By-Line: Julie Murphy, Flagler County Government
Flagler County officials share news released by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) that an additional $178 million has been approved to support Florida’s recovery. This includes $8.7 million for Flagler County dunes restoration specific to damage created by Hurricane Milton, and another $3.7 million for the City of Flagler Beach for the replacement of its Fishing Pier, valued as a landmark structure and vital to the city’s tourism economy and community identity.
“FEMA continues to support the state of Florida by approving nearly $178 million in federal disaster recovery funds in August, which brings the total approved since January 20 to more than $804 million,” the release states. “The state is leading recovery efforts from multiple federally declared disasters, most recently Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.”
An additional $17.3 million was approved to the Florida Division of Emergency Management for its non-congregate sheltering program for Hurricane Helene survivors.
FEMA is reimbursing these costs at no less than a 75% federal share through its Public Assistance Program. The program provides funding to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, as well as certain nonprofit organizations, for disaster response and recovery work.
“We are so grateful to Congressman Randy Fine for using his influence in Washington D.C. to help us get the required signatures needed to get us money greatly needed for our dunes,” said County Administrator Heidi Petito. “He learned that we were still awaiting the funds to restore dunes that were damaged by Hurricane Milton when the county provided him a tour of the area a couple of weeks ago.”
Fine held a press conference at Flagler’s Emergency Operations Center on August 27.
“So, as I drove away from the tour I started making phone calls, and lo and behold, a few days later, all it took was those calls,” Fine said then. “It helps that I have friends in Washington now, but we got that signature on that letter.”
The nearly $9 million is the federal portion of the $11 million for a dune restoration project from MalaCompra Park on MalaCompra Road running north to Marineland. The work is expected to begin in November and will take about four months to complete.
