Hurricane Helene Federal Disaster Recovery Funding

Almost exactly two years to the day from when Hurricane Ian (Category 4) struck Florida's western coast near Cayo Costa, Florida, on Sept. 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene, also a catastrophic Category 4 storm with winds topping 140 mph and a storm surge of up to 20 feet, made landfall on Florida's Big Bend 10 miles west of Perry, Florida.

In preparation for such, President Biden signed a major disaster declaration for the multi-state region, which authorized a number of federal disaster assistance programs ranging from individual assistance and public assistance through FEMA to Emergency Forest Restoration and the Livestock Indemnity Programs at USDA.

This alert outlines certain programs crucial to both immediate relief and more long-term assistance focused on displaced populations, debris removal, and restoring electricity, communications and other systems and utilities.

The Adams and Reese Crisis Preparedness and Response team will continue to monitor the availability of other programs or assistance as they become available and will update this list accordingly.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• Public Assistance (PA) Program
• Individual Assistance Program
• Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
• Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV)

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

• Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program
• Disaster Loan Program
  
  
  • Personal Property Disaster Loans
  • Real Property Disaster Loans
  • Business Physical Disaster Loans

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

• Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)
• Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP)
• Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)
• Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP)
• Tree Assistance Program (TAP)
• Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP)
• Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWPP)
• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
• Crop Insurance
• Forest Service
• Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Disaster Assistance
• Rural Development Disaster Assistance

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program – Disaster Recovery
• Community Development Block Grant Program Funds for Post-Disaster Assistance
• Emergency Short-Term Assistance
• Hazard Insurance Deductible
• Public Services
• FHA Mortgage Assistance

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

• National Center for Environmental Health
• Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance Program (ERHMS)
• Public Health Communications
• Center for Preparedness and Response
• Worker Training Program
• Hospital Preparedness Program
• emPOWER Initiative
• Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Resources for Health Centers Program
• Policy Information Notice 2007-16: Federal Tort Claims Act Coverage for Health Center Program Grantees Responding to Emergencies
• 340 Flexibilities During Disasters
• Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program
• 1135 Waivers
• Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
• Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC)
• Disaster Assistance for State Units on Aging

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

• National Center for Disaster Fraud

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
• Maritime Administration (MARAD)
• Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
• Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
• Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)

U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)

• Economic Development Administration (EDA) Disaster Recovery
  
  
  • Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program
  • Economic Recovery Support Function (RSF)
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Disaster Recovery
  
  • Fishery Disaster Assistance
  • National Ocean Service (NOS)
  • National Hurricane Center (NHC)
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
  
  
  • Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program
  • Disaster and Failure Studies Program
• S. Census Bureau Responders Assistance

U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)

• Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)
• National Dislocated Worker Grants
• Worker Safety Guidance

U.S. Department of Education (Ed)

• Hurricane Disaster Assistance
• Non-Regulatory Guidance on Flexibility for Grantees Impacted by Disasters
• Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance (REMS TA) Center

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

• Veterans Health
• Veteran Home Loans
• Veteran Education
• Employment Adjustment Allowance
• Rapid Re-Housing and Rental Assistance
• Adapted Housing
• Automobile and Adaptive Equipment
• Pension Benefit Assistance Post-Disaster
• Debt Management Center
• Memorial Affairs

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Drinking Water and Wastewater Resilience Programs
• Community Revitalization Assistance

Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)

• AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams (A-DRTs)
• NCCC-FEMA Corps
• Senior Corps RSVP
• CNCS Disaster Cadre

Other Federal Programs and Partners

• American Red Cross
• Export-Import Bank 
  
  • Working Capital Guarantee Program
  • Multi-Buyer and Single-Buyer Insurance Programs
  • Medium-Term Guarantee Program

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.