Augusta is closing in on recouping the massive expense of Hurricane Helene cleanup from the federal government.
The city’s total damage cost stood at $87.3 million, for debris removal, emergency protective measures and infrastructure damage from the storm, officials said this week.
At just over the one-year mark, about $79 million of the total has been submitted to FEMA for reimbursement, they said.
So far, FEMA has agreed to reimburse the city $49 million, while Augusta has received $34.9 million in reimbursements, a Tuesday statement said.
Another $26.4 million remains ‘under FEMA review,” while $8 million in other costs is under review to be submitted, it said.
“Our recovery progress is a direct result of teamwork, persistence and the dedication of every person involved in this process,” Augusta Administrator Tameka Allen said in a statement.
Augusta is currently fifth in the state “for total obligated funding” from FEMA, the statement said.
The city hired multiple contractors to handle debris removal, monitoring and expense submittal after the storm, including engineering consultants Tetra Tech.
The firm provided a Tuesday update to Augusta commissioners in conjunction with a $300,000 change order that brought the firm’s current total to $1.3 million.
