Federal Aid to Rebuild Infrastructure Following Three Texas Disasters Nears Quarter Billion Dollars

AUSTIN, Texas—Three major disaster declarations affecting dozens of Texas counties—some on multiple occasions—will result in nearly one quarter-billion dollars in federal assistance to repair or replace damaged infrastructure.

FEMA said today that combined federal aid for severe weather disasters in May-June 2015; October 2015, and January 2016 will help fund recovery efforts for 3,087 individual projects among 569 applicants for Public Assistance.

Public Assistance is an element of FEMA’s disaster response that benefits everyone—neighborhoods, cities and states, as well as certain private nonprofit organizations—by reimbursing eligible work on damaged publicly-owned infrastructure.

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 and

• restore damaged public parks so families can enjoy them again.

FEMA provides a minimum of 75 percent of the cost to repair or replace disaster-damaged infrastructure.

PA projects are developed and approved by local, state, and federal officials and work is continuing on many. Payments are usually made on a reimbursement basis.

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 work also continues on disasters resulting from storms this year in March, April and May-June.

Summary of Public Assistance to Three Texas Disasters

*Current estimate

# # #

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.