FEMA has approved $ 4,101,135 for the State of Florida to help the South Florida Water Management District defray the costs of debris removal for Hurricane Irma under FEMA’s Public Assistance Program. FEMA funds will reimburse the 16-county water district for the collection, reduction and disposal of debris throughout its service area between Sept. 18 and Oct. 17, 2017 following the September 2017 storm. During that time period, contractors gathered 13,303 cubic yards of vegetative debris from canals for disposal.
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. 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.
