4829/4835/4858-DR-SC Cumulative Final Public Notice

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) hereby gives notice to the public of its intent to reimburse eligible applicants for eligible costs to repair or replace structures and facilities serviced under their authority and jurisdiction damaged as a result of:

Hurricane Helene, incident period of September 25-October 7, 2024, and under the major disaster declaration FEMA-4829-DR-SC, signed by the President on September 25, 2024; 

Tropical Storm Debby, incident period of August 4-August 22, 2024, and under the major disaster declaration FEMA-4835-DR-SC, signed by the President on September 29, 2024; 

Severe Storms and Flooding, incident period of November 6-14, 2023, and under the major disaster declaration FEMA-4858-DR-SC, signed by the President on January 10, 2025; 

An initial disaster-wide Public Notice was published on October 4, 2024, for DR-4829 Hurricane Helene; on October 24, 2024 for DR-4835 Tropical Storm Debby; and on February 3, 2025, for DR-4858 Severe Storms and Flooding. Comments and other information received were considered by FEMA along with evaluation of social, economic, environmental, and safety considerations.

Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. Under Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990, FEMA is required to evaluate the potential effects of any actions it may take in a floodplain or wetland. 44 CFR § 9 sets forth the policy, procedure, and responsibilities to implement and enforce the responsibilities under the aforementioned Executive Orders, including to avoid long- and short-term adverse impacts to or from occupancy and modification of floodplains or wetlands as well as reduce the risk of flood lossThis notice may also fulfill requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

This notice serves as a cumulative final notice for actions in the floodplain and/ or wetland funded by FEMA under the Public Assistance (PA) program implemented under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5207. This notice is to inform the public of FEMA’s intent to allocate grant funds to State, local, and tribal governments, as well as non-profit organizations for the repair or replacement of facilities within designated areas susceptible to flooding. These flood zones include A-Zones, which are areas susceptible to a 1% annual chance of flooding up to the Base Flood Elevation (BFE); V-Zones, which are the areas susceptible to a 1% annual chance of flooding with high velocity wave-action; and regulatory floodways, which are areas regulated to provide for the discharge of the base flood. Shaded X-Zones, which are areas susceptible to 0.2% annual chance of flooding, are considered with respect to critical actions (actions for which even the slightest chance of flooding is too great). In all cases, FEMA has evaluated the funding actions in accordance with the process described in 44 CFR § 9 to determine the overall effect of actions within these areas and this notice shall only pertain to projects which the function is not otherwise served by a more practicable alternative. For these types of projects, relocation or abandonment of the facilities would cause adverse social and/ or economic impacts to the local community. Flood risk to or within the floodplain and/ or wetland will be minimized by all practicable means, the action would not adversely affect the floodplain and/ or wetlands, and nature-based approaches will be integrated where appropriate.

This cumulative public notice hereby fulfills the requirements of Executive Orders 11988 and 11990 as codified in 44 CFR § 9.12 to provide Federal funding for these projects under the Public Assistance (PA) Program for such projects as described above.

Funding for the proposed projects will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state, and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions.  This action complies with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements.

This notice does not apply to projects for new construction, substantial improvement, or to address substantial damage to a structure or facility. This notice also does not apply to critical actions, as defined by 44 CFR § 9.4, located in an A-Zone, V-Zone, or regulatory floodway. 

For such projects which this notice is not applicable, a project-specific final public notice will be published, allowing the public at least 15 days, as prescribed in 44 CFR § 9.12, to comment upon proposed projects in the floodplain and/ or wetland.

This will serve as the final public notice regarding the above-described applicable actions funded by the FEMA PA program. Interested persons may submit comments, questions, or request a map of this specific project by writing to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region 4, 3005 Chamblee-Tucker Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, or by emailing FEMA-R4EHP@fema.dhs.gov. Comments should be sent in writing with the subject line “SC-4829-4835-4858 Cumulative Final Public Notice” at the above address within 15 days of the date of this notice.