FEMA Awards $4.7 Million For Debris Removal To Osceola County & City Of Kissimmee
Release Date: October 6, 2004
Release Number: 1539-175
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- Initial federal grants of more than $4.7 million have been approved to help cover the costs of hurricane debris removal from Osceola County and the city of Kissimmee, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Wednesday.
The money is awarded to local governments to help cover the extraordinary costs created by Hurricane Charley. The local governments handle the actual removal of the debris, FEMA pays for 75 percent of project costs, plus some administrative fees. The state of Florida pays half the remaining 25 percent, and the local governments pay the rest.
“Osceola County and Kissimmee officials responded quickly under difficult circumstances to clean up the debris left in the wake of Hurricane Charley,” said State Coordinating Officer Craig Fugate.
“These grants reimburse them for their expenses and highlight FEMA’s mission to help state and local governments undertake projects that will help them recover quickly from disasters,” said Michael D. Brown, Emergency Preparedness and Response Undersecretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Brown said additional grants will be awarded as the hurricane response continues.
Osceola County was awarded $2,547,522, approximately 75 percent of the $3,396,695 total cost of contracts for emergency road clearance and the removal and disposing of debris during August 17-27.
Another $2,213,591 in grants was awarded to Kissimmee for cleaning up Charley’s damage. The city removed and disposed of trees and other plant debris from city roads, public parks, recreational areas, the Kissimmee Airport, the city cemetery, and other public property during the period from August 17 to September 2. The work was performed at a cost of $2,951,455.
The State Emergency Response Team is a collaboration of state agencies led by the state coordinating officer. SERT’s mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate their impact. For the latest information on the hurricane relief effort, visit http://www.floridadisaster.org.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Thursday, 07-Oct-2004 09:27:17