County awarded funds for relief
SANDERS COUNTY – One of the fifteen counties made privy to disaster relief funding, Sanders County has already initiated the process of receiving federal funds to assist in cleanup and recovery efforts.
“FEMA was out here two weeks ago, they gave us an estimate. Now we will come back and look at the costs,” said Bill Naegeli, Emergency Management Coordinator at the Office of Emergency Management in Sanders County.
Thursday April 17, President Obama approved Governor Steve Bullock’s request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration, made by the governor after the severe weather experienced throughout Montana in early March.
The rapid combination of snowfall and snowmelt caused widespread flooding and ice jams on rivers, streams and creeks in many parts of the state.
In response to the severe weather and subsequent flooding, Bullock declared a State of Emergency for most of western Montana in March with the hopes of receiving prompt assistance from the federal government. With no word from the White House at the onset of April, Bullock sent a letter to the president requesting a decision, resulting in the passing of the declaration this week.
The federal funds will mitigate the cost of rebuilding or repairing infrastructure for state and local governments.
Naegeli noted the early March storms brought severe washing to several roads in Sanders County. Specifically, Hubbard Road by Niarada and Little Bitterroot Road in Hot Springs were affected by flooding.
FEMA covers up to 75 percent of costs related to disaster repair and prevention and the approval of the Presidential Disaster Declaration ensures federal assistance is available to Sanders County and the other regions included in Governor Bullock’s State of Emergency in early March.
In addition, the Presidential Disaster Declaration provides additional resources to the state from the federal government for cleanup and recovery.
“Most regions affected were on the I-90 corridor,” said Ed Tinsley, the Division Administrator of the Department of Disaster Services.
Tinsley noted that some regions outside of the I-90 corridor were also hit hard.
“FEMA will now come in and will go to each place and create a project work sheet,” Tinsley said.
The president’s approval of the declaration enables eligible counties to receive additional assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
These grants are designed to reduce the long-term risk to life and property from natural disasters.
Tinsley described this program as a way to prepare for upcoming late winter storms since flooding and ice jams are a problem that faces regions throughout Montana each spring.
According to FEMA’s website eligible costs include repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas and publicly owned property.
“It’s only for public infrastructure, roads, bridges and structures owned by local government, not for privately owned property,” Tinsley said.
Senators Jon Tester and John Walsh, in addition to Congressman Steve Daines also lobbied the president to release federal disaster funds, penning letters to the president on behalf of the 15 Montana counties that experienced damage from the flooding.