Public Assistance Funds Help Communities Get Back On Their Feet 

Release Date: August 17, 2006
Release Number: 1604-422

» More Information on Mississippi Hurricane Katrina

BILOXI , Miss. -- When Hurricane Katrina struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast last August, much of the infrastructure was damaged. Public buildings, roads and bridges, schools and medical facilities were severely damaged or totally destroyed.

Twelve months later, more than 9,800 community projects totaling $2.1 billion have been funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This amount takes in $1.3 billion for the removal of an unprecedented amount of debris including mission assignments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) distributes the federal funds to jurisdictions while working with local and federal officials to ensure that adequate documentation and auditing processes are followed. Since Katrina, MEMA has hired additional auditing staffers from private businesses to help speed the reimbursement process from FEMA to the local governments. To date, MEMA has paid almost $700 million in Katrina project worksheets.

After the storm, Harrison County 's beaches looked more like a junkyard than the sandy tourist destination that had attracted people from all over the South. Since that time, FEMA has obligated more than $691,700 in Public Assistance grants to remove 33,579 cubic yards of debris from the beaches, and $6,546,600 for sifting 727 acres of sand. The U.S. Coast Guard is currently contracting for the removal of debris still in the waters. Clean beaches mean the return of tourism, a vital ingredient in the recovery of the Mississippi Gulf Coast .

FEMA has provided $322,546 in Public Assistance grants to Jackson County to repair the storm surge damage to a building the county leases to Singing River Mental Health Association. FEMA also provided $145,124 in grants to replace the building's contents in order for the association to quickly begin operating again. The association employs 12 people and treats 50 special needs clients.

Many communities throughout Mississippi have been reimbursed by FEMA for emergency protective measures such as search and rescue, security forces, providing shelters or emergency care, and removing health and safety hazards after Katrina. The $290 million provided by FEMA has gone a long way in restoring local government budgets for public safety.

Permanent repairs to damaged roads, bridges, public buildings and utilities have also represented a serious challenge for local and county governments. So far this year, FEMA has provided $555,810,000 in funding as well as technical assistance to help with the restoration of such facilities throughout the state. Additionally, damaged emergency response equipment is being replaced with Public Assistance grants from FEMA.

In Hancock County , the FEMA Public Assistance program has obligated 75 projects for permanent repairs or replacement of damaged roads, bridges, buildings, equipment, and parks and recreational facilities. Total cost of the projects is $18,465,274.

Other FEMA-funded projects include:

Jackson County

FEMA provided $4,516,821 to Jackson County to salvage and restore records of land deeds, tax records, estate records, trial evidence, and other documents after storm surge inundated 14 buildings. The records were inventoried, packed in boxes, frozen or dried by a professional document recovery company that specializes in damaged file restoration. Most of the documents were frozen to protect them from further mold and mildew, or were dried, copied and restored.

Harrison County

FEMA has awarded more than $15 million in Public Assistance grants to cities and port commissions in Harrison County to restore piers, harbors and marinas to their pre-Hurricane Katrina condition, thereby helping with coastal economic and cultural recovery. Additionally, more than $340,000 has been obligated in hazard mitigation funds to build more hurricane-resistant structures.

Hancock County

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, it became clear that Hancock County 's funds would be depleted quickly to address the immediate needs of the community. Debris removal and emergency protective measures were given the highest priority by FEMA to help the county recover from the financial burdens caused by the storm. To date, FEMA has obligated more than $27,390,450 in Public Assistance grants to Hancock County .

One project, which cleaned debris sediment from ditches throughout the county, totaled $7,447,060 and was critical in protecting the community from further flood damage.

While Public Assistance grants are aimed at governments and organizations, the final goal is to help a community and all its citizens recover from a devastating disaster.

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

Last Modified: Friday, 18-Aug-2006 14:13:18