Some Governments Have To Apply This Week For Disaster Aid - Factsheet 

Release Date: March 5, 2008
Release Number: 1745-024Factsheet

» More Information on Tennessee Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding

Public Assistance, oriented to public entities, can refund the repair, restoration, reconstruction, or replacement of a public facility or infrastructure, which is damaged or destroyed by a disaster.

Eligible applicants include the State and any of its political subdivisions and local governments. Certain private nonprofit (PNP) organizations also may receive assistance. Eligible PNPs include educational, emergency, medical, rehabilitation, and temporary or permanent custodial care facilities (including those for the aged and disabled), utilities, including Rural Electric Cooperatives, and other PNP facilities which provide essential services of a governmental nature to the general public.

As soon as practicable after the declaration, the State, assisted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), conducts briefings for government and PNP officials to inform them of the assistance available and how to apply for it. An intent to apply for assistance must be filed with the State within 30 days after the area is designated eligible for assistance. Following the briefings, every applicant is assigned a FEMA/State Public Assistance Crew Leader. Their designated Public Assistance Crew Leader schedules a meeting with the applicant to describe and explain the Public Assistance Program.

The Public Assistance Crew Leader remains the applicant’s single point of contact for the duration of the disaster.

Each incident of debris removal, each emergency protective measure, the repair, restoration or replacement of each damaged public or PNP facility identified by the State or local representatives is considered a project.

Projects fall into the following categories:

Projects falling below a certain threshold are considered "small.” The threshold is adjusted annually for inflation. For fiscal year 2008, that threshold is $60,900. For small projects, payment of the Federal share of the estimate is made upon approval of the project. The project must be completed and is subject to audit. For large projects, payment is made on the basis of actual costs determined after the project is completed; although interim payments may be made as necessary.

Applicants have the opportunity to carry out their own recovery process, as they desire, based on their particular abilities and issues. Many choose to prepare their own submittals for "small” projects in the form of project worksheet estimate of damages. Others will rely on the FEMA/State teams to assist them in the preparation of their submittals. A FEMA/State team, in cooperation with the applicant, prepares the submittals for large projects.

For insurable structures within special flood hazard areas (SFHA), primarily buildings, assistance from FEMA is reduced by the amount of insurance settlement which could have been obtained under a standard National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy. For structures located outside of a SFHA, FEMA will reduce the amount of eligible assistance by any insurance proceeds.

FEMA reviews and approves the submittals and obligates the Federal share of the costs (which cannot be less than 75 percent) to the State. In Tennessee, the state reimburses 12.5 percent and the applicant covers the remaining 12.5 percent of project costs. Once FEMA obligates funds to the State, further management of the assistance, including disbursement to applicants is the responsibility of the State. FEMA will continue to monitor the recovery progress to ensure the timely delivery of eligible assistance and compliance with the applicable laws and regulations.

Last Modified: Wednesday, 05-Mar-2008 15:29:20