Federal And State Agencies Aim To Rebuild Public Facilities Smarter
Release Date: August 11, 2009
Release Number: 1603-866
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ALEXANDRIA, La. -- Future storm damages are less likely to occur when the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) join forces and provide extra funding to mitigate public facilities so that they are better prepared to face and withstand impending hurricanes.
Like Katrina, Hurricane Rita devastated many Louisiana communities, causing massive wind and flood damages to public facilities throughout the state. One of FEMA's goals is to not only help restore public facilities, but also to provide the necessary funding so that they are able to return stronger than before.
"In most cases, public assistance grants are used to repair or rebuild damaged facilities back to their pre-disaster conditions," said FEMA's Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office Acting Director Tony Russell. "However, a major FEMA objective is to mitigate, where it is cost effective, when restoring damaged infrastructure so that facilities are better able to prevent future damages. FEMA mitigation funding supports this proactive initiative to build back smarter than before."
For example, in the city of Alexandria in Rapides Parish the roof over the bleachers in Cheetham Ball Park was significantly damaged by Rita's category three winds. While FEMA's public assistance program has provided $60,535 in funding to repair the damaged roof, nearly 30 percent of this overall funding, $16,709, was provided as mitigation funding to rebuild it using stronger materials.
"Louisiana will always be faced with the threat of hurricanes and other storms, so it is imperative that we encourage our citizens across the state to rebuild safer, smarter and stronger, which the City of Alexandria did in this instance," said Paul Rainwater, executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority.
Part of the roof's mitigation measures includes replacing all the wooded roof joints with metal purlins, which will better support the roof rafters when they are exposed to high winds. In addition, metal purlins are also more able to withstand water than wooden roof joints.
When FEMA approves projects through its supplemental Public Assistance grant, the funds are transferred to a federal Smartlink account. Once the funds have reached this account, the applicant can request reimbursement from the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) for eligible work completed. Obligated funds may change over time as the project worksheet is a living grant that is often adjusted as bids come in and scope of work is aligned.
The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations' buildings, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion.
In general, FEMA's Section 406 Mitigation funding can only be applied to the damaged elements of a facility rather than to other, undamaged parts. These measures are considered by FEMA to be part of the total eligible cost of a repair or replacement project, and the applicant may not apply mitigation funding to alternate projects or improved projects if a new replacement facility is involved.
FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Last Modified: Thursday, 20-Aug-2009 14:06:46