Assistance for Severe Weather and Flooding that occurred in December 2023 and January 2024 Residents of Kent, Providence, and Washington counties, who were affected by severe storms and flooding that occurred between December 17-19, 2023, and between January 9-13, 2024, can apply for federal assistance. Homeowners and renters who received property loss or damages by either disaster in those counties have until May 20, 2024, to apply. When applying for assistance, you must describe which damage(s) happened on which date to ensure you’re applying under the correct disaster.FEMA Assistance - There are several ways for homeowners and renters to apply.1. Visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at one of the following locations: a. Cumberland Public Library, 1464 Diamond Hill Road, Cumberland, RI 02864 (Open: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays) b. CCRI, Lincoln Campus, (Room 1304), 1762 Louisquisset Pike, Lincoln, RI 02865 (Open: 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays.) c. Coventry Town Hall Annex, 1675 Flat River Road, Coventry, RI 02879 (Open: 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays.) 2. Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Help is available in most languages. 3. Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov (also in Spanish).4. Download the FEMA mobile app (also in Spanish) at Google Play or the Apple App Store. To view an accessible video on how to apply visit Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance - YouTube SBA Assistance - Ways to apply for low-interest disaster loans available to businesses and residents in Rhode Island 1. Visit the Business Recovery Center (BRC) at: North Providence Public Safety Complex 1835 Mineral Spring Avenue North Providence, RI 02904 - Hours of operation: 9 a.m.– 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Sundays. 2. Apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA.gov/disaster. 3. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 4. Email: disastercustomerservice@sba.gov To view an accessible video on how to apply for SBA visit Reasons to apply for a SBA Loan.
State of Rhode Island Awarded Federal Disaster Declaration External AffairsRhode Island Emergency Management AgencyPress Release State of Rhode Island Awarded Federal Disaster DeclarationFrom Severe Weather in January 2024Cranston, RI – On May 9, 2024, President Joseph Biden approved Rhode Island's request to include Public Assistance (PA) for the Major Disaster Declaration from the severe storms and flooding event from January 9, 2004 – January 13, 2024. The Declaration makes federal funding available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) PA Program. Eligible applicants from Kent, Newport, and Washington Counties can apply. Applicants must prepare and submit an official request for determination of eligibility from FEMA.Eligible municipalities, state agencies, tribal communities, and some private non-profit organizations in the listed counties can apply for reimbursement of costs incurred before, during, and after the severe weather event in January. These costs may include but are not limited to, storm preparedness, debris removal, overtime costs for personnel due to work associated with the weather event, repairs to weather-damaged buildings and infrastructure, and projects to reduce the impact of future damage from similar weather-related events."Whenever and wherever severe weather strikes, my Administration is prepared and ready to support affected residents and communities," said Governor McKee. "Thanks to President Biden and FEMA, these federal funds can help Rhode Islanders and businesses get their lives back on track and help our state move forward.""The FEMA PA Program enables municipalities, state agencies, and certain private non-profit organizations to request reimbursement for the expenses incurred in repairing damages caused by the severe weather event that took place between January 9, 2024, and January 13, 2024," said Marc Pappas, the Director of RIEMA. "The RIEMA Recovery Branch, with the support and assistance of local and state partners, worked diligently to gather and review damage assessments and submitted a request for federal assistance to FEMA. We are grateful and appreciative to have received approval."Additional information will be provided at local Applicant Briefing sessions. The sessions are currently being scheduled with local officials. For updates on Rhode Island’s recovery operations, follow the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency on Twitter (X) twitter.com/RhodeIslandEMA and Facebook facebook.com/RhodeIslandEMA or visit or visit www.riema.ri.gov.For questions, please contact RIEMA at (401) 946-9996.# # #Contact: Armand Randolph (401) 641-8269www.riema.ri.gov PR: 0524-01
