ORLANDO, Fla. – FEMA has approved $3,017,552 for the State of Florida to help the City of St. Petersburg defray the costs of preparing for and responding to Hurricane Irma under FEMA’s Public Assistance Program.
FEMA funds will reimburse St. Petersburg for emergency measures taken to protect life and property throughout the city between Sept. 5 and Oct. 3, 2017 following the September 2017 storm. During that time period, city workers and contractors opened and staffed an emergency operations center; secured city-owned buildings and equipment; identified and removed boats to dry dock; placed barricades and sandbags; cleared debris for emergency vehicle access; and placed and maintained generators for sewer pumping stations and city buildings as needed. In addition, emergency personnel provided patrols for public safety, conducted search and rescue operations, and responded to multiple structure fires that occurred after electric power was restored.
Funding for this Public Assistance (PA) project is authorized under Sections 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Act for Florida to cover Hurricane Irma-related expenses, 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. The Florida Division of Emergency Management 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 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.