ORLANDO, Fla. – FEMA has approved a grant of $1,444,269 for the State of Florida to help Monroe County defray the costs of emergency response to Hurricane Irma in 2017.
FEMA Public Assistance program funds will reimburse the county for donated resources provided by nonprofit and charitable organizations, including equipment, meals, water, clothing, hygiene kits and other supplies. The county also utilized more than 23,000 hours of donated labor to assist with the disaster response. Under the Public Assistance program, eligible donated resources may be credited toward the nonfederal share of FEMA grant costs.
The program provides grants to state, tribal and local governments, and certain types of private nonprofit organizations, including some houses of worship, so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies. The Florida Division of Emergency Management works with FEMA during all phases of the program and conducts final reviews of FEMA-approved projects.
The federal share for Public Assistance projects is not less than 75 percent of the eligible cost. The state determines how the nonfederal share of the cost of a project (up to 25 percent) is split with subrecipients such as local and county governments.
###
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.