President Barack Obama last week signed Utah’s disaster declaration for the Dec. 1 windstorm that caused widespread damage, particularly in Davis County.
It makes Utah eligible for millions in disaster aid.
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Winds were clocked up to 102 mph during the storm, which left 50,000 people without electricity, toppled hundreds of trees and wreaked havoc on countless structures.
Estimates pegged damage to public infrastructure at $4.1 million. That exceeds the threshold of $3.6 million before such aid can be considered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Last month FEMA officials, along with Utah, Davis County and municipal leaders, put together storm damage estimates. A disaster declaration by Gov. Gary Herbert was then forwarded to the Obama administration.
FEMA aid will amount to 75 percent of the estimated damage to public infrastructure. Local governments will pay the rest of the bill. Private property is not covered by FEMA.
Emergency repairs were made so facilities in Davis County and cities such as Kaysville and Bountiful could get through the winter months. Still, many more repairs are needed.
The president’s declaration will launch the federal government process that eventually will result in reimbursement. But it may take weeks or even months before the funding arrives, Bountiful City Manager Tom Hardy said.
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