Utah Department of Public Safety

News release – Utah Requests Major Disaster Declaration from President for Flooding

UPDATE 4/21/17: Utah has received a major disaster declaration from the president.

Revised estimates are now $5.9 million in estimated infrastructure damages

For immediate release

April 7, 2017

Contact:

Joe Dougherty, public information officer
Utah Division of Emergency Management
jdougherty@utah.gov
801-538-3738

 

SALT LAKE CITY – The State of Utah has requested that President Trump declare a major disaster (PDF  Word) for Utah as a result of February flooding in Box Elder and Cache counties.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently validated Utah’s revised estimates of $5.98 million in damages to public infrastructure.

To support the flood response and to protect property and public safety, Gov. Gary R. Herbert activated state resources from the Utah Highway Patrol, Utah Division of Emergency Management, Utah Department of Transportation and Utah Geological Survey. If President Trump declares a major disaster for Utah, FEMA would reimburse 75 percent of eligible disaster costs — helping Utah’s cities and counties recover.

The governor has requested that the president make available FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Program, which is designed to help rebuild public infrastructure, and FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, to protect against future disasters. Road damage accounts for most of Utah’s damage estimate, with other costs relating to emergency protective work and debris removal.

Gov. Herbert issued an executive order on March 31 declaring a “State of Emergency” in Utah as a result of flooding in Box Elder and Cache counties between Feb. 7 and Feb. 27.

The Governor’s executive order (PDF   Word) notes that flooding caused severe damage to roads, bridges, culverts, homes, businesses, utilities, and to other private and public facilities and agriculture, overburdening the communities. See the March 31 press release here.

See the current State of Utah Emergency Operations Center status here.

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The Utah Division of Emergency Management (dem.utah.gov) is the State’s lead agency for coordinating state resources in a disaster. Utah DEM also conducts emergency preparedness efforts before a disaster through its Be Ready Utah program (BeReadyUtah.gov). Be Ready Utah aims to help families, businesses, schools and communities get ready for disaster. CERT belongs to the Be Ready Utah communities initiative.

Tags: declaration, FEMA, flooding, jdougherty, utflood