BOSTON, MA— More than $2 million in federal assistance has been awarded to the State of Maine to help cover costs of the March 2-8, 2018, severe storm and flooding that impacted York County.
On May 30, 2018, President Donald Trump approved former Maine Governor Paul LePage’s request for federal assistance, issuing a major disaster declaration. Since then, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been working with state and local officials providing federal dollars under its Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation programs, to eligible public entities in York County.
The federal money for this disaster assists in the support of first responders who worked hard to ensure Mainers’ safety, and helps reimburse entities for their costs when clearing downed trees, removing debris from roadways, and making repairs to damaged infrastructure such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas, and certain private nonprofits that provide community services.
The Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) works with FEMA during all phases of the programs and conducts final reviews of FEMA-approved projects. Once a project is obligated by FEMA, MEMA works with the applicant to finalize the grant and begin making payments. MEMA ensures grant funding is provided to local communities as quickly as possible.
There are additional projects that have been identified under the Public Assistance program relating to this federal disaster declaration and FEMA and MEMA will continue to work extensively with all applicants. The timeline for projects being funded may depend on the complexity of the project, collection of supporting documentation by the applicants, environmental laws, regulations and other concerns.
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FEMA’s mission: Helping people before, during, and after disasters.