BOSTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending almost $3.4 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse the City of Boston for the costs of plowing and removing snow after Winter Storm Kenan in early 2022.
The city will receive a total of $3,377,000 in federal funding through FEMA’s Public Assistance grant program to reimburse it for the costs of snow removal and sanding/salting after the January 28-29 “bomb cyclone” produced blizzard conditions in some parts of New England.
Keenan caused record or near record snowfall in four counties in Massachusetts, including the City of Boston, creating an immediate threat to the health and safety of the public since emergency vehicles couldn’t navigate the streets.
The Boston Public Works Department provided snow plowing and salting/sanding operations for 785 miles of city streets, and twelve different vendors removed and hauled snow to 11 sites throughout the city for disposal.
President Joe Biden’s disaster declaration made federal funding available to commonwealth, tribal and eligible local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities in Bristol, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk counties, and for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.
FEMA has awarded more than $13.3 million in Public Assistance grants to state and local governments for the disaster to date.
“FEMA is pleased to be able to reimburse the City of Boston for some of the costs incurred recovering from Winter Storm Kenan,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Restoring access to roads for first responders after a storm of this type is critical to maintaining public safety.”
FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.