FACT SHEET: The White House Homeland Security Partnership Council

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On Sunday, Vice President Biden traveled to the New Jersey Shore and the City of Hoboken to personally survey the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy and meet with first responders on post-storm response and recovery efforts. The trip began with a helicopter flight along the shoreline of Monmouth and Ocean Counties to provide the Vice President an overhead view of the destruction Sandy brought to the North Barrier Islands.  He was joined by Senator Bob Menendez, Congressman Jon Runyan, and New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno.

Once he landed, the Vice President received briefings at the Seaside Heights City Hall and Volunteer Fire Department by Seaside Park Mayor Robert Matthies, Seaside Heights Mayor William Akers of Ocean County Freeholder John Bartlett, Jr, Seaside Heights Fire Chief James Samarelli and Police Chief Thomas Boyd. Vice President Biden had the opportunity to meet and thank local first responders, many of whom had also lost their own homes during the storm. 

While the Vice President found the briefings to be very informative, putting boots in the sand was key to getting a full appreciation of the conditions on the island. As Vice President Biden surveyed the beach at Seaside Park, he was able to see first-hand how an “engineered” beach can diffuse the impact of storm surge waves, better protecting homes and businesses close to the shore. Representatives from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) discussed the range of federal programs available to address damage to public beaches. 

On Thursday, the President travelled to New York to assess the storm damage of Hurricane Sandy, and meet with local residents, first responders, and elected officials coping with the recovery process. He promised the communities affected by the storm full support from the federal government every step of the way as they begin to rebuild.

Alongside New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Administration officials, the President surveyed some of the most devastated areas of New York from Marine One, including Breezy Point, a Queens neighborhood where more than 100 houses burned to the ground. Following his aerial tour, the President spoke with Staten Island residents, first responders, and volunteers about the recovery process that lies ahead. 

White House photographers were on hand to document the trip. Check out the photo gallery below:

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Learn more:

• Watch the President’s full remarks here
• Read about the President’s tour of the storm damage in New Jersey
• Find out how you can help survivors of Hurricane Sandy

Editor's Note: This post was originally published on FEMA.gov.

With so many New Yorkers facing the overwhelming and exhausting task of cleaning up after Hurricane Sandy, a group of former veterans known as Team Rubicon have become very popular. And rightly so.

“We were exhausted after the first few days,” said Rockaway homeowner Barbara Millet, “but they just showed up. My mother-in-law calls them angels.”

Founded by two former Marines following the Haitian earthquake in 2010, members of Team Rubicon use skills acquired in the military to assist people affected by disasters.  In the past 10 days, the team has deployed hundreds of volunteers to the Northeast to help Sandy survivors clean houses, remove trees, repair roofs and manage debris as they begin their road to recovery.

FEMA partners with numerous voluntary agencies to provide a wide range of crucial assistance to survivors who may have needs beyond what the state or federal assistance can provide. And this Veterans Day the agency would like to salute Team Rubicon, FEMA’s nearly 3,000 veteran employees, the thousands of veterans in the other federal agencies supporting the response and the more than 12,000 active duty, reserve and National Guard personnel who have been a part of Sandy response operations.

In honor of Veterans Day, Team Rubicon has been joined by volunteers from other veteran groups who have come together for a day of service. Some 1,000 veterans traveled to New York to support survivors as they recover from Sandy.  Representatives from Give an Hour, the 6th Branch, The Mission Continues, the Pat Tillman Foundation, the Headstrong Project, Got Your 6, Student Veterans of America, and Team Red, White, & Blue will be participating.

“A lot of times, people will see us out in the community and they will ask us how they can volunteer” says Andrew Stevens, Team Rubicon’s National Director of Field Operations. “Because of our organizational skills and experience in disaster relief, we’re able to put them to work right away.”

FEMA’s Voluntary Agency Liaison (VAL) works with state and local governments to establish volunteer reception centers. Unaffiliated volunteers who come to the centers are directed to one of the many voluntary organizations active in disaster relief efforts.  Other groups currently working with Sandy survivors in New York include the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Southern Baptists, Adventist Community Services and other national and local voluntary organizations.

In addition to these organizations, individuals interested in volunteering time or donating money to help New Yorkers recover from Sandy can contact New York Cares at 212-228-5000 or NYC Service.

• Watch a video about Team Rubicon's disaster response and recovery efforts.

Michael Byrne is a FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer. 

Editor’s note: This post was originally published on the Fast Lane, the official blog of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Despite the arrival of another storm last night, hurricane recovery efforts continue throughout the Northeast.  For DOT, this means working with state and local officials to help commuters get where they need to go and ensure families have access to housing and other resources they need.

For example, our Federal Highway Administration is working with our Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHTO) to speed up permitting for carriers moving temporary mobile housing units from Maryland and Alabama to New Jersey.

Under normal circumstances, carriers have to work with states to get permits from each state they travel through. In this instance, FHWA is coordinating with AASHTO to cut through some of the red tape and get all necessary permits at the same time. In addition, FHWA is also working with states to allow nighttime moves, which aren’t normally allowed.

This partnership will help people move into badly needed temporary housing even faster.

Working with the Department of Homeland Security, our Maritime Administration has provided FEMA with several nearby ships to provide lodging, food, and power for emergency response teams who have traveled to New York.