Georgia Hurricane Matthew

DR-4284-GA
Georgia

Incident Period: Oct 4, 2016 - Oct 15, 2016

Declaration Date: Oct 8, 2016

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Local News & Media

Visit the News & Media page for events, fact sheets, press releases and other multimedia resources.

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What to Expect After You Apply

Once homeowners register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a FEMA housing inspector will call to schedule an inspection for those living in designated counties.

Filing a Flood Insurance Claim

If you have experienced a flood, you can file your flood insurance claim by following these steps on Floodsmart.gov.

Beware of Fraud & Scams When Seeking Disaster Assistance

After a disaster scam artists, identity thieves and other criminals may attempt to prey on vulnerable survivors. The most common post-disaster fraud practices include phony housing inspectors, fraudulent building contractors, bogus pleas for disaster donations and fake offers of state or federal aid. Learn how to address disaster fraud.

Charitable Giving Scams

Donating money or supplies to the relief effort is another way to help survivors. Be alert to scams during an emergency. Learn more about donating.

If you are aware of a potential charity scam, you can report it to the state consumer affairs or attorney general's office:

Those who question the validity of a contact or suspect fraud are encouraged to call the toll free FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721. Complaints also may be made by contacting local law enforcement agencies.

How to Help

When disaster strikes, every little bit helps. To make the most of your contributions, please follow our guidelines to learn the most effective and safest ways to donate cash, goods, or time following a disaster.

States affected by Hurricane Matthew have provided the following additional information on the best ways to help survivors.

GEORGIA                                                                                      

Please volunteer and donate responsibly. For information on volunteering in Georgia, email volunteer@gemhsa.ga.gov.

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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 Hurricane Matthew occurring October 4 through October 15, 2016. This notice applies to the Public Assistance (PA), Individual Assistance (IA), and Hazard Mitigation Grant (HMGP) programs 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-4284-DR-GA signed by the President on October 8, 2016 (and amended on October 15, 2016, October 17, 2016, and October 20, 2016), the following counties have been designated adversely affected by the disaster and eligible for IA: Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, and Wayne; and for PA, Categories A-G:

Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Candler, Chatham, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Glynn, Jenkins, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Toombs, Ware, and Wayne.

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, historic, environmental, legal, 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 condition, except that certain measures to mitigate the effect of future flooding or other hazards 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.

For routine activities, this will be the only public notice provided. Other activities and those involving facilities that do not meet the four criteria are required to undergo more detailed review, including study of alternate locations. Subsequent public notices regarding such projects will be published if necessary, as more specific information becomes available.

In many cases, an applicant may have started facility restoration before federal involvement. Even if the facility must undergo detailed review and analysis of alternate locations, FEMA will fund eligible restoration at the original location if the facility is functionally dependent on its floodplain location (e.g., bridges and flood control facilities), or the project facilitates an open space use, or the facility is an integral part of a larger network that is impractical or uneconomical to relocate, such as a road. In such cases, FEMA must also examine the possible effects of not restoring the facility, minimizing floodplain or wetland impacts, and determining both that an overriding public need for the facility clearly outweighs the Executive Order requirements to avoid the floodplain or wetland, and that the site is the only practicable alternative. The State of Georgia and local officials will confirm to FEMA that proposed actions comply with all applicable state and local floodplain management and wetland protection requirements.

FEMA intends to provide IA program funding for disaster-related emergency housing. These actions may adversely affect a floodplain or wetland, or may result in continuing vulnerability to floods. These actions may include repair, restoration, or construction of housing or private bridges, purchase and placement of travel trailers or manufactured housing units, or repair of structures as minimum protective measures. This will be the only public notice concerning these actions.

FEMA also intends to provide HMGP funding to the State of Georgia to mitigate future disaster damages. These projects may include construction of new facilities, modification of existing, undamaged facilities, relocation of facilities out of floodplains, demolition of structures, or other types of projects to mitigate future disaster damages. In the course of developing project proposals, subsequent public notices will be published if necessary as more specific information becomes available.

The National Historic Preservation Act requires federal agencies to take into account the effect of their undertakings on historic properties. Those actions or activities affecting buildings, structures, districts or objects 50 years or older or that affect archeological sites or undisturbed ground will require further review to determine if the property is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (Register). If the property is determined to be eligible for the Register and FEMA’s undertaking will adversely affect it, FEMA will provide additional public notices. For historic properties not adversely affected by FEMA’s undertaking, this will be the only public notice.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects the civil rights of persons with disabilities. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by the federal government, federal contractors, and by recipients of federal financial assistance. Any recipient or sub-recipient of federal funds is required to make their programs accessible to individuals with disabilities. Its protections apply to all programs and businesses that receive any federal funds. This applies to all elements of physical/architectural, programmatic and communication accessibility in all services and activities conducted by or funded by FEMA. FEMA intends to comply with the Rehabilitation Act in all federally conducted and assisted programs in alignment with the principals of whole community inclusion and universal accessibility.

As noted, this may be the only public notice regarding the above-described actions under the PA, IA, and HMGP programs.  Interested persons may obtain information about these actions or a specific project by writing to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency – Region IV - EHP, 3003 Chamblee Tucker Rd – Office #255, Atlanta, GA 30341-4112 or by calling 678-218- 2120. Comments should be sent in writing at the above address within 15 days of the date of this notice.

Funding Obligations

Individual Assistance Amount
Total Housing Assistance (HA) - Dollars Approved $5,306,453.19
Total Other Needs Assistance (ONA) - Dollars Approved $1,304,724.68
Total Individual & Households Program Dollars Approved $6,611,177.87
Individual Assistance Applications Approved 2093
Public Assistance Amount
Emergency Work (Categories A-B) - Dollars Obligated $73,606,897.56
Permanent Work (Categories C-G) - Dollars Obligated $19,037,482.62
Total Public Assistance Grants Dollars Obligated $95,526,313.18

Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) List

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