ORLANDO, Fla. – FEMA has approved a grant of $27,075,628 for the State of Florida to help the Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) defray the cost of repairs and equipment replacement for its utility distribution system after Hurricane Irma in 2017.
FEMA Public Assistance program funds will reimburse LCEC for extensive damage to its electrical transmission and distribution system including the replacement of 879 power meters, 1,107 concrete and wood poles, 376 streetlights and 659 transformers. In addition, the utility restored power to approximately 70 percent of its more than 200,000 customers in five Southwest Florida counties.
The program provides grants to state, tribal and local governments, and certain types of private nonprofit organizations, including some houses of worship, so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies. The Florida Division of Emergency Management works with FEMA during all phases of the program and conducts final reviews of FEMA-approved projects.
The federal share for Public Assistance projects is not less than 75 percent of the eligible cost. The state determines how the nonfederal share of the cost of a project (up to 25 percent) is split with subrecipients such as local and county governments.
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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.