RECOVERY
The Recovery Office works to provide assistance to citizens, local governments, non-profit associations, state agencies and businesses to help aid in recovery from disasters.
Assistance is provided through the following programs:
- Individual Assistance: During a Presidential Disaster Declaration, Individual Assistance programs can aid homeowners and renters with housing needs and necessary assistance.
- Small Business Administration: During SBA or Presidential Disaster Declarations, the SBA can offer low-interest loans to disaster victims
- State Temporary Housing Program: During non-Presidential Disaster Declarations, the program may be able to reimburse rental costs to citizens who are displaced from their homes for more than 72 hours
- Public Assistance: During a Presidential Disaster Declaration, Public Assistance programs can help provide federal grants to local and state governments, as well as non-profit organizations and other political subdivisions, for the repair, replacement or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities. Typically a Presidential Declaration is based on the per capita impact to the State; the amount is $1.35 per capita starting January 2012. This rate changes annually based on the Consumer Price Index. Similarly, a county is added to the declaration based on per capita impact. Beginning January 2012, the county per capita rate is $3.27.
Public Assistance
There are two types of public assistance authorized: "emergency" and "permanent" work. Emergency work includes efforts to save lives, protect property, and maintain operation of essential facilities during the first six months following a disaster; however, extensions are available for all work if approved by the FEMA. Permanent work involves actions necessary to repair, restore, reconstruct or replace public, and certain private non-profit facilities damaged or destroyed by the disaster for a period of 18 months.
"Public damages" can include any damage incurred by a structure or facility which is owned by a public or private non-profit entity. This could include roads, bridges, buildings, utilities, etc. Project applications for public sites may be approved to fund a variety of projects that fall within the following eligible categories:
- Category A - Debris Clearance
This category includes all storm induced debris on non-federal public roads, including the right-of-way, non-federal public waterways, other public property, and private property when undertaken by local government forces. It can also cover the cost of demolition of public structures if those structures were made unsafe by the disaster.
- Category B - Emergency Protective Measures
This category addresses the need to provide appropriate emergency measures designed to protect life, safety, property, and health (i.e., barricades, sand bags and safety personnel).
- Category C - Road System
This category addresses damages to non-federal roads, bridges, streets, culverts, and traffic control devices.
- Category D - Water Control Facilities
Eligible damages under this category include costs to repair or replace dikes, dams, drainage channels, irrigation works, and levees.
- Category E - Building and Equipment
Eligible damages under this category include costs to repair public buildings and equipment, supplies/inventories that were damaged and transportation systems such as public transit systems.
- Category F - Public Utility Systems
Under this category, assistance is available for damaged water systems, landfills, sanitary sewerage systems, storm drainage systems, and light/power facilities.
- Category G - Other
The "other" category includes park and recreational facilities, or any other public facility damages that do not reasonably fit in one of the other six categories.
The Recovery Office Director is Larry Bowman and he can be reached a (601) 933-6886.
If you are a public assistance applicant you can visit
www.mississippipa.org to view your account projects.