...damaged. Emergency repair work to restore essential travel, minimize the extent of damage or protect the remaining facilities — accomplished in the first 180 days after the disaster occurs —may be reimbursed at 100 percent federal share. The 180-day time period for 100 percent eligibility of emergency repairs may be extended if a state cannot access a site to evaluate damages and the cost of repair.
It is the responsibility of individual states to request ER funds. A notice of intent to request the funds filed by the state’s department of transportation with the FHWA Division Office located in the state will initiate the ER application process. States are required to apply for ER funding within two calendar years of the date of the disaster. The application must include a comprehensive list of all eligible project sites and repair costs. (Source: FHWA)
While we have focused on the primary funding sources, there are additional agencies that provide disaster assistance directly — including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the American Red Cross, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), to name a few.
Whether providing direct federal assistance with fighting floods, emergency activities, debris removal or providing guidance on the environmental impacts of certain actions, these resources can become a vital part of an organization’s recovery team. This said, in most instances, resources are provided upon request, meaning that if your organization needs something — anything—notify your state contact immediately.
In discussing these programs, it is important to recognize that the majority of them carry cost share considerations. For example, by statute FEMA can only provide 75 percent of eligible costs on an HMGP project. For a normal FEMA Public Assistance project, the federal share is at least 75 percent, but could be more based on myriad circumstances.
Be mindful of each program’s cost share(s) and remember that as a general rule, funding from one federal source cannot be used to make the matching share of another (with the exception of CDBG funds, which take on a state identity).