- FAST FACTS:
- Shelby County trying to get federal storm relief
- EMA gathering expenditure data to send to state
- Governor must request federal assistance
(Memphis 6/18/2009) Shelby County officials hope to receive federal disaster funds to pay for the damage from the June 12th storms.
The county must first ask for a disaster declaration from Governor Phil Bredesen. The governor would then have to request federal inspectors come to the damaged areas to conduct their own assessment. The level of federal assistance would depend on the determinations of the inspectors.
There are also expenditure requirements which must be met in order to receive federal funding. Shelby County emergency management officials say the damage clean-up costs here have already topped seven million dollars and will climb even higher, more than enough to reach the needed thresholds. Officials will continue sending in updated clean-up estimates.
County EMA Director Bob Nations says, "We know that there's other damage out there and we know that there's other jurisdictions that continue to do damage assessments, so there won't be just one submittal."
The approval process can take several weeks. It may be months before Shelby County receives a check from the federal government, if assistance is approved at all. Officials say they are optimistic, but are aware of the people who question the extended time frame.
Says Shelby Couty Mayor A C Wharton, "I know some may say, 'Well why don't you hurry up?' Well it's better to do it right than to do it quick because if you do it wrong, it's going to hurt you down the road when you have a greater need."
Mayor Wharton says he hopes to have the county's numbers figured and sent to the governor by Friday, June 19.
