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Officials explain disaster program By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer  | Photo by Sue Watson
Meeting participants
County and city employees and local officials attended the recent emergency management meeting in Holly Springs. |
Experts
with the Federal and Mississippi Emergency Management Agencies (FEMA,
MEMA) recently visited Holly Springs and explained the rules and
procedures for obtaining disaster relief funds. The funds can be
used to pay for infrastructure damages following a flood in May that
washed out culverts and damaged roads in Marshall County. A
seven-county area was included in the declaration which made the
counties of Marshall, Union, Benton, Tippah, Alcorn, Tishomingo, and
Prentiss eligible for relief. John Manley, representing FEMA,
explained the seven categories of infrastructure eligible for federal
and state replacement dollars at a 75:12.5:12.5 federal, state, local
cost share. The federal/state agencies determine eligibility and
reimburse local governments for eligible costs to replace damaged
infrastructure. Marshall County and Holly Springs employees,
county supervisors, and chancery clerk Chuck Thomas attended the
meeting where the details of the program and lines of responsibility
were laid out. The program will accept projects like debris
removal and disposal; emergency protective measures to protect property
and lives of citizens; work that covers repair of roads, bridges, and
culverts; water control systems (retention ponds, levies, dams);
buildings and equipment damaged by storm; utilities - water, lights,
sewer, gas; and parks, recreational and fairground facility damages. Regulations upon accepting the funds includes a thorough record keeping and documentation of approved work, Manley said. Tom
Brooks, environmental specialist, reviewed regulations involving
projects that may be covered under the National Environmental Policy
Act. Those projects would include measures to protect environmental
structures, historical structures, debris removal, movement of
materials from areas that may be protected by surface mining
regulations, solid waste, historical preservation and replacing utility
poles. There are no threatened or endangered species in Marshall
County, he said. Willie Wanso introduced himself as the MEMA representative in charge of handling paperwork. Several
areas dealing with hazard mitigation that can be funded include the
Section 404 mitigation and the Section 406 mitigation plan of the
Stafford or Emergency Management Act. The 406 mitigation plan is the
one likely to come into play in this declaration and includes items
like damage to roads and culverts and erosion control, Manley said. Individuals
with damages to their private property as a result of the storms in
April/May can call Manley at FEMA at 1-800-621-3362 or MEMA at
1-601-933-6696 to ask if their their losses will qualify for funds to
repair damages. |
