Orlando, Fla. – FEMA has approved $12,437,212 for the State of Florida to help the Orlando Utilities Commission defray the costs of restoring electrical service following Hurricane Irma under FEMA’s Public Assistance Program.
FEMA funds will reimburse the city for the cost of contractors, other utilities’ workers, and city employees to repair damage to the city’s electrical grid caused by Irma, including repairing 7 concrete poles and 108 wooden ones; replacing 9 wooden poles; repairing 46 overhead transformers and replacing 11; repairing 16 underground transformers and replacing one; repairing 59,896 feet of damaged wire and replacing 7,346 feet; repairing 24,843 feet of secondary cable and replacing another 3,853 feet of the same. The total also includes more than $2 million paid to a contractor to remove vegetation that was blocking repairs.
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. The Florida Division of Emergency Management works with FEMA during all phases of the PA program and conducts final reviews of FEMA-approved projects.
Applicants work directly with FEMA to develop project worksheets and scopes of work. Following approvals by FEMA and the Florida Division of Emergency Management, FEMA obligates funding for the project.
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.
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FEMA’s mission: Helping people before, during, and after disasters.