PENSACOLA, Fla -- FEMA has approved grants totaling $6,296,948 to reimburse the Florida Department of Transportation and West Florida Electrical Cooperative Inc. for Hurricane Michael-related recovery expenses.
* Florida Department of Transportation: $3,783,133 for debris cleanup activities throughout Washington County from Nov. 2018 through July 2019, which includes collecting and removing 140,155 cubic yards of vegetative and construction/demolition debris, 94 stumps, 403 hazardous leaning trees and 635 hanging limbs from public roads, property and rights of way that posed a threat to public health and safety.
** Bringing total grants for the department's Hurricane Michael-related expenses to $304 million.
* West Florida Electric Cooperative Association Inc.: $2,513,834 for repairs to Sneads District Office - Altha Substation #8 and affiliated electrical grids, including repairs to electrical power poles, power distribution lines and transformers throughout the city.
Bringing total grants for the cooperative’s Hurricane Michael-related expenses to $52 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.
Source: Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency
