JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $1 million for the city of Jacksonville Beach to help with Hurricane Irma-related expenses.
Hurricane Irma’s strong winds and heavy rains brought down trees and tree limbs through the city. FEMA funds will reimburse the city for the cost of removing 72 hazardous leaning trees, 2,599 tree limbs and debris. In all, the city collected more than 76,000 cubic yards of vegetative debris, and 3,813 cubic yards of construction and demolition debris.
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FEMA’s public assistance program is a cost-sharing program with FEMA reimbursing applicants no less than 75 percent of eligible costs, and the remaining covered by a nonfederal source. FEMA approved 92 percent of the total costs of this project. The federal portion is paid directly to the state, which disburses funds to the agencies, local governments and nonprofit organizations that incurred costs.
Jacksonville Beach Mayor Charlie Latham said FEMA also disbursed about $1.2 million to the city after Hurricane Matthew. Between the 2016 and 2017 storms, he said the city spent around $2.6 million on cleanup and recovery efforts.
FEMA has approved more than $242 million in public assistance grants to reimburse Irma-related expenses in Florida communities covered by the federal disaster declarations.
More than 1,000 government entities and nonprofits across Florida are seeking public assistance reimbursement for Hurricane Irma.