SACRAMENTO, Calif. – One California county and a federally recognized Tribe impacted by severe winter storms in February 2017, which were not part of the original Disaster Declaration, can now apply for federal disaster assistance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today.
At the request of the State, FEMA amended the Major Disaster Declaration signed by President Trump on April 1 to include Mono County and the Tule River Tribe in Tulare County. The Amendment was approved May 18.
State agencies, local and Tribal governments, as well as certain private nonprofit organizations, located in Mono County, which sustained damage during severe winter storms from Feb. 1 to Feb. 23, 2017, have 30 days to submit Requests for Public Assistance (RPA) to the State of California. The Tule River Tribe also has 30 days from the date of the amendment to submit its RPA.
Submitting an RPA to the State is the first step in applying for funding under the FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) program. The PA program provides assistance for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.
Under the amended declaration (DR-4308-CA), federal funding is available to State, Tribal, eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by severe winter storms, flooding, and mudslides for 43 counties and one Tribe: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Mariposa, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo, Yuba and the Tule River Tribe in Tulare County.
FEMA reimburses applicants for no less than 75 percent of eligible expenses – the remaining 25 percent is the non-federal share. The federal portion is paid directly to the State, which disburses the funds to the applicants.
In addition to PA grants, funds will be available in California under FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), which is a cost-share program administered by the State. HMGP provides supplemental financial assistance to public entities and certain private nonprofits to reduce risks to life and property in future disasters.
More information about the PA program is available at www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit. More information about the HMGP is available at www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-grant-program.
Additional information about the declaration is available at www.fema.gov/disaster/4308. More information about applying for the PA program is available at www.caloes.ca.gov/for-governments-tribal.