October 13 Last Day to Submit Public Assistance Requests
Release Date: October 10, 2008
Release Number: 1763-195
» More Information on Iowa Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The deadline for requests for public assistance to the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEMD) for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state assistance is only three days away.
The deadline is Monday, October 13.
The public assistance program helps local government, state agencies, and certain nonprofit organizations pay for eligible, disaster-related costs for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and repair and reconstruction of infrastructure.
To date, FEMA has provided more than $365 million for projects to the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division, the administrator of the program. This represents a 90 percent cost share for public assistance projects; the state pays for the remaining 10 percent of costs.
Applicants submit public assistance requests for disaster-related damage resulting from flooding, tornadoes and severe storms that struck Iowa from May 25 through August 13. 84 Iowa counties are eligible for the public assistance program. Requests for public assistance can be submitted to HSEMD by fax at (515) 725-3260.
"As the deadline for requests for public assistance approaches, FEMA wants to ensure that all interested applicants submit their requests," said FEMA's Federal Coordinating Officer Bill Vogel.
The request for public assistance (RPA) is a form applicants use to apply for disaster assistance. FEMA and the state use the RPA to determine if an interested applicant is eligible for public assistance.
"The October 13 deadline reflects a second extension for requests for public assistance in response to ongoing needs in local communities," said Iowa State Coordinating Officer Pat Hall. "Assessing the extensive damage of this year's disasters has proved challenging. Ideally, potential applicants used this additional time to evaluate their situation and discover if their needs may be covered by FEMA and the state's public assistance program."
In addition to local governments, entities eligible for the program include state agencies, Native American tribes and tribal organizations and private non-profit organizations that provide critical community services, such as power facilities, health and safety services, and education.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 14-Oct-2008 09:22:11