PENSACOLA, Fla. — FEMA has approved an additional grant of $21,869,018 for the State of Florida to reimburse Bay County for its debris removal operations after Hurricane Michael in 2018.
Funding from FEMA's Public Assistance grant program will reimburse the county for removing 901,285 cubic yards of vegetative debris, 274,942 cubic yards of construction and demolition debris, 7,279 hazardous leaning trees, 2,460 hazardous hanging limbs and 402 stumps from public roads, infrastructure and rights of way, which posed a serious threat to public health and safety.
This reimbursement brings the total of FEMA grants for Bay County’s Hurricane Michael recovery to more than
$295.1 million.
FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency. The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) works with FEMA during all phases of the program and reviews projects prior to FEMA final approval.
Applicants work directly with FEMA to develop projects and scopes of work. FEMA obligates funding for projects to FDEM after final approval.
Once a project is obligated, FDEM works closely with applicants to finalize grants and begin making payments. FDEM has procedures in place designed to ensure grant funding is provided to local communities as quickly as possible.
FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides grants to state, tribal and local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations, including houses of worship, so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.