The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced this week that it has approved two additional grants totaling $42,865,280 to reimburse recovery expenses in Florida for Hurricane Michael in 2018.
Funding from FEMA’s Public Assistance program will provide the following reimbursements:
· Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative, Inc.: $37,007,309 for a system wide distribution line restoration, including replacement of electrical power poles, power distribution lines and transformers from the Highway 22 Wewahitchka Substation in Gulf County. This brings FEMAs total grants to the electric co-op to $78.1 million.
· Florida Department of Transportation: $5,857,971 for management costs of tracking, charging and accounting for statewide emergency protective measures and debris removal work in Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Wakulla, Walton and Washington counties. This brings FEMAs total grants to FDOT to $313.8 million.
FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency. The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) works with FEMA during all phases of the program and reviews projects prior to FEMA final approval.
Applicants work directly with FEMA to develop projects and scopes of work. FEMA obligates funding for projects to FDEM after final approval.
Once a project is obligated, FDEM works closely with applicants to finalize grants and begin making payments. FDEM has procedures in place designed to ensure grant funding is provided to local communities as quickly as possible.
FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides grants to state, tribal and local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations, including houses of worship, so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.
Author
