The ARPC’s Disaster Resilience program is grant-funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA) and is directed toward ongoing work with local, county and regional economic development organizations and public entities to identify viable projects for economic recovery in the wake of Hurricane Michael and to build toward more resilient communities that can withstand, and be prepared for, future natural disasters.
Currently, these efforts are geared toward economic development projects that may be eligible for grant funding under EDA’s allocation of the federal disaster relief package supporting recovery of communities impacted by Presidentially declared natural disasters in 2018 and 2019.
EDA DISASTER RELIEF FUNDING TO THE SOUTHEAST
From the $587 million released to nationally aid communities impacted by the presidentially declared natural disasters in 2018 and floods and tornadoes in 2019, $140 million has been allocated to EDA’s eight (8)-state Atlanta Region. Each of these 8 states have counties that are eligible to apply for the disaster relief funding due to the impacts of Hurricanes Florence and Michael, as well as other areas impacted by floods and tornadoes. In all, over 300 counties are eligible to apply throughout the Atlanta Region, which will make the competition for the disaster relief funding greater than the Administration’s annual rolling grant program.