www.sulzergroup.com | 866.767.9869 | info@sulzergroup.com
Welcome to the fourth edition of The Sulzer Brief. Our goal with each issue is to keep our clients, partners, and colleagues informed, prepared, and up to date on the latest developments in disaster recovery, funding resources, and the services we provide nationwide.
At the Sulzer Group, we continue to stand alongside government agencies, healthcare systems, schools, and both secular and non-secular private non-profit organizations—including Catholic dioceses across the U.S.—helping them navigate recovery from hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other disasters.
As we prepare to attend the upcoming Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference (DFMC) in Philadelphia, we are especially proud to highlight the critical work we do with dioceses nationwide and look forward to reconnecting with so many of our friends and clients there.
This month’s edition offers practical tools, expert insight, and a closer look at how we continue to deliver trusted expertise in disaster recovery and grant management.
Breaking News
September is National Preparedness Month
The goal of National Preparedness Month is to increase the number of individuals, businesses, and communities that engage in preparedness actions.
National Preparedness Month | Ready.gov
FEMA’s Ready Campaign has observed National Preparedness Month since 2004 to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies. The month is a great time to take small steps to make a big difference in being prepared.
Business Preparedness with the Sulzer Group
Businesses and their employees face a wide variety of hazards that can disrupt operations and threaten long-term stability:
- Natural hazards like floods, hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and earthquakes.
- Health hazards such as widespread illnesses and pandemics.
- Human-caused hazards such as accidents, acts of violence, or cyber threats.
- Technology-related hazards like power outages and critical equipment failures.
At The Sulzer Group, we know that many of these disasters cannot be prevented — but preparation makes all the difference. Business leaders and employees can take proactive steps to reduce risks, protect assets, and ensure continuity of operations. That’s where our expertise comes in.
Customized Toolkits & Planning
We help organizations use resources like the Ready Business Toolkits as a foundation and then tailor them into practical, organization-specific plans. From earthquake, hurricane, and flood preparedness to power outage and severe wind scenarios, we guide leadership teams through a step-by-step process that results in actionable plans.
Comprehensive Business Continuity Plans
Our specialists go beyond templates. We work with companies to create full emergency management plans that include communications strategies, IT/data recovery protocols, insurance and regulatory compliance, and continuity of operations to keep critical functions running when disruptions occur.
Readiness Reviews & Planning Support
Whether you’re building a preparedness plan for the first time or reviewing an existing one, we help identify vulnerabilities, strengthen your response capacity, and align your organization with FEMA and Ready.gov best practices — while also tailoring strategies to your industry.
Recovery Resources
From incident management and hazard prevention to grant administration and insurance claim development, we provide businesses with the tools and expertise to not only recover but to rebuild stronger.
The Sulzer Group is here to help your organization prepare, respond, and recover — protecting your people, your assets, and your mission.
Weather Warning: America’s Most Hurricane-Prone Cities
- Hilton Head, SC
- New Bern, NC
- Summerville, SC
- Panama City, FL
- Wilmington, NC
See more at risk cities here: Weather Warning: America’s Most Hurricane-Prone Cities
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and each year tropical waves moving through the Atlantic can quickly strengthen into destructive storms. In just the past five years, 10 Category 4 and 5 hurricanes have struck the U.S., causing widespread damage to homes, infrastructure, agriculture, and livelihoods. According to FEMA, hurricane risk is highest along Florida’s coast and much of the South and East, where annual losses from natural disasters are expected. To identify America’s most hurricane-prone cities, 24/7 Tempo analyzed FEMA’s March 2023 National Risk Index, ranking cities with populations over 25,000 by their average hurricane risk score, with supplemental data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
End Of Year Temperatures Are Expected To Look A Lot Like La Niña Winter. Here’s What That Means.
The latest outlook from The Weather Channel and Atmospheric G2 shows a warm start, but becoming cooler even relative to average by December.
– La Niña is expected to peak during the last quarter of this year. Here’s the latest ENSO forecast.
– La Niña typically leads to warmer, drier weather across the southern tier during the winter
– Wetter, cooler weather is more likely from the Northwest to the Midwest in La Niña
– Other weather and climate phenomena like polar vortex intrusions and the Pacific Blob can enhance or negate this typical El Niño or La Niña pattern
La Niña cheat sheet:
The rest of autumn is expected to stay warmer than average in the Central U.S., as it has been during the last week and is expected to be through the end of September. Both computer models and analogs for ENSO suggest this warmth will reign for the Central and Western U.S. in both October and November.
