White County Qualifies for Enhanced Disaster Relief

CLEVELAND, Ga. – White County is one of 29 Georgia counties that qualify for enhanced disaster relief to repair or replace infrastructure damaged as a result of Hurricane Irma.

President Donald Trump previously approved Public Assistance funding for emergency work, including debris removal and emergency protective measures in all 159 counties. The latest funding measure provides federal reimbursement for eligible projects to repair or replace damaged infrastructure including: public facilities such as hospitals, schools, fire stations and police stations, public parks, roads and bridges, utilities and other critical infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Irma.

The Public Assistance Grant Program is a reimbursement program paid to state, tribal and local governments, and certain private nonprofits. Under the Public Assistance program, FEMA pays at least 75 percent of the cost of disaster-related expenses such as infrastructure repairs, overtime and debris removal. Typically, the remaining 25 percent is covered by the state and/or local governments. Eligible private nonprofits are responsible for the full 25 percent. The program is administered by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMHSA). Eligibility and project approval is determined by FEMA.

White County Public Safety Director David Murphy estimated the county received between $130,000 and $150,000 in damage. “Our radio tower here at the 9-1-1 facility was damaged and we had some shingles knocked off the roofs on county buildings,” Murphy said. “We did have a lot of trees downed and a lot of debris to be picked up.”

Murphy said most of the damage in White County will be covered by the county’s insurance with the balance to come from FEMA’s Public Assistance Program.