By Bill Oliver
Washington, D.C. –
U.S. Senator John Cornyn has announced Hunt, Lamar, and Kaufman Counties have been added to the list eligible for public assistance from FEMA due to recent flooding. Fannin County was previously named. Eligible applicants include state, county and local government and some private non-profits such as educational and medical facilities.
From the fema.gov website, the federal public assistance declaration means eligible applicants can receive debris removal and disposal, emergency services related to the disaster, and the repair or replacement of damaged public facilities such as roads, buildings and utilities.
FEMA will provide 75 percent of the cost of eligible projects including (1) Public roads and bridges not on the Federal Aid System; (2) Public water control facilities, including dams and drainage channels; (3) Public utilities such as water treatment, sewage treatment and electrical; (4) Public buildings such as police and fire stations, libraries and public office buildings, including their vehicles and contents; and (5) Public parks and recreation facilities, including playgrounds, swimming pools, tennis courts, golf courses, ball fields and boat ramps.
State and FEMA officials will hold applicant briefings in affected areas. These briefings will introduce potential aid recipients to the Public Assistance process and address initial questions. Following these briefings, each potential applicant will submit a Request for Public Assistance.
FEMA will assign a Public Assistance Coordinator to each applicant to ensure each applicant's needs are met throughout the process.
Senator Cornyn told reporters Thursday "We've been working my office as well as all Congressional offices with local officials as well as the Governor's office, and of course FEMA, to make sure that Texans get the benefits and the assistance they're entitled to."