Declaration Information
On July 19, 2018, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts received a Major Disaster Declaration (FEMA-4379-DR-MA) for the counties of Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Worcester for the March 13-14, 2018 Nor’easter. This Declaration has activated the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s Public Assistance (PA) Program, including Snow Assistance for these counties, making federal funding available to local governments, state agencies, and eligible private non-profit organizations for eligible disaster-related costs such as emergency work and permanent repair and replacement of facilities damaged as a direct result of the storm.
For information on the Major Disaster Declaration (FEMA-4372-DR-MA) for the March 2-3, 2018 storm, see: /info-details/fema-dr-4372-ma-march-2-3-2018-severe-winter-storm-flooding
Documents
Applicant Briefings
The initial step in seeking funding associated with this Declaration is to participate in an Applicant Briefing, which provides details on eligible expenses and costs incurred as a result of the storm, as well as the reimbursement process for applying for and receiving federal funds under the PA Program.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) will conduct five (5) in-person Applicant Briefings. The schedule for the briefings is detailed below. It is imperative that appropriate representatives from your community, including a representative from your fiscal department, attend an applicant briefing - even if your community has been previously engaged in the PA Program for other disaster declarations - as there have been several process, policy, and fiscal compliance changes to the FEMA PA Program that may directly affect your reimbursement. It is also important that appropriate representatives participate, even if they attended an Applicant Briefing for the March 2-3, 2018 storms, as information detailing eligible costs associated with snow clearance operations will be provided.
Each Applicant Briefing will include an overview and training session on the new FEMA Grants Portal online system. Each community seeking reimbursement under the PA Program will be required to have a log in and use the new FEMA Grants Portal throughout the reimbursement process. The FEMA Grants Portal is the tool Applicants will use to upload their Request for Public Assistance (RPA) Application as well as all necessary project information and documentation for FEMA review. If you attended this training as part of a recent Applicant Briefing for the March 2-3, 2018 storms, you will not need to stay for this portion of the briefing.
All applicants who wish to receive PA funding must register for a Grants Portal account. To register for a FEMA Grants Portal account, please contact disaster.recovery@mass.gov prior to your Applicant Briefing. If you already are a registered user in the system, you may log into your account now and submit an RPA for your organization. If you have forgotten your password to the Grants Portal, please e-mail disaster.recovery@mass.gov or contact any member of the Disaster Recovery Unit for assistance.
If you are aware of a private non-profit, regional school district, or public light/electric department in your community that suffered damage or incurred snow removal costs, please advise them of these briefings, as they too, may be eligible to receive reimbursement for their eligible expenses.
Should you have any questions regarding these briefings, please contact a member of the Disaster Recovery Unit:
- Lorraine Eddy – 508-820-2055 or lorraine.eddy@mass.gov
- Andrew Poliferno – 508-820-2003 or andrew.poliferno@mass.gov
| Date | County | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday August 1, 2018 | Middlesex | 1:00PM - 4:00PM |
UMASS Lowell, University Crossing, 220 Pawtucket Blvd, Lowell, MA |
| Thursday August 2, 2018 |
Essex (Choose 1) |
8:30AM - 11:30AM 1:00PM - 4:00PM |
Mass Task Force 1 Complex, 43 Airport Road, Beverly, MA |
| Monday August 6, 2018 | Norfolk/Suffolk | 8:30AM - 12:30PM | Four Points Sheraton, 1125 Boston Providence Highway, Norwood, MA |
| Tuesday August 7, 2018 | Worcester | 9:00AM - 12:30PM | MA Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA |
Applicant Briefing Presentation
DR 4379 March 13-14 2018 Winter Storm Applicant Briefing Presentation
Public Assistance Delivery Model Process
FEMA has developed a new Public Assistance grant administration process in order to encourage transparency, consistency, and accountability. FEMA’s New Public Assistance Delivery Model became mandatory for all disasters declared on or after September 13, 2017. To learn more, see: FEMA Public Assistance: Local, State, Tribal and Non-Profit.
Private Non-Profit Information
Private non-profit organizations in the declared counties are encouraged to attend the applicant briefings. Depending on the types of services provided and costs incurred, private non-profits may be eligible for assistance under this PA program or under the Small Business Administration’s Disaster Loan Program.
For more information about PNP eligibility, see FEMA's Public Assistance: Policy and Guidance
PNP applicants must submit their RPA using the Grants Portal and are also required to upload the below PNP documents in the portal as part of their application.
Additional Resources
Snow Assistance
This disaster declaration does include Snow Assistance, as declared counties met their county and statewide cost thresholds and received near record or record snowfall. Reimbursement for Snow Assistance as part of a Disaster Declaration is limited to a continuous 48 hour period to address the most critical emergency snow removal needs. Eligible snow assistance costs include, but are not limited to, salting, sanding, de-icing, and plowing. Snow Assistance is considered a Category B, Emergency Protective Measure, under FEMA’s Public Assistance program in which each applicant designates the beginning of its 48-hour time period of snow removal costs to submit to FEMA for reimbursement.
Applicants that are submitting for reimbursement of Snow Assistance costs must complete the below snow assistance cover letter to include with their reimbursement documents.