FEMA Specialist Offer Safe-Rebuilding Advice

Lumberton, Jacksonville, Fuquay and Wake Forest displays open Thursday, May 26

RALEIGH, N.C. – May 24, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Safe-rebuilding specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be in Lumberton, Jacksonville, Fuquay and Wake Forest beginning Thursday, May 26, to provide free rebuilding information and answer questions about how to strengthen property against future storm damage.

Advisors have suggestions and publications to help homeowners, renters and businesses protect people and property against damaging winds, floods and fires.

“This is National Hurricane Preparedness Week and a great opportunity to get FEMA’s expert advice on all hazards before June 1 when hurricane season starts,” said Michael Bolch, federal coordinating officer for the North Carolina tornado disaster recovery.

FEMA Mitigation experts will be at the following locations:

Advisors will be available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 26, through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 29. They will not be available on Monday, May 30, which is the Memorial Day holiday, but will be back on Tuesday, May 31, when hours will be 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.Experts have counseled 11,000 residents since tornadoes struck North Carolina on April 16.

Mitigation techniques reduce mold and mildew; protect electrical systems, furnaces and other appliances; reinforce structures against high wind, flood and fire; and secure personal property.

Free reference booklets are available both in English and Spanish. No registration for disaster assistance is required and there is no limit on the number of times someone can visit a specialist or on the number of publications they can have. Information on flood insurance is also available.

Information about strengthening property can be downloaded at http://www.fema.gov/rebuild/

For more information about this disaster, go to www.nccrimecontrol.org and click on the red “April Tornadoes” tab. More information is also available at www.fema.gov.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.