Overton County set to receive more than $100,000 in federal reimbursement funds to cover infrastructure damages and emergency costs incurred during February’s winter weather.
Overton County EMA Director Chris Masiongale said FEMA will reimburse local departments for repairs and services. Masiongale said the funding will be distributed back to the highway department and local water districts that suffered significant damage during the freeze.
“It’s meticulous,” Masiongale said. “It has to be. And of course, FEMA this year especially, I’ve had this will be my, I think, my thirteenth presidential declaration disaster, and this year actually I will have to say was one of the best.”
Masiongale said the state of Tennessee must meet a total damage threshold of approximately $13 million to $14 million across all counties to qualify for a federal disaster declaration. Masiongale said Overton County specifically had to document at least $100,000 in infrastructure damage to become eligible for the 75 percent federal cost-share.
“The water departments had lots of leaks because it was that freeze the way that it came, then it warmed up, then froze, and then warmed up and froze up again, made the earth move,” Masiongale said. “And that’s what caused a lot of our major leaks that we had during that timeframe. If you remember, there were people in parts of the county that were without water, and FEMA helped with paying for the tankers that we had to purchase for potable water.”
Masiongale said the reimbursement also covers other contributions, which include the documented time and equipment used by volunteers during the disaster response. Masiongale said tracking the use of volunteer vehicles and donated services increases the total amount of funding the county can recoup.
Masiongale said local agencies have improved their documentation processes over the course of a dozen previous disaster declarations, learning to record GPS coordinates and take photos of all repairs. Masiongale said the highway department and water districts now maintain the specific records the federal government requires for inspection.
“Without this type of work, dedication, and documentation and like I said, there were a lot of people: all the water districts, the highway department, the rescue squad, the ambulance service, the fire departments, the county offices, all of those folks played a big part,” Masiongale said. “And without it, that’s just tax dollars out of our pocket that we’re having to pay to fix things rather than the federal government and state helping us do so.”
Masiongale said the county recently held its final meeting regarding the funding and is now waiting for the federal government to issue the checks.
