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Hurricane Ike Information and Resources

FCO Brad Harris: FEMA Coordinates with Applicants on Public Assistance Projects (June 29, 2009)

When the storm surge from Hurricane Ike hit Galveston last fall, saltwater not only inundated homes, businesses and public buildings, it also seeped into the soil. As a result of the heavy infusion of salt, tens of thousands of Galveston's beloved live oak, sycamore and other trees are now dead or dying. It is a real shame, and a terrible loss to Galvestonians, that many of the city's once-verdant trees are now bare of leaves, despite great efforts to save them through heavy watering.
   
Because the threat of falling trees and limbs may pose a public health risk, FEMA is coordinating with the city and county of Galveston, local arborists and other governmental agencies on projects to provide federal funds for tree removal. Graphic: Galveston Trees

Meanwhile, FEMA Public Assistance (PA) specialists are working side by side with Texas' General Land Office (GLO) on a multimillion-dollar state project to rebuild and upgrade 6.1 miles of improved Galveston beaches that eroded significantly during the hurricane. This project, stretching from the west end of Seawall Boulevard to Galveston Island State Park, is expected to be the largest beach nourishment project ever constructed in Texas, requiring the placement of more than two million cubic yards of sand.


Other FEMA teams are working on requests from Galveston's University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) for further federal assistance for repairs to Ike-damaged infrastructure and equipment, and for measures to mitigate future flood damage, such as elevating air conditioning systems and emergency power generation equipment. UTMB has been awarded more than $105 million in federal grants to date, and we expect the total to rise sharply as we continue working with the university to identify eligible projects.

Galveston's trees, beach nourishment and the work at the sprawling UTMB campus are multifaceted, costly projects. FEMA's role is to see that every dollar these applicants are eligible to receive gets awarded as quickly as possible. At the same time, as stewards of taxpayer money, we must ensure that federal dollars are not misspent. We also are obligated under several federal and state laws to ensure our actions do not adversely impact the environment or harm historical landmarks. Furthermore, we are tasked with determining whether to provide federal funds for measures to mitigate future damage to affected infrastructure.

What I mean is, by authorizing hazard mitigation grants for UTMB, for example, we would be providing funds now to help elevate critical systems so taxpayers are not burdened with having to pay again for repairs following the next flood, and the next. In the beach nourishment project, hazard mitigation funds could go to elevate and grade the beaches to prevent flooding of homes and infrastructure during storms.
 
Graphic: Tree It is our duty, however, to ensure funds are used only for their intended purpose -- that is to help eligible applicants recover from Hurricane Ike and mitigate damage from the next potential disaster. That can be a painstaking process on these large projects because our specialists must determine whether the items
on an applicant's list of damages meet federal criteria for replacement, repair and/or mitigation funding. That means we assign project specialists to coordinate with the applicant and other stakeholders to inspect the damaged facility and the listed items, and document the eligible expenses.

Our PA specialists also are often called upon to brainstorm with applicants on how their repair or mitigation projects might best be achieved. Through regular face-to-face discussions, FEMA is helping UTMB, Galveston, the GLO and other applicants avoid some of the pitfalls that may be encountered by those unfamiliar with FEMA regulations for hazard mitigation and other projects. We find that our involvement early on in any project is a definite advantage to both the applicant and FEMA when it comes time to preparing and presenting the final documentation to us for funding approval.

For example, FEMA was invited in early February to attend a daylong conference involving more than 100 people from various UTMB departments as well as engineering and architectural firms to discuss hazard mitigation. Then, from mid-March through early June our specialists met weekly with UTMB to continue brainstorming and to discuss various proposals. The close cooperation continues to the present.

In the case of Galveston's trees, our specialists are walking the city's neighborhoods and public streets with foresters from the Texas Forest Service, the city's chosen experts on the tree-health issue, as the foresters inspect the trees. Ultimately, it is FEMA's job to determine which trees meet the criteria to be removed with federal funds.

Although the final tally isn't in yet, experts are estimating that about 10,000 trees present an immediate threat to public health and safety and are along the public rights of way or are in close proximity to traffic flows. Many thousands more trees on private property could also pose a public safety threat, and thus their removal could be eligible for federal funds.
 
Graphic: Tree We have followed a similar pattern on Bolivar and other areas of Galveston County, working closely with county authorities to identify dead and dying trees and coordinating with contractors to eliminate the threat. The county's tree-removal project is expected to be complete in just a few weeks.

As on Bolivar, FEMA will not decide which of the trees eligible for removal funding must be taken down in the city of Galveston, nor will we perform the removal work. That is a local decision and we respect the city's right to decide whether to give certain trees a chance to beat the odds and bloom again.
 
Graphic: Tree Debris Cleanup Unlike FEMA's Individual Assistance program, which was designed to help individuals and families get back on their feet after a presidentially declared disaster, the Public Assistance program awards grants to assist state and local governments, tribal governments and certain private nonprofit entities.

The PA program also encourages protection from future damage by providing the hazard mitigation grants I already mentioned. FEMA is responsible for managing the program, approving grants and providing technical assistance to the state and other applicants.

In the cases I have discussed, the applicants are the city of Galveston, county of Galveston, UTMB and the GLO. FEMA is working closely with each of these applicants or their representatives to finalize what we call "Project Worksheets," the formal, documented request for funds. Large undertakings such as these often require many project worksheets. For instance, the funds awarded to UTMB to date stem from 91 Project Worksheets, and many more are working their way through the system.

Since Hurricane Ike struck Texas' upper Gulf Coast last September, FEMA has obligated more than $1 billion in Public Assistance grants involving more than 9,000 Project Worksheets. Our work is not finished. For example, our PA teams also are working with local governments on major beach nourishment projects on hard-hit Bolivar Peninsula and other areas of Galveston County as well as in Jefferson and Brazoria counties -- and there are many more large projects in the works elsewhere in the Ike-affected area. In each case, cooperation and communication with the applicant and our state and local partners is vital to completing the Project Worksheets and getting federal funds assigned for eligible work.

FEMA is committed to working with coastal and inland communities affected by the storm to help them bring their recovery plans to fruition.

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Last Modified: Monday, 29-Jun-2009 16:59:09 EDT

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