DENVER – FEMA has provided more than $73 million in total assistance for Wyoming as of October 1, supporting the state’s fight against COVID-19 over the last 18 months. The assistance was authorized under the major disaster declaration issued for Wyoming on April 11, 2020.
Earlier this year, following new guidance from President Biden, FEMA increased reimbursement from 75 percent to 100 percent funding for projects related to the pandemic response, retroactive to January 20, 2020.
This federal funding was received by the state and distributed to Wyoming tribes, counties, cities, individuals, and other state and local partners.
The total includes $46.3 million from FEMA’s Public Assistance program for community-based testing services at 61 sites throughout Wyoming, laboratory processing, testing supplies and transport, data collection and reporting, congregate housing and a COVID-19 information campaign that included a variety of media outlets including billboards, online, video, print ads, radio, television, and cable.
An additional $8.2 million was provided by FEMA to reimburse other agencies that provided staffing or resources to augment state efforts. The U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of Health & Human Services both supported COVID-19 operations in Wyoming.
FEMA also contributed $16 million in Lost Wages Assistance to individuals to help ease the economic burden of Wyoming residents struggling financially because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Another $1.05 million has been approved for FEMA Funeral Assistance, which delivers funding to families for pandemic related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020. Those in need of such aid can call FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Helpline at 844-684-6333 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. The helpline is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mountain Time). At this time, there is no deadline to apply for COVID-19 Funeral Assistance for families who have lost a loved one.
Wyoming also has been allocated $1.7 million from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to invest in mitigation planning and projects that reduce risks from natural disasters.