Federal aid OK'd for 8 more Ga. counties affected by storms

ATLANTA - Federal Public Assistance (PA) - aid to local, county and state agencies - has been approved for eight more Georgia counties affected by the tornadoes, storms and flooding on April 27-28.

Cherokee, Gordon, Harris, Heard, Jasper, Lumpkin, Newton and White counties bring to 24 the number of counties eligible to receive PA disaster funds.

The following 22 counties are now eligible for PA categories A through G: Bartow, Catoosa, Cherokee, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Greene, Harris, Heard, Jasper, Lamar, Lumpkin, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Pickens, Rabun, Spalding, Troup, Walker and White.

The categories are:
A - debris removal
B - emergency protective measures
C - road systems and bridges
D - water control facilities
E - public buildings, contents and equipment
F - utilities
G - parks and recreational facilities

Two counties - Coweta and Polk - are eligible for categories A and B only.

For approved PA projects, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will pay a minimum of 75 percent of approved project costs.

Qualified private non-profit organizations may receive assistance to restore certain kinds of facilities. These include utilities; educational, emergency, medical, and custodial care facilities; and other structures used to provide essential governmental services.

For more information on Georgia's disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or www.gema.ga.gov or www.ready.ga.gov/ or http://twitter.com/GeorgiaEMA or http://twitter.com/femaregion4

http://accesswdun.com/article/2011/5/238529