Release Date: July 14, 2006
Release Number: 1642-025
» More Information on Massachusetts Severe Storms and Flooding
ANDOVER, Mass. -- When a disaster strikes, the initial reaction is typically to address personal and family safety issues first. In the aftermath of a disaster, local, state and federal along with voluntary organizations have a variety of programs at their disposal to help individuals recover. These programs help one person at a time. However, disasters also impact the community as a whole, damaging public facilities and increasing the workload of local governments.
Taking a lead role in helping communities recover is FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program. The PA Program is only activated following a presidential disaster declaration and provides supplemental federal disaster grant assistance to applicants including state agencies, local governments, and certain non-profit organizations.
Funding may be provided for the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged facilities that are the responsibility of the applicant, as well as costs incurred for disaster cleanup or emergency actions taken to protect lives or property. The federal share of recovery costs is at least 75 percent. The remaining share is the responsibility of the state and local government or non-profit organization.
The process of obtaining PA is straight forward, and FEMA PA specialists are always available to assist the applicant along the way:
The PA Program may only provide assistance for projects that are located in a disaster-declared area and are the legal responsibility of an eligible applicant. The program cannot provide assistance for projects that are under the jurisdiction of other federal agencies, such as roads and bridges that are a part of the federal highway system or facilities located on federal lands like wildlife refuges and national parks.
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: Wednesday, 06-Dec-2006 09:51:37