FEMA Public Assistance Approved for 25 Texas Counties

AUSTIN, Texas— Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) has been made available to state and local governments, and certain private nonprofits, in 25 counties, to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe winter storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding during the period of Dec. 26, 2015 to Jan. 21, 2016.

The 25 counties designated for PA, in President Obama’s Major Disaster Declaration of Feb. 9, are Bailey, Castro, Childress, Cochran, Dallas, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Ellis, Hall, Hardeman, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Kaufman, Kent, King, Lamb, Lubbock, Navarro, Parmer, Rains, Red River, Rockwall, Titus and Van Zandt.

FEMA Public Assistance reimburses a minimum of 75 percent of the cost of eligible projects, which can include repair of roads and bridges, water control facilities, buildings and equipment, utilities and parks and recreational facilities affected by the December storms. The cost of debris removal and emergency protective services, such as police overtime for extra work caused from responding to the disaster, also may be eligible for reimbursement.                                                            

Applicants apply through the state using a Request for Public Assistance (RPA) form alerting FEMA that an applicant will seek assistance from the agency. State Public Assistance personnel will conduct briefings for applicants on how to prepare projects for submission.

FEMA ensures that all projects meet environmental quality standards and gives final approval for all projects. The federal share goes directly to the state, with the applicant paying the remaining 25 percent. The state forwards the federal funds to eligible applicants when documentation is complete.

For more information on Texas recovery, visit our disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4255, Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website, https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.

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All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. 

Visit www.fema.gov/texas-disaster-mitigation for publications and reference material on rebuilding and repairing safer and stronger.