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Powell, FEMA Announce Significant Steps to Reduce Wait Time for Federal Disaster Recovery Fund

Release Date: October 18, 2006

Contact: DJ Nordquist or Susan Aspey/Office of the Federal Coordinator (202) 572-8890
FEMA (504) 762-2447

Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding Donald E. Powell and the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Deputy Director of Gulf Coast Recovery Gil Jamieson today announced a series of steps intended to significantly expedite the application process for federal disaster funding.

The revamped process, which seeks to accelerate funding at all levels of the recovery, is expected to reduce the waiting time for federal disaster rebuilding funds to move to the state from an average of six months to as little as 15 days.

As part of this new process, Chairman Powell and Deputy Director Jamieson announced the obligation of $396 million to aid Louisiana in rebuilding its critical infrastructure in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Including these new funds, Louisiana has received more than $4 billion in FEMA funds for rebuilding infrastructure and reimbursement for debris removal and emergency services.

“Hurricane Katrina was an unprecedented disaster, and while there has been tremendous progress to date, we want to do everything we can at the federal level to make the process for receiving federal recovery funds go as quickly as possible,” Chairman Powell said. “This was an opportunity to fix the process not just for the victims of this disaster, but for future catastrophic events.”

“The process of providing public assistance funding after a disaster is a partnership between the federal, state and local governments,” said Deputy Director Jamieson. “By working closely with our partners and streamlining the process, FEMA is able to maximize the benefit from federal assistance dollars and better manage the challenges of rebuilding.”

Public Assistance (PA) programs are designed to support state and local authorities and certain nonprofit organizations so they can fund the repair, restoration, reconstruction, or replacement of a public facility or infrastructure, which is damaged or destroyed by a disaster.

As an example of the PA funding, some of the projects funded in the announcement of the $396 million today include $12.1 million for repairs and temporary classrooms and offices for Delgado Community College, $1.5 million for emergency protective measures for the Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal Court buildings, $718,000 to the town of Grand Isle for a fishing pier, and $869,000 for the Buras Wastewater Treatment Plant in Plaquemines Parish.

FEMA approves PA projects for funding and awards the grant money directly to the state, and the state generally receives the funds within 72 hours after a project is approved. The states then disburse the funds to the local applicant (although the state may require additional information of the local applicant before releasing the funds).

Specific steps to streamline the approval process for federal funds include:

  • A plan to address specific issues which slowed the approval process for federal funds, including frequent personnel turnover, better cost estimates by local applicants and organization changes within FEMA;
  • Outreach to local applicants to determine their priority projects and address their concerns with the program;
  • An improved system to track applications in the queue from initial point of application through awarding of funds;
  • Reducing layers in the internal approval process within FEMA, while still ensuring appropriate and required due diligence.

“I’m pleased to see public assistance funds flowing to the state,” said Jim Stark, director of FEMA’s Louisiana Transitional Recovering Office. “This latest funding of public assistance projects highlights FEMA’s commitment to ensuring the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast.”

FEMA’s Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to rebuild government buildings, roads and bridges, schools, water and sewer plans, recreational facilities owned by government agencies, some facilities owned by nonprofit agencies and other publicly owned facilities. FEMA can set aside money to bring each project back to its pre-disaster function and capacity, and the state distributes the money. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund the projects and oversee their completion.

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The Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding coordinates the long-term federal rebuilding efforts in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita by working with state and local officials to focus on a set of prioritized, integrated and long-term initiatives to rebuild the region such as restoring long-term safety and security, renewing economic activity and revitalizing communities.

FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, initiates mitigation activities and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA works closely with state and local emergency managers, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other first responders. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.

This page was last modified on October 18, 2006