It has now been two weeks since Hurricane Ian made its historic landfall on the west coast of Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, tying with several other storms as the fifth-strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in the contiguous United States. This massive storm moved across the State of Florida and ventured briefly back into the Atlantic Ocean before making a second landfall on the coast of South Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane. Emergency response efforts are continuing at this time, due in large part to the particularly difficult circumstances created for several Florida barrier islands, including the complete destruction of the causeway that previously provided access to Sanibel Island. State and federal officials continue to release information about the ongoing emergency response efforts and resources for recovery.
- Major Disaster Declaration Issued for Florida. On September 29, President Biden issued a major disaster declaration to expand the types of federal aid available to affected individuals, public entities, and eligible private nonprofit entities. As of the date of this Alert, there have been a total of seven amendments to the initial declaration. According to information shared by FEMA, the following assistance is available.
It is possible that FEMA will expand the availability of individual and Public Assistance to additional counties. Generally, these decisions are made based on damage assessments provided to FEMA by the state in the first 30 days from the start of the incident period, which in this case is September 23 for Florida.
- Full Federal Cost Share for 60 Days. With the initial major disaster declaration for Florida, the federal government committed to funding the full costs of eligible debris removal and emergency protective measures for a period of 30 days from the start of the incident period. On October 7, the declaration was amended to extend the time period for 100% federal funding for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance under Public Assistance, for an additional 30-day period. With this extension, eligible Public Assistance applicants in Florida can qualify for full federal funding of debris removal and emergency protective measures completed from the start of the incident period – September 23 – through November 22.
- Request for Public Assistance Deadline. Eligible applicants for FEMA's Public Assistance Program in Florida must submit a Request for Public Assistance (RPA) by October 29, 2022, in Grants Portal to be reimbursed for eligible expenses related to Hurricane Ian. Any public entity and any private nonprofit entity that thinks it may be eligible for assistance under FEMA's programs should complete and file an RPA as quickly as possible. Doing so is not a commitment to pursue funding, but is a pre-condition to eligibility.
- Applicant Briefings Are Beginning. The Florida Division of Emergency Management is hosting a series of webinars for entities that intend to apply for Public Assistance. These webinars will cover the Public Assistance process, eligibility requirements, how to submit an RPA, and other topics. Webinars will be held daily at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Eastern Time through October 14, 2022. Applicants or potential applicants can register here.
