BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The state of Georgia, local governments and certain private nonprofits
in 102 Georgia counties are now eligible to receive federal assistance to help cover expenses for permanent work under the Public Assistance program to help with costs to repair or replace infrastructure damaged as a result of Hurricane Irma, according to state and federal officials.
President Trump previously approved Public Assistance funding for emergency work, including debris removal and emergency protective measures, in all 159 Georgia counties. The Sept. 28, 2017, amendment to the disaster declaration of Sept. 15, 2017, authorizes Public Assistance grant program for categories C through G for 102 counties: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Baldwin, Banks, Barrow, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Calhoun, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clay, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Coweta, Crawford, Crisp, Dawson, Dougherty, Early, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Fayette, Forsyth, Franklin, Gilmer, Glynn, Greene, Habersham, Hall, Hancock, Harris, Hart, Houston, Irwin, Jackson, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lumpkin, Macon, Madison, Marion, McIntosh, Meriwether, Miller, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Peach, Pickens, Pierce, Pike, Putnam, Quitman, Rabun, Randolph, Rockdale, Schley, Screven, Seminole, Spalding, Stephens, Talbot, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Taylor, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Troup, Turner, Walton, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wheeler, Wilcox, Wilkes, and Worth.
The amendment provides federal reimbursement for eligible projects to repair or replace damaged infrastructure including: public facilities such as hospitals, schools, fire stations and police stations, public parks, roads and bridges, utilities and other critical infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Irma.
The Public Assistance Grant Program is a reimbursement program paid to state, tribal and local governments, and certain private nonprofits. Under the Public Assistance program, FEMA pays at least 75 percent of the cost of disaster-related expenses such as infrastructure repairs, overtime and debris removal. Typically, the remaining 25 percent is covered by the state and/or locals.
Eligible private nonprofits are responsible for the full 25 percent. The program is administered by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMHSA). Eligibility and project approval is determined by FEMA.
GEMHSA is scheduling applicant briefings with officials of eligible entities and nonprofit organizations in the designated counties to provide information on the application process,
as well as deadlines for submission of necessary documents to receive federal reimbursement. The applicant briefings may be followed by face-to-face meetings in local communities
between FEMA, state officials and eligible applicants.
FEMA and its local, state and federal partners are also providing assistance to individuals and households affected by the storms.
Individuals and households in the seven Georgia counties designated for the Individual Assistance program should register with FEMA. The fastest ways to register are by using the FEMA mobile app or online at DisasterAssistance.gov. Survivors can also register by calling
the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585. Because of high demand, lines
may be busy. Please be patient, and try calling in the morning or evening when call volume
may be lower. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET, seven days a week. Survivors may also call the helpline with questions regarding their applications or the appeals process.
There are seven Georgia counties designated for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program, including: Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Coffee, Glynn, Liberty and McIntosh counties.
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Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion4 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.