Public Notice

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) hereby gives notice to the public of its intent to reimburse eligible applicants for eligible costs to repair or replace facilities damaged by Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding that occurred in the State of Mississippi during the incident period that began on April 30, 2017.  This notice applies to the Public Assistance (PA) program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) implemented under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5207.

 

Under a major disaster declaration (FEMA-4314-DR-MS) signed by the President on May 22, 2017, the following counties have been designated adversely affected by the disaster and eligible for public assistance: Adams, Calhoun, Carroll, Claiborne, Holmes, Jefferson, Montgomery, Webster, and Yazoo.  Additional counties may be designated at a later date without further public notice. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) is available statewide.

 

This public notice concerns activities that may affect historic properties, activities that are located in, or affect, wetland areas or the 100-year floodplain, and critical actions within the 500-year floodplain. Such activities may adversely affect the historic property and floodplain or wetland, or may result in continuing vulnerability to flood damage.

 

Presidential Executive Orders 11988 and 11990 require that all federal actions in, or affecting the floodplain or wetlands be reviewed for opportunities to relocate, and evaluated for social, economic, historical, environmental, legal, accessibility, and safety considerations. Where there is no opportunity to relocate, FEMA is required to undertake a detailed review to determine what measures may be taken to minimize future damages. The public is invited to participate in the process of identifying alternatives and analyzing their impacts.

 

FEMA has determined that for certain types of facilities there are normally no alternatives to restoration in the floodplain or wetland. These are facilities that meet all of the following criteria: 1) FEMA’s estimate of the cost of repairs is less than 50% of the cost to replace the entire facility and is less than $100,000; 2) the facility is not located in a floodway; 3) the facility has not sustained major structural damage in a previous Presidentially declared flooding disaster or emergency; and 4) the facility is not critical (e.g., the facility is not a hospital, generating plant, emergency operations center, or a facility that contains dangerous materials). FEMA intends to provide assistance for the restoration of these facilities to their pre-disaster conditions, except that certain measures to mitigate the effect of future flooding, other hazards, and accessibility requirements may be included in the work. For example, a bridge or culvert restoration may include a larger waterway opening to decrease the risk of future washouts.