Submitted to HUD on June 10, 2013......

...Based on damage assessments conducted by the Federal government and the declaration that Somerset County was eligible for Individual Assistance, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) was allocated $8,640,000 to undertake recovery efforts in the County under the first tranche of funding.

In order to receive this funding, the State is required to submit an Action Plan which is an Amendment to the State’s Consoldiated Plan. The Consolidated Plan is a five-year planning document required by HUD that sets out overall State wide goals and priorities for housing, community development, and economic development activities. Special emphasis is given under the Plan to provide assistance for extremely low, low, and moderate income persons. A substantial amendment is made to the Consolidated Plan when certain conditions are met, including the award of disaster relief funding.

Based on consultation with local government officials in Somerset County, the highly impacted municipality of Crisfield and other local stakeholders, the State has decided to do, as HUD allows, a Partial Action Plan, which will allocate $4.4 million of the $8.6 million at this time......

June 26, 2013 6:40 PM

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ)—It’s coming and Maryland better get ready. That’s the thrust of a scientific report on sea level rise commissioned by Governor Martin O’Malley.

Alex DeMetrick reports what began in the 20th century is speeding up in the 21st.

When Hurricane Sandy hit last October, storm surge produced destructive flooding, especially in Crisfield.

“My building took a big beating. It’s the worst I’ve seen,” said one Crisfield man.

“Clearly, Crisfield took it the hardest in terms of sea level rise and the tidal surge,” said Governor Martin O’Malley.

And a sea level study is what Governor O’Malley commissioned after Sandy. The finding: more rising water along Maryland’s 3,000 miles of coastline....

FULL ARTICLE WITH VIDEO CLIP HERE

— Jun. 24 2:20 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — A silver lining frames the cloud of destruction left by Superstorm Sandy. In their hour of greatest need, families and communities — not the government — were the most helpful sources of assistance and support....

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Following Hurricane Ike, many towns in Southeastern Texas were destroyed or significantly damaged, in ways similar to Sandy-impacted areas in Somerset County. Inhabitants that had been in these beach communities for generations no longer could afford to rebuild under the economic burdens of new federal and state guidelines. The homes that were rebuilt cost hundreds of thousands of dollars more than the homes that were there before.

Five years later, towns are beginning to re-emerge in Southeastern Texas, but with different demographics and new cultures. The attached story and video hint at what is emerging in Southeastern Texas, but say nothing about who was displaced, where they are, and how they are doing today.

wjla.com - October 30, 2012

Charlie Neibergall/AP - Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley plans to ask state utility regulators to allow the electric companies to collect money in advance to pay for maintenance upgrades. In exchange, utilities would have to be more reliable.

The Washington Post - by Aaron C. Davis - October 2, 2012

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) on Wednesday will ask the state’s utility regulators to adopt a controversial plan to allow electric companies to charge ratepayers in advance of serious maintenance upgrades.

In exchange, the utilities would have to meet a stricter standard of reliability.

The plan, O’Malley said, will add a “dollar or two” to most Marylanders’ monthly electric bills so that Pepco and other companies could complete several years of planned tree trimming, line burial and other improvements in a shorter span of about 24 months.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

The All Hazards Consortium, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security & Preparedness, MITRE Corporation, and the DHS Science and Technology Office of First Responder Programs present:

REGIONAL "SITUATIONAL AWARENESS" WORKSHOP 

August 16, 2012 

McLean, Virginia

8:00 AM to 2:00 PM

newsroom.dc.gov - July 3, 2012

Power Outages Impact Millions Across the Nation (This news video is preceded by a brief commercial.)

submitted by Albert Gomez

waste-management-world.com - June 29, 2012

A forum on Capitol Hill, hosted by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) has heard that the energy potential of municipal solid waste is significant and critical to America's long-term energy future.

At the forum - Unlocking the Vast Potential of Energy Recovery - Cal Dooley, ACC president and CEO was joined by Senator Ron Wyden and Congressman Bill Cassidy, M.D. and a panel of business leaders and experts.

The expanded use of energy recovery as an abundant and alternative energy source was the topic of debate as policymakers outlined legislative strategies for boosting private sector investments, and industry leaders highlighted the latest emerging trends and technologies for recovering energy from waste.

Mid-Atlantic & Northeast Regions - April 2012

The All Hazards Consortium would like to provide you with another a brief update on some of its integrated planning initiative programs, projects and activities within the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Regions.   

March was a very active month for everyone. We did not issue a March update but have combined the March & April updates into this issue.  

Private sector owner/operators should take particular notice to the new FEMA training in Item #2 below on public/private partnerships. The AHC also encourages the vendor community to participate in this training and share this newsletter/link with their commercial customers/clients to help support the efforts of educating all industry stakeholders large and small to the importance and value proposition of public/private partnerships.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)