Federal Relief Authorized for Natrona County Flood Damage

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(TNS) – Nearly three months after an unusually severe flood tore up roads and swamped homes throughout Natrona County, President Joe Biden on Monday officially declared the event a disaster — opening up opportunities for state and local governments, as well as some nonprofits, to receive a helping hand from the federal government as they work to address the damage.

Heavy rain descended on Natrona County on June 15, causing widespread flooding that temporarily shut down several public facilities and streets around Casper.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s preliminary assessment of damages to uninsured public infrastructure came in at about $1.6 million, said Ashley Paulsrud, grants and finance section chief for the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security.

Following Biden’s announcement, governments and some nonprofits in Natrona County are eligible for certain federal cost-sharing programs to help address that damage, according to a Monday announcement from the federal agency. The money can only be used to help restore or replace public property, Paulsrud said.

Governing bodies around the state can also apply for help with hazard mitigation efforts, which help make infrastructure more resilient against future disasters, according to the announcement.

State officials were expected to meet with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a matter of days to figure out next steps.

“And at this meeting, we’ll kind of weigh out what our timeline looks like for project development and implementation of the public assistance programs in Natrona County,” Paulsrud said. “So now the process is really just going back to these jurisdictions, documenting and writing up the projects or repairs and then getting those projects obligated through the public assistance program.”

The state has also applied for individual disaster assistance from the federal agency, which could help repair private property damaged in the flood. As of Tuesday, that request was still under review.