CONCORD – On Tuesday, President Joe Biden granted Gov. Chris Sununu’s request for a major disaster declaration in response to a severe storm and flooding in the month of December that resulted in significant costs to local communities. Carroll, Coos and Grafton counties are included in the declaration.
 
“This disaster declaration provides the opportunity for those communities that experienced extensive damage from the severe storm to recuperate costs incurred while fixing damages,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “The state will continue to work with officials in all three counties to utilize relief funding as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
 
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), working with State and local emergency management officials, recently completed a Preliminary Damage Assessment, finding that the statewide cost for response efforts related to this event totaled $2,642,481.
 
The declaration allows communities in the three counties to move forward with seeking federal funding assistance.
 
“We want to thank all the communities statewide who participated in the preliminary damage assessment process,” said Robert Buxton, Director of The New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM). “This participation helped us meet the state threshold to make this disaster declaration possible. We will continue to assist communities with the process of making repairs and working on mitigation projects to prevent similar problems in the future.”
 
The President’s declaration also makes federal support available through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide and the Public Assistance Program. The purpose of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable the implementation of mitigation measures during the immediate recovery from a disaster. FEMA can fund up to 75 percent of the eligible costs of approved projects. The Public Assistance Program provides grants to state and local governments to assist with disaster recovery, including debris removal, emergency protective measures, and permanent restoration of infrastructure.
 
HSEM will contact communities in the affected counties to set up briefings to explain the process of applying for assistance. The briefings will be a combination of in-person and online. Agencies that are eligible for receiving assistance include local, county and state agencies as well as nonprofits that provide critical services.