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Federal money to 33 states for damage from natural disasters
In a press release issued last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced that $410 million in emergency relief (ER) funds from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will be directed to help 33 states repair roads and bridges damaged by storms, floods, and other natural disasters.
The press release said that FHWA’s ER program reimburses states for eligible expenses associated with damage from natural disasters or other emergency situations based on their requests. The federal money is primarily intended help to pay for the reconstruction or replacement of damaged highways and bridges along with the arrangement of detours and replacement of guardrails or other damaged safety devices.
“We stand by communities that have been impacted by natural disaster and other emergencies,” said Secretary Foxx. “These funds will allow states to complete projects that are ready to go and that will allow people to travel and resume their daily lives as soon as possible.”
“Emergency relief funding is an integral part of the federal-aid program,” said Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau. “Part of our mission is to help states get back on track by restoring broken transportation links when disaster strikes.”
The press release noted several examples:
- At $115.5 million, Colorado topped the list among states reimbursed for a single incident through the ER program—September 2013 floods that caused widespread damage throughout the state.
- New Jersey and New York together received more than $92 million for Hurricane Sandy repairs, which reflects the length and cost of repairs made since the event in 2012.
- Repayments for more recent events include more than $14 million for Northern California storms last February and more than $13 million for storms and landslides in Ohio last March. South Carolina will receive nearly $10 million for October floods, and additional emergency relief funds once the state completes its ongoing damage assessments.
- In addition to 33 states, FHWA ER money also went to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and several federal land management agencies.
Emergency Relief Allocations—FY 2016
| State | Event | Allocation | State Totals |
| Alabama | February 1 – 26, 2013 – Severe Flooding | $1,613,193 | |
| April 28, 2014 – Storms and Flooding | $2,699,630 | $4,312,823 | |
| Alaska | November 2013 – Coastal Storm | $3,423,920 | |
| Spring 2015 – Dalton Highway Flooding | $1,316,893 | $4,740,813 | |
| Arizona | August 9, 2015 – US 89A Washout | $658,446 | $658,446 |
| Arkansas | May 2015 – Rainfall and Flooding | $658,446 | $658,446 |
| California | December 2005 – Statewide Storms | $12,642,168 | |
| December 2014 – Statewide Storm Damage | $14, 485,817 | ||
| September 12, 2015 – Valley Fire | $1,975,339 | $29,203,324 | |
| Colorado | September 11, 2013 – Flooding | $115,514,341 | |
| Spring 2015 – Statewide Flood damage | $3,555,610 | $119,069,951 | |
| Delaware | June 2014 – I-495 Bridge Pier Damage | $1,975,339 | $1,975,339 |
| Florida | August 25, 2012 – Tropical Storm Isaac | $487,250 | $487,250 |
| Indiana | April 2011 – Severe Storms and Flooding | $790,136 | $790,136 |
| Iowa | September 9, 2014 – Heavy Rainfall and Flood | $1,975,339 | $1,975,339 |
| Kansas | May 4 to June 21, 2015 – Flooding | $790,136 | $790,136 |
| Kentucky | March 2015 – Storms | $3,687,299 | $3,687,299 |
| Michigan | August 11, 2014 – Heavy Rainfall and Flooding | $460,912 | |
| September 26,2014 – Pedestrian Bridge Collapse | $2,305,562 | $2,765,474 | |
| Minnesota | June 2014 – Heavy Rainfall and Flooding | $2,392,794 | $2,392,794 |
| Mississippi | February 2015 – Storms | $444,127 | $444,127 |
| Missouri | May – June 2013 – Flooding | $329,223 | |
| May – July 2015 – Severe Storms and Flooding | $1,274,059 | $1,274,059 | |
| Montana | August 2014, Rainfall and Flooding | $855,980 | $859,980 |
| Nebraska | May 2 – June 17, 2015 – Severe Storms and Flooding | $1,274,059 | $1,274,059 |
| New Jersey | October 29, 2012 – Hurricane Sandy | $52,000,000 | $52,000,000 |
| New Mexico | September 18, 2014 – Severe Storms & Floods | $8,559,801 | $8,559,801 |
| New York | October 29, 2012 – Hurricane Sandy | $40,223,117 | $40,223,117 |
| Ohio | March – April 2011 – Heavy Rainfall | $9,415,781 | |
| March 2015 – Storms and Landslides | $13,168,925 | ||
| July 1, 2015 – Tanker Truck Crash | $977,134 | $23,561,840 | |
| Oklahoma | May 24 – June 10, 2007 – Flooding | $23,704 | |
| May 18 – June 2, 2013 – Severe Storms and Tornadoes | $200,826 | $6,808,992 | |
| May 2015 – Storms and Flooding | $6,584,462 | ||
| Oregon | January 2012 – Storm and Flooding Event | $1,580,271 | |
| November 2012 – Severe Weather Event | $131,689 | ||
| February 6, 2014 – I-84 Rockslide | $1,458,458 | ||
| August 10, 2015 – Wildfires | $1,646,116 | $4,816,5334 | |
| South Carolina | May 27, 2015 – I-26 Tanker Fire | $537,292 | |
| October 2015 – Severe Storms and Flooding | $9,876,694 | $10,413,986 | |
| Texas | May 2015 – Storms and Flooding | $9,876,694 | $9,876,694 |
| Utah | September 2014 – Rainfall and Flooding | $4,665,092 | $4,665,092 |
| Vermont | August 27, 2011 – Tropical Storm Irene | $1,316,892 | $1,316,892 |
| Virginia | March 2015 – Winter Storm | $1,316,892 | $1,316,892 |
| Washington | November 2013 – Storms | $411,529 | |
| March 17, 2013 – SR 16 Bridge Hit | $345,026 | ||
| September 2013 – Heavy Rains SR 12 Landslide | $151,443 | ||
| March 2014 – Abnormal Rainfall | $421,406 | ||
| December 2014 – Severe Storms | $6,503,474 | ||
| January 3, 2015 – Rainfall and Flooding | $1,557,225 | ||
| February 2015 – Extreme Rainfall | $424,698 | ||
| February 9, 2015 – I-5 Overpass Damage | $708,488 | ||
| March 13 and April 4, 2015 – Bridge Damage | $2,633,785 | ||
| June 2015 – I-5 Bridge Damage | $697,953 | $13,855,027 | |
| West Virginia | April 2015 – Storms and Flooding | $5,267,570 | |
| July 2015 – Storms and Flooding | $1,316,892 | $6,584,462 | |
| Wisconsin | June 2012 – NW Wisconsin Flooding | $237,041 | $237,041 |
| Wyoming | June 4, 2015 – East Central Wyoming Flooding | $2,897,163 | $2,897,163 |
| N. Mariana | August 2015 – Typhoon Soudelor | $609,063 | $609,063 |
| Subtotal Federal-aid | $365,370,447 | $365,370,447 | |
| Federal Land Management Agencies | $44,700,082 | $44,700,0082 | |
| Total | $410,070,529 | $410,070,529 |