phone. If you are in an accident, emergency personnel

will often check your ICE listings in order to contact someone you know.

Make sure to tell your family and friends that you¹ve listed them as

emergency contacts.

    € Teach family members how to use text messaging (also known as SMS or

Short Message Service). Text messages often can get around network

disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.

    For step-by-step guidance on creating a printable Comprehensive Family

Emergency Plan go to: http://ready.adcouncil.org/beprepared/fep/index.jsp



Be Informed

    Making an emergency supply kit and developing a family communications

plan are the same for both a natural or man-made emergency. However, there

are important differences among potential emergencies that will impact the

decisions you make and the actions you take.

    Learn more about the potential emergencies where you live and the

appropriate way to respond to them. According to www.ready. gov, Kentucky is

prone to natural disasters such as Floods, Landslide and Debris Flow,

Thunder-storms, Tornadoes, and Winter Storms and Extreme Cold. For

Americans, preparedness also must account for man-made disasters including

bio-hazards, chemical spills or terrorist attacks.

    Subscribe to alert services where available. Many communities have

systems that will send instant text alerts or e-mails to let you know about

bad weather, road closings, local emergencies, etc. Sign up by visiting your

local Office of Emergency Management web site.

    Learn about the emergency plans that have been established in your area

by your state and local government. For more information, contact your local

emergency manager or Kentucky Division of Emergency Management, 100

Minute-man Parkway, Frankfort, Ky. 40601; Duty Officer: (502) 607-1638,

(800) 255-2587, www.kyem.ky.gov.

    Knowing what to do during an emergency is an important part of being

prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count.

    A wealth of information on disaster preparedness can be found at

www.ready.gov. Additional information about this disaster is available at

www.fema.gov and www.kyem.ky.gov/currentdisasters.



Weather summary for June

    June was hot and dry, according to the monthly weather summary from J.D.

Rogers, local observer for the National Weather Service.

    Locally, 2.47 inches of rainfall was recorded during the month.

Normally, Monticello receives 4.41 inches of precipitation in June.

    Temperatures last month averaged 77.5 degrees, well above the norm of

71.3 degrees. Rogers noted that this was the highest average temperature for

June since 1985. The previous high June temperature was 74.1 degrees,

according to Rogers.

    Normally, he noted that the thermometer reaches 90 degrees or higher on

three days during June. But this past month, 90 degrees or above was

recorded on 11 days.

    The minimum temperature was 57 degrees, recorded on June 7. The maximum

temperature was 93 degrees, which was recorded on June 15, 21, and 22.