Obama makes funds available to 15 Georgia counties hit by winter storm
The federal government will help fund cleanup efforts in northeast Georgia from a mid-February winter storm.
President Barack Obama on Monday signed a federal disaster declaration for 15 Georgia counties affected by winter weather Feb. 15-17.
That means local governments and nonprofits can apply for funds through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover 75 percent of costs to repair and replace public property, remove debris and conduct other disaster recovery efforts. They also can be reimbursed for costs to “save lives and protect public property and public health,” according to FEMA.
In addition, local governments throughout Georgia can get funding for projects to protect residents and property from future natural disasters.
Georgia Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Crystal Paulk-Buchanan said it will be several months before Georgia figures out how much federal money it will receive.
Banks, Barrow, Dawson, Elbert, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Oglethorpe, Pickens, Stephens and White counties are eligible for aid.
“I appreciate the hard work of our entire state team during the winter storm response and am grateful for their efforts to keep our residents safe,” GEMA Director Jim Butterworth said in a statement. “This federal assistance will be of great help to these 15 counties that incurred response and recovery costs associated with the winter storm.”
GEMA said it might try to get more counties added to the list.
The much-hyped storm mostly spared metro Atlanta, spooked by last year’s “Snowjam,” but it did knock out power to 225,000 people while causing considerable damage.
