FEMA Awards Wellington $1.8 Million To Cover Costs From Irma

Wellington this week announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will reimburse the village $1,892,200 for the collection, reduction and disposal of debris throughout the village in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

Between Sept. 18 and Oct. 17, 2017, Wellington workers and contractors gathered and hauled away 168,602 cubic yards of vegetative debris for landfill disposal. This included damaged tree limbs and stumps that were determined to pose a threat to public health and safety from roads and public property.

Wellington is grateful to receive the grant and will continue seeking future funding to ensure the community can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies. This funding was authorized under Section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Act for Florida to cover Hurricane Irma-related expenses, reimbursing eligible applicants for the cost of debris removal; life-saving emergency protective measures; and the repair, replacement or restoration of disaster-damaged facilities like buildings, roads and utilities.

FEMA’s public assistance grant program is an essential source of funding for communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency. The Florida Division of Emergency Management works with FEMA during all phases of the program and conducts final reviews of FEMA-approved projects.