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Joint Field Office Press Release

Joint Information Center · Joint Field Office · 4800 Cox Road · Glen Allen, VA 23060

Oct. 19, 2006
DR-1661-VA
NR - 08
News Desk: 804-270-2295

Three Additional Counties Declared Eligible for Public Assistance

GLEN ALLEN, Va. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management announced that the counties of Greensville, King and Queen and Lunenburg are now eligible for public infrastructure assistance associated with Tropical Storm Ernesto.

These three counties are added to nineteen others and three cities under the disaster declaration of September 22, 2006.

Also included in the disaster declaration are the counties of Accomack, Caroline, Charles City, Dinwiddie, Essex, Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, King William, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Northampton, Northumberland, Richmond, Surry, Sussex, Westmoreland and York, and the cities of Poquoson, Richmond and Newport News.

"The assessed damage warrants federal assistance for infrastructure repair in the counties just declared eligible for assistance," said Gracia Szczech, FEMA's federal coordinating officer for recovery operations. "We are pleased to make Public Assistance available."

Funding covers reimbursement costs for emergency debris removal and emergency protective measures and can fund the repair, restoration, reconstruction or replacement of public infrastructure such as roads and bridges, water control facilities, public buildings and contents, public utilities and parks and other recreational facility facilities damaged during a disaster.

The federal government pays 75 percent of the eligible costs, with the state and localities picking up the remaining 25 percent.

FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities; works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.

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