State Emergency Response Teams Through a robust system of planning, training and exercise, the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA) has a variety of emergency response teams and emergency personnel who can rapidly identify, evaluate, and react to a wide spectrum of disasters and emergencies. Such events include those arising from man-made threats and incidents (i.e. terrorism, power failure, hazardous material incident), or naturally occurring disasters (i.e. hurricanes, floods, severe weather) Using the National Response Framework, RIEMA coordinates with Federal, State, and local emergency organizations in response to various types of domestic events with a mission of protecting public health and safety. Many of the members of these specialized teams are volunteers and/or 501 (c) (3) entities whose mission is to support the citizens of the State of Rhode Island and if the need arises, travel to support any State who may be in need of assistance via the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. Their dedication to craft has made great impacts during Hurricanes Katrina, Irene, and Sandy, the Rhode Island Floods of 2010, and other incidents associated with major events such as chemical spills, white powder incidents, and medical assistance. Rhode Island Heavy Rescue Task Force The Rhode Island Heavy Rescue Task Force is organized into the East Bay (Middletown, Newport, and Portsmouth Fire Departments) and West Bay (Warwick Fire Department) Heavy Rescue Squad. When the two squads come together they form the Rhode Island Heavy Rescue Task Force that is a Type-4 Urban Search and Rescue asset. Hazardous Materials & Mass Decontamination Team Rhode Island's Hazardous Materials and Mass Decontamination Team is made up of 6 Hazardous Material Teams (Cranston, East Providence, Hope Valley, Providence, Warwick, and Woonsocket), and 4 Decontamination Teams (Hopkins Hill, Kingston, North Kingstown, and North Providence). The teams are used to assess and manage the consequences of a hazardous materials/WMD release, either accidental or as part of a terrorist attack. These can include, but are not limited to: white powder incidents, fuel spills, industrial chemical spills, carbon monoxide leaks, gas leaks, and unknown odors. Rhode Island Critical Stress Management Team The Critical Incident Stress Management Team (CISM) is designed to be a comprehensive, multi-component, multi-discipline stress management program. The CISM Team provides stress and crisis management to any fire, police, or ambulance department personnel responding to a critical incident, multi-casualty event, or disaster. Rhode Island Disaster Medical Assistance Team The Rhode Island Disaster Medical Assistance Team recruits and trains medical health professionals to respond to public health emergencies in the State of Rhode Island. The team was originally established in 1990 and is currently comprised of over 800 volunteers. Rhode Island Medical Reserve Corps The Rhode Island Medical Reserve Corps (RI MRC) has over 1,200 registered health volunteers who are called upon to assist in public health and emergency situations throughout Rhode Island. The RI MRC works in hand with the RI DMAT, RI Department of Health, RIEMA, and local emergency management agencies to provide hospital-level care to the citizens of Rhode Island at mass gathering events, public health exercises, and public health emergencies. Wilderness Search & Rescue The purpose of the formation of the Wilderness Search and Rescue Team is to formalize search and rescue capabilities within the State of Rhode Island and enhance efforts with the utilization of civilian volunteers. While the operations of all missing person searches shall remain a law enforcement function, there is a need to integrate the services of both trained and untrained civilian volunteers into a large-scale search effort. Weapons of Mass Destruction Tactical Team Rhode Island's Weapon of Mass Destruction Tactical Team is made up of members from the Rhode Island State Police. The team is used to contain, control, and de-escalate hostile situations where the use of weapons of mass destruction has been, or threatened to be, introduced. Flammable Liquids Task Force The Flammable Liquids Task Force (East Providence, Johnston, Providence, Warwick, Valley Falls, and Woonsocket Fire Departments) protects life, property, and critical infrastructure by using its assets to contain, contrlol, and extinguish fires, or releases and spills involving flammable or combustibale liquids or gasses. The Task Force uses five Williams Foam Trailers with 660 gallons of Aqueous Film Forming Foam-Alcohol Resistant (AFFF-AR) Thunderstorm Foam Concentrate in 330 gallon totes to extinguish liquid and gaseous fires. Port of Providence Marine Strike Team The Port of Providence Marine Strike Team (Providence, East Providence, Cranston, and Warwick) is a waterside asset to mitigate chemical, incendiary, environmental and life safety incidnets that occur in the port of Providence or contiguous waters. Each team has one boat, with the capability to conduct night time Search and Rescue, fire suppression, hazmat detection, CBRNE environment and WMD detection, and can support EMS and dive operations.