ORLANDO, Fla. – FEMA has awarded grants totaling $22,206,422 for the State of Florida to reimburse applicants for the costs of repairs, administrative costs and emergency protective measures following Hurricane Irma in 2017.
The FEMA Public Assistance grants include:
- Key West Utility Board: $18,804,250 for repairs to the Lower Keys power distribution system, including 465 power poles, 533 pole-mounted transformers and 1,403 streetlights, and the costs of tracking and accounting for labor, equipment, materials and other repairs.
- Miami-Dade County: $2,220,422 for emergency measures taken to protect life and property, including protecting water systems near Deering Estate and Zoo Miami and removing debris from 270 parks, train tracks, bus routes, two causeways and rights-of-way.
- JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority): $1,181,749 for administrative costs of tracking and accounting for labor, equipment, materials and other repairs.
FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides grants to state, tribal, and local governments, and certain types of private nonprofit organizations, including some houses of worship, so that 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 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 the subrecipients like local and county governments.
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FEMA’s mission: Helping people before, during, and after disasters.