Orlando, Fla. – The Town of Palm Beach will receive a $2,869,116.56 grant through FEMA’s Public Assistance Program to help defray the costs of repairing beaches damaged by Hurricane Irma.
On August 23, 2019 the President approved a cost share adjustment authorizing federal funding for Public Assistance at 90 percent of total eligible costs under FEMA-4337-DR-FL declared for Hurricane Irma. The $2.8 million represents an additional 15 percent for the cost of replacing nearly 850,000 cubic yards of sand at Phipps Ocean Park Beach and two other beaches previously awarded at 75 percent of eligible costs.
Funding for this Public Assistance (PA) project is authorized under Sections 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Act, reimbursing eligible applicants for the cost of debris removal; life-saving emergency protective measures; and the repair, replacement or restoration of disaster-damaged facilities like buildings, roads and utilities.
FEMA’s Public Assistance grant program is an essential source of funding for communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency. FDEM works with FEMA during all phases of the PA program and conducts final reviews of FEMA-approved projects.
Applicants work directly with FEMA to develop project worksheets and scopes of work. Following approvals by FEMA and the FDEM, FEMA obligates funding for the project.
FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides grants to state, tribal, and local governments, and certain types of private non-profit organizations including some houses of worship, so that communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.
The federal share for Public Assistance projects is not less than 75 percent of the eligible cost. The state determines how the non-federal share of the cost of a project (up to 25 percent) is split with the sub-recipients like local and county governments.
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FEMA’s mission: Helping people before, during, and after disasters.