FEMA To Pay $16.5 Million For Debris Removal In Florida West Coast Counties

Release Date: October 21, 2004 Release Number: 1539-219

» More Information on Florida Hurricane Charley and Tropical Storm Bonnie

» En Español

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary for Homeland Security and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush today announced the approval of more than $16.5 million to De Soto and Charlotte counties to pay for debris removal caused by Hurricane Charley.

"I want to thank FEMA for their help in moving Florida back to normalcy. Now that lights are back on, and schools and businesses are open and running, debris removal is the next step in our recovery process," said Gov. Bush. "Clearing the tons of debris in a safe and expedient manner is top priority for Florida's communities and this money will help continue the tremendous efforts of cooperation among federal, state and local governments."

"An important role of FEMA is to provide state and local governments with the resources they need to carry out emergency response services," said Under Secretary Brown. "Continuing financial support from FEMA to fund both initial response and continuing recovery efforts is essential to state agencies during this unprecedented hurricane season."

Hurricane Charley descended on Florida's west coast Aug. 13 with winds greater than 145 mph in some areas. The Category 4 hurricane disrupted electricity, water and phone service, left families and businesses displaced, and littered the streets and roads with debris from trees and other vegetation and damaged buildings.

FEMA will reimburse De Soto County for $11.53 million, Charlotte County for $3.68 million, and the city of Punta Gorda for $1.36 million for debris removal work that took place in the weeks following the disaster. The funds cover 90 percent of their projects' total estimated costs. State and local government will cover the remaining 10 percent.

For information on SERT, go to www.floridadisaster.org.; FEMA, go to www.fema.gov

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.