Release Number: NR-169

FEMA Approves Over $2 billion in

Public Assistance Funds for the U.S. Virgin Islands

January 17, 2020

U.S. Virgin Islands – Approved funding for the U.S Virgin Islands has surpassed $2.1 billion from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance program (PA).

PA grants have been obligated for emergency protective measures and permanent work throughout the Territory, including:

$1.3 billion for emergency work projects,
$597 million for permanent work, and
$164 million for administrative costs.

FEMA has recently obligated $233 million for the Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (STEP) program and $19.7 million for the V.I. Water and Power Authority (WAPA) to manage long-term recovery projects. These approved amounts pushed PA funding above the $2 billion mark.

STEP was administered by the V.I. Housing Finance Authority under the Emergency Home Repairs VI program. Repairs were made to more than 7,000 storm-damaged homes.

Education, hospitals and strengthening the power grid across the Virgin Islands have received support from the public assistance program. The Agency has obligated over $110 million for 249 temporary modular units and 10 sprung structures for the Territory’s public schools.

FEMA has obligated $68 million for a temporary hospital on the grounds at Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital that was damaged during Hurricane Maria in September 2017. FEMA has also obligated $10.5 million for architectural and engineering design work for the hospital.

The Agency has also approved $1 billion for WAPA’s long-term plan to produce and restore power through its planned resilient electrical grid. Through this, WAPA plans to install over 8,000 composite power poles across the Territory.

FEMA’s PA program will continue to support recovery from the 2017 storms as it incorporates the Bipartisan Budget Act Policy of 2018 (BBA) and PA Alternative Procedures, Section 428 of the Stafford Act, into the Territory’s projects.

The BBA authorizes FEMA to “provide assistance to restore disaster-damaged facilities or systems that provide critical services to an industry-standard without regard to pre-disaster condition.