Feds surveying Irma damage, aid expected

Tropical Storm Irma left cities and counties across Georgia with millions of dollars in damage and tons of debris to haul away.

This looks like a job for the federal government.

Teams of disaster experts with the Federal Emergency Management Agency fanned out across the state this week to survey the damage, the first step in unlocking disaster aid under President Donald Trump's emergency declaration for the state. The aid will pay the lion's share in cleaning up the mess made by Irma's sustained wind and coastal flooding, but accepting it comes with some risks.

Earlier this summer, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Inspector General’s office recommended FEMA attempt to recoup $2 billion in Hurricane Katrina relief given to New Orleans following that 2005 disaster. The report determined the flooding of that city was the result of infrastructure that was “old and in poor condition.”

Beware, Georgia: The accountants are coming. Read more in this week's AJC Watchdog column here.

About the Author

Chris Joyner

Joyner is the deputy politics editor. He has been with the AJC since 2010 as a member of the investigations and politics team.

Georgia veterans decry Trump administration’s plans to shrink VA workforce

Georgia military veterans are worried about Trump administration plans to cut the Veterans Affairs Department workforce by 15%. Georgia is home to more than 600,000 veterans.

Savannah’s growth is on ballot with school, infrastructure tax levies

Savannah's explosive growth has stretched public schools to the breaking point, particularly in the once rural western part of the county. A penny sales tax vote is looming.