The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued more $1.12 million via its public assistance program to the Florida Department of Transportation on August 13 to cover the costs of collecting and disposing of debris left that clogged public rights-of-way in the wake of Hurricane Irma nearly two years ago.
[Above photo from the Florida DOT.]
Between October 18 and Dec. 16, 2018, the Florida DOT and its contractors gathered, hauled away and/or disposed of 34,778 cubic yards of vegetative debris and 2,268 cubic yards of construction/demolition debris from public rights of way in 18 counties, FEMA noted in a statement.
That public assistance funding comes from Section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Act for Florida, which to covers Hurricane Irma-related expenses such as: reimbursing eligible applicants for the cost of debris removal; life-saving emergency protective measures; and the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged facilities like buildings, roads, and utilities.
Following approvals by FEMA and the Florida Division of Emergency Management, FEMA obligates funding for cleanup projects, with the federal share not less than 75 percent of the eligible cost. The agency added that states determine how the non-federal share of the cost of a project – up to 25 percent – is then split up among “sub-recipients” such as local and county governments.