By the beginning of winter in December, the area that is most likely to see cooler-than-average temperatures lines up nicely with the La Niña pattern map.
But there is disagreement in this forecast among the long-term models. Most suggest the relative warmth will recede southward, but how much warmth there will be and how far south are still in question.
If La Niña does become stronger, its influence is typically the strongest during the winter months. La Niña is known to bottle up cooler air in western Canada, which can occasionally spill over the border into the Northwest and Northern Plains.
Todd Crawford, Vice President of Meteorology at Atmospheric G2 and author of the outlook, expects a couple of cold events during the upcoming winter regardless.
See more here: https://weather.com/forecast/national/news/2025-09-17-october-november-december-temperature-outlook
Client Spotlight: Catholic Dioceses across the US
The Sulzer Group represents more private non-profit organizations—and specifically Catholic institutions—in disaster recovery than any other company in the country. We are dedicated to strengthening the Catholic Church’s infrastructure and community presence, ensuring that places of worship, education, community service remain resilient and prepared for the future.
Our work for Catholic institutions includes:
- FEMA & Third-Party Funding — securing millions in recovery dollars for dioceses nationwide.
- Project & Grant Management — guiding clients through every stage of recovery.
- Insurance Claim Development & Compliance — maximizing reimbursement opportunities.
- Hazard Mitigation & Construction Administration — rebuilding stronger, safer facilities.
Most recently, we have partnered with the Archdiocese of New York and New Orleans, and the Diocese of Brooklyn, NY, Charleston, SC, and Corpus Christi, Victoria, and Beaumont, TX to navigate complex FEMA claims and secure funding for multiple critical recovery projects.
“The Archdiocese of New Orleans sustained substantial damage to the majority of our structures as a result of wind and flooding associated with Hurricane Katrina. As you can imagine, controlling the many projects that were, and still are going on throughout our diocese, was an unmanageable task for our building office. The Sulzer Group was our sole source for assistance with grant management closeout and support during an audit conducted by the Office of Inspector General.
The Sulzer Group has been, and continues to be, an extremely valuable asset as we get closer to finishing our FEMA projects and begin to ramp up the closeout process. I am very comfortable saying that they are professional, knowledgeable and will work with a dogged persistence to make sure that their applicants receive every penny of assistance that they are due. The Sulzer Group is one of the big reasons that our recovery has been as successful as it has been.”
—Jeffrey J. Entwisle Chief Financial Officer, Archdiocese of New Orleans
In-Depth Client Spotlight: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn
After Hurricane Sandy, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn—186 parishes and more than 1,500 buildings—faced catastrophic damage. The Sulzer Group was engaged in 2013 to lead all aspects of disaster recovery, from FEMA Public Assistance requests and grant administration to procurement, design, and construction.
The Sulzer Group performed detailed damage assessments, developed over $40M in FEMA grant funding, and managed insurance reconciliations, audits, and project closeouts. Our innovative approach grouped buildings by damage level, expedited repairs, and streamlined vendor procurement—a process later praised by federal auditors. The Sulzer Group also guided the Diocese through recovery from Hurricane Ida, applying the same proven strategies to secure funding and rebuild and recover.
Today, the Diocese continues to benefit from over a decade of our grants management and project oversight, including participation in FEMA’s Section 428 program, which gives greater flexibility in using recovery funds. The Sulzer Group remains a trusted partner, ensuring funding is secured, properly managed, and defended under audit while keeping critical community facilities open and resilient.
Why the Sulzer Group?
We’re a full-service, women-owned disaster recovery firm with over $2B in managed recovery funds. Our clients include secular and non-secular private non-profit organizations, municipalities, schools, and healthcare systems across all 10 FEMA regions.
When disaster strikes, the Sulzer Group is your first step toward response and recovery. Our team specializes in preparedness planning- ensuring that when disaster strikes, you’re ready.
📄 Need help organizing your preparedness plan? Call us today at 866.767.9869 or visit www.sulzergroup.com
Careers at the Sulzer Group
We’re growing — and we’re hiring! If you’re a proactive, detail-oriented professional who thrives in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment, we want to hear from you. We’re always looking for talented and qualified people to join our team. Reach out to us anytime at: HR@sulzergroup.com
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