More Than $4.5 Million Approved to Puerto Rico for Infrastructure Damages After Jeanne
Release Date: December 23, 2004
Release Number: 1552-077
» More Information on Puerto Rico Tropical Storm Jeanne and Resulting Landslides and Mudslides
SAN JUAN, P.R. -- Disaster recovery officials announced today that $4,544,577 has been approved to reimburse the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for infrastructure damages caused by Tropical Storm Jeanne. President Bush issued a major disaster declaration on September 17, 2004 making municipalities and other public agencies in Puerto Rico eligible to apply for disaster aid funds.
“FEMA’s continuing commitment is not only to help meet the recovery needs of devastated families and businesses, but to ensure that the vital infrastructure they depend on is restored as quickly and efficiently as possible,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Peter Martinasco.
Under the Public Assistance (PA) program, the declared areas may be eligible for a 75 percent federal reimbursement of the approved costs incurred in emergency work related to the disaster, such as protective measures, debris removal, and the repair, replacement or restoration of flood-damaged public facilities, such as roads and bridges, buildings, parks, water control facilities and utilities. Municipal governments, Commonwealth agencies and certain private non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for this type of federal assistance.
As of today, one hundred nine applicants were approved for this type of FEMA aid, from which seventy-seven were municipal governments and thirty- two Commonwealth agencies. This aid is made available following damage assessments performed by federal and Commonwealth disaster recovery officials. The requests for infrastructure disaster aid are processed as soon as the projects and supporting documentation are submitted to FEMA for evaluation and final determination.
As of December 21, 2004 the disaster aid funds approved under the PA program are as follows:
| Categories | Federal Share Obligated |
|---|---|
| Debris Removal (A) | $1,187,301.84 |
| Protective Measures (B) | 995,862.32 |
| Roads and Bridges (C) | 1,842,405.02 |
| Water Control Facilities (D) | 15,937.49 |
| Public Buildings (E) | 94,269.71 |
| Public Utilities (F) | 1,280.70 |
| Recreational or Other (G) | 211,808.16 |
| Sub – total: | $4,348,865.24 |
| Administrative Cost | $ 195,712.17 |
| Total: | $4,544,577.41 |
FEMA has already approved more than $390.7 million in assistance to more than 153,000 individuals and families in the 58 disaster declared municipalities.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and effectively manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Thursday, 23-Dec-2004 10:00:42