Getting help from FEMA
Most cities and counties are adequately prepared for routine winter storms. However, when a severe winter storm hits, local officials may need help from FEMA. For severe winter storms, the largest portion of federal financial assistance is devoted to post-disaster debris removal. The following advice for structuring post-winter-storm activities may help smooth the process of receiving federal aid.
Document expenses
Although FEMA assistance is invaluable during times of crisis, it is not carte-blanche. FEMA regulations provide administrators with substantial room for interpretation, meaning rulings may — and frequently do — vary from region to region, state to state and storm to storm. The potential for a post-disaster, post-award audit has grown increasingly likely in recent years, as FEMA has tried to keep down the total amount of awards and root out fraudulent claims.
FEMA requires that costs submitted for reimbursement are “reasonable” and “appropriate.” If a neighboring jurisdiction gets the same work done for less money, FEMA may decide to reimburse everyone up to that baseline. If communities cannot document their costs, FEMA may rescind funding approvals that may cost local governments millions of dollars.
Plan for debris management
When planning for winter storms, many cities and counties think snowplows and de-icing salts. However, local governments also should plan for debris removal in advance and focus on negotiating pre-positioned debris-removal contracts, overseeing debris-removal operations and documentation, and managing post-disaster grant administration. A well-built GIS can be invaluable in tracking and documenting debris removal planning, project management and administrative processes.
Because winter working days are shorter and weather may interfere, collection and disposal of winter storm debris may take months to complete. Documentation, grant administration, appeals and responses to grant audits may take years. The benefits of planning ahead can easily pay for themselves. Ultimately, that will allow staff to concentrate on the most critical objective: getting their communities back to normal as quickly as possible.
Johnny DeLoach, program manager for Emergency Response and Recovry in the Atlanta office of PBS&J.
