The Federal Emergency Management Agency has obligated about $1.1 million dollars to Grundy County in reimbursement funds so far for flooding last year. That is according to Emergency Management Director Glen Briggs who notes the amount involves estimates from townships.
FEMA has yet to obligate funds to several projects, and Briggs notes that could push the countywide reimbursement to close to or more than $2 million for last year’s flooding. Projects FEMA has not obligated funds to yet include the Barry and Sand Hill bridges. Preliminary damage assessments on those bridges came in at $130,000 to $300,000. Repair costs are still being worked on for Trenton river pump stations, and townships do not have obligations yet from FEMA.
County-level site inspections are finished. Townships are still working on the site inspection process.
Briggs says some projects FEMA has obligated funds to include repairs to bridge approaches and back walls as well as culverts. There has also been township grading work. He is optimistic reimbursements will be finished for Grundy County by the end of July.
He notes this process has been “abnormally slow” and “very unusual” because FEMA dealt with multiple disasters last year in multiple parts of the country. The COVID-19 pandemic also halted site inspections.
