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WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Allen Boyd (D-North Florida) today announced that the cities and counties in Florida’s 2nd Congressional District will receive an additional $10.9 million in federal funding.
Last month, Congress passed an Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill, which requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to pay the entire cost of hurricane recovery projects tied to the 2005 storm season in Florida. Prior to this law passing, FEMA had been paying 75 percent of the costs tied to Hurricanes Dennis, Katrina, and Rita and 90 percent of the costs of Hurricane Wilma. The remaining portion was split between the state and local governments.
“This funding is great news for North Florida, and the area will certainly benefit from this federal support,” said Congressman Boyd. “I am proud of the work that Congress did to bring this needed funding back to Florida to further aid in our recovery from the 2005 storm season. As we prepare for another hurricane season, I will continue working with the County Emergency Management Centers and state and local officials so that the people of Florida will have the necessary information to not only prepare for a storm, but recover from any damage it may cause.”
Statewide, this law will bring an additional $386 million to Florida and impacts nearly 14,000 recovery projects, which include repairs to public buildings, debris removal, and overtime by city or county employees during a disaster. Included in the $386 million is nearly $66 million in additional funds provided to state government agencies.
FEMA’s Florida Long-Term Recovery will work with the state of Florida so that the funds will be available to local governments. “This is a huge effort, but it is our top priority to get these additional funds to the state right away. We pledge to get this done within 30 days,” said Scott R. Morris, Director of FEMA’s Florida Long-Term Recovery.
FEMA’s Public Assistance Program is one way federal disaster assistance is delivered to states, local governments, and to certain private non-profit organizations. These funds allow them to respond to, recover from, and mitigate the impact of disasters.
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