The State of North Carolina and FEMA have approved $2.9 million to reimburse the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services for mosquito abatement costs following Hurricane Florence.
Funds for this project cover abatement costs in the state’s hurricane-affected areas. The department acted after anticipating a high number of mosquitoes due to historic flooding and warm temperatures.
“Keeping people safe from mosquito-borne illnesses due to the flooding associated with Hurricane Florence was important for the public’s health in the immediate aftermath of this devastating storm,” said Mark Benton, Assistant Secretary for Public Health. “This funding from FEMA reimburses the state for its financial assistance to emergency workers and families in local communities across 25 counties with cleaning up after this historic storm.”
The approval brings the total to more than $4.7 million to reimburse the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services for Hurricane Florence-related expenses.
FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides grants for state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations to reimburse the cost of debris removal, emergency protective measures and permanent repair work.
Public Assistance is a cost-sharing program. FEMA reimburses applicants at least 75 percent of eligible costs and the remaining 25 percent is covered by the state. The federal share is paid directly to the state to disburse to agencies, local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations that incurred costs.
FEMA’s total share for this project is more than $2.2 million and the state’s share is more than
$745,000.
For more information on North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Florence, visit ncdps.gov/Florence and FEMA.gov/Disaster/4393. Follow us on Twitter: @NCEmergency and @FEMARegion4.