U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters Releases More Than $871 Million In Emergency Funds To Repair Damaged Roads |
|---|
Topics: Mary Peters
|
Federal Highway Administration
23 July 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, July 23, 2007
Contact: Doug Hecox
(202) 366-0660
FHWA 10-07
More than $871 million in additional emergency relief funds is now available to pay for repairs to roads and bridges damaged by a variety of natural emergencies, announced U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters today.
"These funds help communities recover when natural disasters strike our transportation network," Secretary Peters said.
The funds will go to 23 states and certain federal facilities, like parkways, to pay for damages caused by hurricanes, heavy rains and flooding, earthquakes, winter storms and other natural events. $675 million - more than two-thirds of the $871 million - was released yesterday to the states, with the rest awaiting formalized requests which are expected soon.
The Federal Highway Administration, a part of the U.S. DOT, will reimburse states for expenses associated with 33 emergency situations. The funds will be used to reimburse states for fixing or replacing damaged highways and bridges, establishing detours, removing debris and replacing signs, lighting and guardrails.
"Transportation links are vital to local economies and for providing a sense of normalcy to people's daily lives," said FHWA Administrator J. Richard Capka.
The emergency relief funds are part of an emergency appropriations package signed into law by President Bush, to supplement FHWA's emergency relief program. The program is used to reimburse states for certain costs resulting from natural disasters or other emergencies.
A portion of the funding is also available to cover Gulf Coast hurricane repairs, and is in addition to the $2.75 billion provided for Gulf Coast recovery efforts in the 2006 Department of Defense Appropriations Act.
###
Editor's note: A table listing the date, location and amount of each emergency relief incident follows. A description of each incident is available by calling the FHWA Office of Public Affairs at 202-366-0660.
Emergency Relief Program Funds - Summary By State
State |
Event |
Amount |
|---|---|---|
Alabama |
August 2005 Hurricane Katrina |
$9,800,000 |
Alaska |
August 2006 storms and October 2006 severe storms |
$26,290,026 |
Arizona |
January 2005 flooding and July/August 2006 flooding |
$21,685,745 |
California |
2005/2006 winter storms |
$343,421,542 |
Colorado |
July 2006 flood damage to SH 67 |
$8,135,982 |
Connecticut |
July 2005 US 7 bridge fire |
$3,200,000 |
Florida |
February 2007 tornadoes |
$2,251,662 |
Hawaii |
October 2006 earthquake |
$35,745,659 |
Iowa |
May/June 2004 storms and flooding and February 2007 winter storm |
$1,998,132 |
Kentucky |
April 2007 flooding |
$2,715,000 |
Maine |
April 2007 rains and flooding |
$1,735,000 |
Minnesota |
March/May 2006 flooding |
$753,955 |
Nevada |
December 2005/January 2006 flooding |
$694,742 |
New Hampshire |
May 2006 rainfall and flooding |
$1,254,444 |
New York |
September 2005 flooding, June 2006 flooding and November 2006 rains and flooding |
$23,748,918 |
North Carolina |
September 2006 Tropical Storm Ernesto |
$1,700,000 |
Ohio |
September 2004 Hurricane Frances, December 2004 rainfall and flooding, January 2005 rainfall and flooding and July 2006 rainfall and flooding |
$85,594,923 |
Oklahoma |
January 2007 ice storm |
$4,400,000 |
Oregon |
November 2006 flooding |
$33,165,787 |
Pennsylvania |
June 2006 flooding |
$10,000,000 |
Rhode Island |
April 2007 rainfall and flooding |
$3,508,900 |
Vermont |
August 2004 flooding and December 2005 Elm Street rock slope failure |
$856,155 |
Washington |
November 2006 flooding and December 2006 storms |
$15,378,993 |
Federal Lands |
Various events |
$36,992,505 |
Total |
|
$675,028,070 |