The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced last week that it has approved a grant of $13,715,504 for the state of Florida to reimburse Escambia County for costs associated with county-wide debris removal after Hurricane Sally.
Escambia County utilized contracted workers between Oct. 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021 to remove and dispose of 689,477 cubic yards of vegetative debris, 201,863 cubic yards of construction and demolition debris, 854 hazardous leaning trees, 8,283 hazardous hanging limbs and 1.85 tons of hazardous household waste debris from public rights of way. The debris posed a serious threat to public health and safety. Additional expenses included the monitoring and field supervisory oversight of collecting, removing and disposal of all debris.
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 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.
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