Nine Northeast Georgia counties are among 21 counties statewide set to receive federal financial assistance for cleanup related to Tropical Storm Zeta. The assistance was freed up after President Donald Trump approved a federal disaster declaration request from Gov. Brian Kemp.
Kemp filed his request last year based on joint federal, state, and local preliminary damage assessments totaling more than $22 million following the October storm. On January 13, the head of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency announced the request was approved.
“The declaration will provide resources to help offset the costs of Tropical Storm Zeta,” says GEMA Director Chris Stallings. “It will be a great help to the communities recovering from this event.”
Public assistance will now be available to state and local governments and qualified not-for-profit organizations in Banks, Carroll, Cherokee, Dawson, Douglas, Fannin, Forsyth, Franklin, Gilmer, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Heard, Lumpkin, Paulding, Pickens, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, and White counties.
The federal government will provide financial aid for debris removal and repairs to roads, bridges, and power infrastructure for up to 75% of the cost of the project. That could translate into tens of thousands of dollars in reimbursement funds.
White County spent approximately $120,000 on Zeta response and recovery. If that amount is fully reimbursed, it would return approximately $90,000 to county coffers. Understandably, White County Public Safety Director David Murphy says, “We are excited to receive the declaration.”
Habersham County reported approximately $100,000 in damage, according to county emergency management agency director Lynn Smith.
A deadly, damaging storm
Tropical Storm Zeta swept across Georgia in the early morning hours of Oct. 29, 2020. Packing wind gusts of up to 60 mph, the storm toppled thousands of trees, damaged homes and businesses, and knocked out power to nearly one million Georgians.
At least three people died in the state as a result of the storm which came at a particularly vulnerable time for areas such as Habersham County. When Zeta hit, Habersham was still under a local state of emergency due to damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Delta two weeks earlier.
“We were able to turn in labor and material used only. That was the only damage we had other than overtime for the storm,” says Smith. “Unfortunately, there is nothing at this time for property owners, but it may come as we get deeper into this.”
The federal disaster declaration does not provide direct relief to private property owners, only public infrastructure. However, it does free up the U.S. Small Business Administration to offer low-interest disaster loans to certain Private Non-Profit organizations in Georgia.
Non-critical PNP organizations such as museums, libraries, homeless shelters, senior centers, and educational facilities may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. The interest rate is 2.75% with terms up to 30 years.
In addition, under the declaration, all areas in the State of Georgia are eligible for assistance under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. According to FEMA’s website, this program provides funding for “any sustainable action” that reduces or eliminates long-term risk to people and property from future disasters.
This article has been updated to include Habersham County’s damage assessment costs
