Funds will be used to address widespread flood damage in 26 states and Puerto Rico
WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced $232.5 million in Emergency Relief (ER) funds from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to help 26 states and Puerto Rico repair roads and bridges damaged by storms, floods and other unexpected events.
“We are committed to getting transportation facilities restored as quickly as possible following natural disasters and other emergencies,” said Secretary Foxx. “These funds will certainly repair roads and bridges, but most importantly, they are helping people who rely on them every day to arrive at their jobs and pick up their children at school.”
FHWA’s ER program reimburses states for eligible expenses associated with damage from natural disasters or other emergency situations based on their requests. The funds help to pay for the reconstruction or replacement of damaged highways and bridges along with the arrangement of detours and replacement of guardrails or other damaged safety devices.
According to Beyond Traffic, a report issued by the Department in February, the Federal Highway Administration estimates that approximately $77 billion in annual investment is needed to meet the needs of our federal-aid highway system. In addition, there are 60,000 miles of coastal roads in America that are exposed to flooding from heavy rain and storm surges. Low-lying road infrastructure is particularly vulnerable to storm surges and bridges— because they often cross or are near bodies of water— are vulnerable to storm surges.
“We want states to know that they can go ahead and expedite repairs where they are needed most following a disaster and that they will be repaid,” said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau. "It is our top priority to help states and their communities that have been hurt by storms like these -- so their residents can get back to traveling freely and safely again.”
At $55 million, Colorado topped the list among states reimbursed through the ER program –for a single flood event that caused widespread damage throughout the state, most of which is in the Boulder area.
Arizona also received $36 million for a slope failure on US 89 in Coconino County and Ohio $34 million for rock fall damages on SR 7 in Jefferson County. Both Alabama, in Baldwin and Mobile Counties, and Tennessee, south of Nashville, are repaid for repairs on two bridges on I-65 damaged by truck fires.
Delaware received funding to fix damaged piers on the I-495 bridge spanning the Christina River near the Port of Wilmington. Twenty other states received funding for extensive flooding, rainfall and other eligible events as well.
Emergency Relief Program Allocation
State
Event Title
Allocation
Alabama
Feb. 9, 2012 I-20 Sinkhole
$320,000
Alabama
Feb. 1-26, 2013 Severe Flooding
$1,200,000
Alabama
Apr. 28, 2014 Storms and Flooding
$1,500,000
Alabama
May 22, 2014 Truck Crash and Fire on I-65 Bridge
$4,607,000
Alabama
July 31, 2014 Truck Crash/Fire on I-10 EB Bridge at Exit 30
$850,000
Arizona
Jan. 2010 Winter Storm
$1,000,000
Arizona
Feb. 20, 2013 US 89 Slope Failure
$36,000,000
Arizona
Sept. 2014 Rainfall and Flooding
$12,500,000
California
Feb. 2014 Storms
$2,765,597
California
Aug. 24, 2014 Napa Valley Earthquake
$4,800,000
Colorado
Sept. 11, 2013 Flooding
$55,000,000
Colorado
Aug. 9, 2013 US 24 Flood Damage
$576,159
Colorado
Jan. 2014 US 550 Rockfall
$850,000
Delaware
June 2014 I-495 Bridge Pier Damage
$4,000,000
Florida
Aug. 25, 2012 Tropical Storm Isaac
$900,000
Florida
April 29-30, 2014 Spring Flooding
$13,400,000
Idaho
July 31-Aug. 7, 2014 Heavy Rainfall and Flooding
$320,000
Indiana
April 2011 Severe Storms and Flooding
$369,603
Kentucky
June 2011 Storms and Flooding
$212,611
Kentucky
March 2012 Tornadoes and Storms
$53,342
Kentucky
April 2013 Storms and Flooding
$100,437
Michigan
Sept. 26, 2014 Pedestrian Bridge Collapse
$200,000
Montana
March 2014 Severe Flooding
$1,639,860
Nebraska
May 2011 Platte and Missouri River Flooding
$2,015,609
Nevada
Sept. 2014 Rainfall and Flooding
$9,144,000
New Mexico
Sept. 9, 2013 Flooding
$3,000,000
New Mexico
Sept. 18, 2014 Severe Storms and Flooding
$530,500
New York
May 2014 Flooding
$1,000,000
North Dakota
May 19, 2014 Southern Mouse River Basin Flooding
$3,954,540
North Dakota
May 19, 2014 West James River Basin Flooding
$1,736,539
North Dakota
May 19, 2014 Divide County Basin 1 Flooding
$4,923,337
North Dakota
May 19, 2014 Divide County Basin 2 Flooding
$1,283,498
Ohio
Mid‐March 2011 Heavy Rain fall
$1,500,000
Ohio
Jan. 2012 ER Event in Jefferson County
$34,375,000
Oklahoma
May 24 - June 10, 2007 Flooding Event
$1,044,000
Oregon
Feb. 6, 2014 I-84 Rockslide
$750,000
Puerto Rico
May 10, 2014 Rio Grande Rainfall
$1,000,000
South Carolina
Aug. 6, 2013 Jones Mill Rd Bridge Failure
$483,412
South Dakota
June 2014 Heavy Rainfall and Flooding
$4,608,812
Tennessee
April 28-30, 2014 Storms, Landslide, and Rockslide
$825,600
Tennessee
Aug. 15, 2014 Tanker Truck Crash and Fire on I-65
$2,060,497
Utah
Sept. 2014 Rainfall and Flooding - Utah detours
$200,000
Vermont
April 23 - May 30, 2011 Severe Storms and Flooding
$166,000
Vermont
Aug. 27, 2011 Tropical Storm Irene
$4,440,000
Washington
Sept. 2013 Rain US 12 Slide
$230,027
Washington
March 2014 Abnormal Rainfall
$5,093,898
Washington
Aug. 21, 2014 Heavy Rainfall and Flooding
$3,527,285
Wisconsin
June 2012 NW Wisconsin Flooding Event
$1,200,000
Wisconsin
Sept. 25, 2013 I-43 Leo Frigo Bridge Pier Failure
$200,000
Total
$232,457,163 FHWA 06-15
