AUSTIN, Texas – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded more than $8 million to the Texas Department of State Health Services for mosquito control efforts following Hurricane Harvey.
The Department of State Health Services sprayed insecticide to control mosquitos in over 3.9 million acres across Aransas, Bee, Calhoun, DeWitt, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jim Wells, Kleberg, Lavaca, Newton, Nueces, Polk, Refugio, Sabine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Walker, Waller and Wharton counties.
One FEMA grant covered the majority of the vector control. FEMA funded 100 percent of the projects’ costs, or $7.8 million, as is standard practice for grantees that complete emergency work within 30 days of the disaster declaration. A second FEMA grant of nearly $200,000 paid for mosquito abatement in Jasper and Newton counties. This grant required a 10 percent nonfederal contribution of $22,213. Additional support for the state’s mosquito control efforts came from the federal government through the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
These grants come from FEMA’s Public Assistance grant program which reimburses communities for actions taken in the immediate response to and during recovery from a disaster. FEMA’s Public Assistance grant program provides project funding directly to the state for disbursement to the applicants. Eligible applicants include states, federally recognized tribal governments, U.S. territories, local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations.
FEMA’s Public Assistance grant program provides project funding directly to the state for disbursement to applicants. The grant will be disbursed through the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
For additional information on Hurricane Harvey and Texas recovery, visit the Hurricane Harvey disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4332, Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMAharvey, the FEMA Region 6 Twitter account at www.twitter.com/FEMARegion6 or the Texas Division of Emergency Management website at https://www.dps.texas.gov/dem/.