City Provides Update on Hurricane Recovery Costs and Reimbursements

According to government documents, the City of Tallahassee has been reimbursed for $13.1 million in claims through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) program related to Hurricanes Hermine & Irma. The City requested approximately $18.3 million related to the two storms.

Also, the City has requested $28.8 million in relief related to Hurricane Michael.

Since 2016, the City of Tallahassee has been impacted by Hurricanes Hermine, Irma and Michael. For Hurricanes Hermine and Irma, the PA process is ongoing as FEMA and the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) continue to review requests for reimbursement and validate costs.

To date, the City has received approximately $10.8 million in reimbursements for Hurricane Hermine of the $14.3 million total requested. These amounts include the local cost share estimated at $1.4 million.

For damages related to Hurricane Irma, the City has received approximately $2.3 million in reimbursement of the $4.04 million requested, which includes a local cost share of $150,000.

Currently, all eligible funds for Hurricane Hermine and Hurricane Irma have been obligated by FEMA and over 95% of this funding is in the process of being validated by FDEM for reimbursement. The City is prepared for final reconciliation and closeout activities for Hurricanes Hermine and Irma upon reimbursement.

The City has submitted a total of $28.8 million in eligible damages related to Hurricane Michael. The most significant costs are $18.2 million related to utility restoration, $7.1 million for debris operations, and $2.2 million for emergency protective response.

Additionally, the City has elected to participate in FEMA’s Expedited Funding Program and has already received $3.5 million in reimbursement and expects to receive another $0.6 million in the next few weeks. Documentation and project formulation for the non-expedited projects is ongoing.