Disaster Aid to Local Governments Helping Rebuild Texas Communities

AUSTIN, Texas—Federal officials today estimated more than $44.8 million in disaster assistance will help local governments rebuild infrastructure damaged or destroyed by the severe storms, April 17 – 30.
 
That funding is in addition to nearly $60.5 million in federal disaster assistance to date for the April storms that has helped individuals and families with housing assistance, repairs and replacing essential possessions.

When disaster strikes, the first response is to ensure personal and family safety and then address the loss of property and possessions. The federal Individuals and Households Program responds to these urgent needs.

Public Assistance is another essential element of disaster response. The PA program benefits everyone—neighborhoods, cities and states, as well as certain private nonprofit organizations—by reimbursing applicants for eligible work on damaged public facilities.

The April 25 federal disaster declaration made PA available to these 26 counties: Anderson, Austin, Bastrop, Bosque, Callahan, Cass, Cherokee, Colorado, Coryell, Fayette, Fort Bend, Grimes, Harris, Harrison, Jones, Liberty, Milam, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Smith, Upshur, Van Zandt, Waller, Washington, Wharton and Wood. 

PA dollars:

• clean up the community and repair bridges.
• put water systems and utilities back in order.
• repair hospitals and emergency services.
• rebuild libraries and replace damaged books.
• rebuild schools and universities.
• restore damaged public parks so families can enjoy them again.

PA will provide a minimum of 75 percent of the cost to repair or replace disaster-damaged infrastructure from the April storms.

FEMA estimates the federal share of almost $9 million will help reimburse local governments for the emergency work and debris removal that took place in the storm’s immediate aftermath.

Other PA projects are now being developed and approved by local, state, and federal officials. Payments are made on a reimbursement basis.

“Public Assistance grants support the work that helps an entire community recover,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer William J. Doran III, who is in charge of the agency’s operations in Texas. “These are federal tax dollars coming back to Texas to rebuild taxpayer-funded infrastructure.”

Public Assistance funding applicants can include:

• state agencies.
• local and county governments.
• private nonprofit organizations that own or operate facilities that provide essential government-type services.

Recovery officials are currently working with more than 120 applicants to develop specifications and costs for about 285 projects, to date, in the counties eligible for disaster assistance.
 
For more information on the Texas recovery, visit the disaster webpage for the April storms at fema.gov/disaster/4269; or visit the Texas Division of Emergency Management website at txdps.state.tx.us/dem. Follow FEMA on Twitter @femaregion6.

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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.