DENVER (FEMA) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved more than $3.6 million dollars in federal funding to the Burke-Divide Electric Cooperative for work needed to fix a variety of poles, replace transformers and to fix power lines, damaged as a result of a severe winter storm.
Funds were made available after President Biden granted a major disaster declaration on July 13, 2022. The combined force of a severe winter storm, high winds and flooding caused freezing rain to accumulate a severe winter storm, high winds and flooding caused freezing rain to accumulate in areas that left many electrical poles and lines severely damaged.
The money will be used to reimburse force account resources, the cost of some rented equipment, as well as for contract services to restore the distribution system back to its pre-disaster status. It will also reimburse work completed including, the removal and replacement of multiple poles, transformers, and cross-arms, as well as power line fixes and miscellaneous sub-assemblies which includes anchors, plates and cutouts. No mitigation considerations are associated with this project.
The FEMA Public Assistance program provides funding to governmental agencies and certain private non-profits for eligible disaster response costs and to repair or replace damaged public infrastructure. For this disaster event, FEMA is providing a 90 percent federal cost share, with the state and local entities responsible for the remaining costs.
For more information about the Public Assistance program, visit: https://www.fema.gov/