Nearly $1.4B In Recovery Funds Approved 6 Months After Hurricane Michael

ATLANTA, Georgia, April 3 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release:

Six months after Hurricane Michael's historic landfall on the Florida Panhandle, federal funds totaling nearly $1.4 billion have been approved for recovery in Florida and Georgia. President Trump designated a combined 107 counties under separate major disaster declarations in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, making federal funds available to aid recovery efforts.

As of April 1, 2019

* Other federal agencies, teaming with FEMA supported local response and recovery efforts - like Operation Blue Roof in Florida and debris clean up in Georgia. These agencies were reimbursed approximately $307 million.

* Nearly $153 million has been approved through FEMA's Individuals and Households Program, providing grants to 36,300 survivors in Georgia and Florida for rental assistance, home repairs, and repair or replacing essential personal property.

* Almost $37 million has been approved to reimburse local and state governments and certain private nonprofit organizations in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina for response actions in advance of Hurricane Michael, and to repair or replace critical infrastructure.

* The Small Business Administration has approved $678 million in low interest disaster loans.

* Approximately 36 million cubic yards of debris have been cleared from areas of Florida and Georgia affected by Hurricane Michael.

* 58 Disaster Recovery Centers opened across affected areas, accommodating more than 73,000 visits from survivors seeking one-on-one help.

Ten long term recovery committees are working in Florida and Georgia to develop localized long-term plans for affected communities. These groups capture best practices and encourage resiliency before the next disaster happens.