Friday, November 04, 2011

FEMA official: Progress on the ground in Joplin is remarkable

(From FEMA)

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate traveled to Joplin, Missouri today to meet with local officials and get an update on how the community is continuing to recover from the tornado that struck the town last May.

On behalf of President Obama, Fugate was on the ground in Joplin immediately after the tornado struck and spent days meeting with state and local officials on the ground, assessing the devastation, and determining how the federal family could best support the local response and recovery needs.

"The progress that we see being made here on the ground is remarkable, and a testament to the leadership and spirit of the people of Joplin," said Fugate. "It's proof of how effective a recovery can be when the entire team works together: federal, state, and local officials, the private sector, faith-based and volunteer groups and most importantly -- the public. Despite these enormous strides, there is still a lot of work to be done and we will continue to do whatever we can to support the community and its recovery, every step of the way."

During his visit, Fugate met with Joplin's City Manager, Mark Rohr, and toured some of the local recovery projects underway, including temporary facilities that have been set up for the town's fire station, Joplin High School, the hospital, and a site of temporary mobile homes that are housing survivors.

At the direction of the President and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, FEMA has been working closely with its state and local partners, the private sector, faith-based and voluntary organizations, local schools and the people of Joplin throughout this recovery. FEMA has since had a joint field office and staff on the ground and is committed to staying in the community, for as long as it takes, to support their full recovery.

For more information on how FEMA and the rest of the team have been working together to support Joplin's recovery, visit: www.fema.gov/blog.

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