Disaster Assistance for SR530 Slide Expanded to Include More Funding for Public Facilities and Infrastructure

EVERETT, Wash. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Washington Emergency Management Division today announced that more financial assistance for local and state agencies and certain nonprofit organizations has been approved for eligible public facilities affected by the SR530 Slide. The new provisions for public facilities expand the funding that is already available for eligible costs of debris removal and emergency measures. 

The additional assistance is for repair and replacement of:

• Roads and bridges;
• Water-control facilities;
• Public buildings and their contents;
• Public utilities, both government and privately owned; and
• Parks, recreational resources and similar facilities that serve the public.

“This funding will help us escalate the recovery work we have already been accomplishing with local, tribal and federal partners,” said State Coordinating Officer Kurt Hardin. “We will continue to work with FEMA and our other partners for as long it takes.”

Federal assistance for debris removal and emergency measures became available on April 2 for eligible state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis in Snohomish County – including the Sauk-Suiattle, Stillaguamish, and Tulalip tribes. This money will allow for further recovery efforts. 

“This funding will help us to continue supporting recovery from the SR530 Slide,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Michael J. Hall. “FEMA remains dedicated to doing all we can.”

The Public Assistance program is for recovery of infrastructure and public entities. Unlike Individual Assistance –which is a separate program that assists individuals and households affected by the SR530 slide – Public Assistance is a federal program to provide funding for infrastructure and public facilities. FEMA covers 75 percent of the costs of eligible projects.

Immediately following the disaster, the state of Washington and FEMA extended support for debris removal and measures to protect further human injury and damage to property.

Public Assistance funding may cover costs incurred to return elements of the public facilities to as close to their pre-disaster condition as possible. Types of entities that may be eligible for Public Assistance include:

• State government agencies;
• Local governments and special districts;
• Certain private nonprofit organizations; and
• Federally recognized tribes.

Eligible private nonprofits that might qualify for assistance include schools, utilities, emergency medical and custodial care operations, irrigation systems, museums, zoos, community centers, libraries, shelters, health services and other organizations that provide essential services of a governmental nature.

Nonprofits that supply critical services – power, water, sewage treatment, communications and emergency care – can apply directly to FEMA for help. All others must first apply to the U.S. Small Business Administration, which works hand-in-hand with FEMA, for a low-interest loan. If such a loan is denied or is inadequate for the nonprofit’s needs, the organization can apply to FEMA for a grant, federal officials said.

The Public Assistance program also encourages protection of facilities from future events by providing assistance for hazard-mitigation measures during and after the recovery process.

To learn more about the Public Assistance program, visit: http://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit/categories-work.