Federal officials have cleared more than $41.5 million in funding for Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina to help local communities brace for future disasters. The money, announced by FEMA, is aimed at long-term projects meant to make infrastructure more resilient.
This regional boost is a slice of a larger $137 million national package covering over 50 projects. Even as the U.S. marks 69 days of a lapse in appropriations—the longest in history—DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the agency is pushing to clear a backlog of funding requests.
Florida is the primary recipient of the new Southeast grants. Cape Coral is slated for $10.5 million to install wind protection and backup power at City Hall, plus design a hurricane safe room for its emergency operations center.
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Charlotte County is receiving $7.4 million for its own safe rooms and backup power at a waste plant, while Fort Myers was awarded $3 million for a fire station generator, wastewater plant power, and a downtown flood-reduction study.
Other states are also seeing immediate help. Georgia secured $1.4 million for a dozen generators in Baldwin and Muscogee counties. In South Carolina, the Marco Rural Water Company will use $664,470 to move water lines away from high-risk areas.
The grants come via the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. This system allows states, local governments, and tribal nations to fund projects that either eliminate or significantly reduce damage before a disaster strikes.
While the funding is federal, FEMA will send the money to state agencies, which then distribute the cash to the specific local projects.
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