Powell, FEMA Announce Steps to Reduce Wait Time for Federal Disaster Recovery Fund
Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding Donald E. Powell and the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Deputy Director of Gulf Coast Recovery Gil Jamieson today announced a series of steps intended to significantly expedite the application process for federal disaster funding. The revamped process, which seeks to accelerate funding at all levels of the recovery, is expected to reduce the waiting time for federal disaster rebuilding funds to move to the state from an average of six months to as little as 15 days.
As part of this new process, Chairman Powell and Deputy Director Jamieson announced the obligation of $396 million to aid Louisiana in rebuilding its critical infrastructure in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Including these new funds, Louisiana has received more than $4 billion in FEMA funds for rebuilding infrastructure and reimbursement for debris removal and emergency services.
"The process of providing public assistance funding after a disaster is a partnership between the federal, state and local governments," said Deputy Director Jamieson. "By working closely with our partners and streamlining the process, FEMA is able to maximize the benefit from federal assistance dollars and better manage the challenges of rebuilding." (Read More)
Last Modified: Friday, 27-Oct-2006 00:16:36 EDT