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Disaster Assistance for Government

Looking for information on the COVID-19 FEMA Public Assistance (4499DR-OR) process? Check out the COVID-19 FEMA Public Assistance (4499DR-OR) page.


Following a disaster, local and state governments, special districts, certain private nonprofit organizations and tribal governments may qualify for assistance so that they can quickly respond to and recover from the event. Not all programs, however, are activated for every disaster or event. The determination of which programs are activated is based on the needs found during damage assessment and any subsequent information that may be discovered.  

Grant Programs Available 

Public Assistance

The FEMA Public Assistance program provides financial assistance to local, state and tribal governments, and certain type of private nonprofit (PNP) organizations, to remove debris, provide emergency protective measures, and restore equipment, buildings and other infrastructure damaged by the disaster. The Federal share of assistance is not less than 75 percent of the eligible cost for emergency measures and permanent restoration cost.

Hazard Mitigation Assistance

Hazard Mitigation grants provide funding for measures designed to reduce the effects of hazards and/or vulnerability to public and private property.  

Fire Management Assistance Grant Program (FMAGP)

This federally-funded program provides supplemental financial assistance to state agencies, local governments and tribal governments for wildfire suppression and response activities as a direct result of the fire incident. The FMAGP is a cost share program, 75 percent federal / 25 percent non-federal.  

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Emergency Relief Program

The Emergency Relief (ER) program reimburses states for repairing roads damaged by natural disaster or other external catastrophe. The ER program supplements the resources committed by states and local agencies resulting from extraordinary conditions. 

Natural Resources Conservation Service

The U.S Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program is designed to help people and conserve natural resources by relieving imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms, and other natural occurrences. EWP is an emergency recovery program. EWP Program includes removing debris from stream channels, reshaping and protecting eroded streambanks, repairing levees and flood control structures, and seeding or planting damaged upland areas. All projects undertaken, with the exception of the purchase of floodplain easements, must have a project sponsor.