The information that follows was sent out by the Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF), a branch of FEMA, on October 3rd. Contact information for the HENTF is located at the bottom of this page.
The impacts from Hurricane Helene beginning September 23rd caused severe flooding and damage in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Cultural institutions and arts organizations have no doubt been affected, as have artists and the general public. Major Disaster Declarations have been approved in your state.
a. Public Assistance is currently only available for Category A (debris removal) and Category B (emergency protective measures, including direct technical assistance) in the following Georgia counties:
Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Bulloch, Burke, Candler, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Echols, Emanuel, Evans, Glascock, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Lowndes, McDuffie, Montgomery, Pierce, Richmond, Screven, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware, Washington, and Wheeler.
Learn more about Public Assistance: Categories A and B. We will keep you informed of additional categories and parishes as they get added.
EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE MEASURES may include, but are not limited to:
- Temporary emergency repair (blue roofs and other work) or stabilization of an eligible facility if it eliminates or lessens an immediate threat
- Wet vacuuming, damp wiping, or vacuuming with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) equipment of the interior space
- Removal of contaminated gypsum board, plaster (or similar wall finishes), carpet or floor finishes, and ceilings or permanent light fixtures
- Cleaning of contaminated heating and ventilation (including ductwork), plumbing, and air conditioning systems or other mechanical equipment
- Removal or relocation of collections to prevent damage or loss
The Public Assistance Program Delivery Process. For more information, go to Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide Version 4 (fema.gov).
b. Individual Assistance is available to individuals and households in the following Georgia counties:
Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Bulloch, Burke, Candler, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Echols, Emanuel, Evans, Glascock, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Lowndes, McDuffie, Montgomery, Pierce, Richmond, Screven, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware, Washington, and Wheeler.
For disasters declared on or after March 22nd, 2024, FEMA’s Individual Assistance program was expanded to include quicker access to needed funds including simplifying assistance for self-employed individuals such as self-employed artists and entrepreneurs. Learn more about this update in the Press Release.
- Information on Georgia can be found here: 4830 | FEMA.gov
Please continue to reach out to your members and constituents to help gather reports of damage, identify any unmet needs, and share the following resources:
1. Were any cultural institutions or arts organizations affected? If so, how? Please encourage those impacted to fill out one of the following Rapid Damage Assessment Forms:
2. Cultural institutions, arts organizations, and artists and performing groups can call the National Heritage Responders hotline: 202.661.8068. The National Heritage Responders, a team of trained conservators and collections care professionals administered by the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation, are available 24/7 to provide advice and guidance.
3. Members of the public and individual artists who have questions about saving family heirlooms and personal collections can email the National Heritage Responders at NHRpublichelpline@culturalheritage.org.
4. HENTF’s Save Your Family Treasures guidance is available at https://www.fema.gov/assistance/save-family-treasures. Here you can find the downloadable FEMA fact sheets “After the Flood: Advice for Salvaging Damaged Family Treasures” and “Salvaging Water-Damaged Family Valuables and Heirlooms,” available in multiple languages.
Contact information:
Sarah Caruso
Disaster Operations Specialist | Heritage Emergency National Task Force
Office of Environmental Planning & Historic Preservation
Resilience
Mobile: (202) 718-2011
Sarah.caruso@fema.dhs.gov
https://culturalrescue.si.edu/who-we-are/hentf
Federal Emergency Management Agency
fema.gov
