How ICMA Members Can Support Communities Impacted by Recent Hurricanes:

• East Tennessee “Neighbor to Neighbor Disaster Relief Fund” – this fund is exclusively being used in East Tennessee to empower local nonprofits and agencies to rescue and recover communities facing devastating impacts from Hurricane Helene.
   
• The North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund has been set up by the State of North Carolina, with United Way of NC acting as the fiscal agent for the fund. Funds will be used to help provide for immediate unmet needs through reimbursements to nonprofits working with disaster survivors.
   
• The Civic Local Foundation is partnering with the North Carolina Association of Regional Councils of Government to provide financial support to individuals impacted by Hurricane Helene. All proceeds will be donated to NCARCOG and distributed to local government communities, employees, and supporting organizations in the impacted regions on their behalf.
   
• The Florida Disaster Fund is the State of Florida’s official private fund established to assist Florida’s communities as they respond to and recover during times of emergency or disaster. 
   
• The Red Cross is accepting donations that allow it to offer food, shelter, supplies, and emotional support to victims of the crisis. 
   
• Donations to the Salvation Army will be used for the distribution of emergency aid, food, and critical supplies to survivors and rescue workers in impacted states.
   
• Feeding America is collecting funds to provide meals and supplies to impacted areas.

Hurricane Recovery Resources for Impacted Communities:

Federal Resources

• FEMA's Public Assistance (PA) program is a critical resource for local governments facing the aftermath of major disasters. This program provides federal funding to help eligible state and local governments, as well as certain private nonprofit organizations, repair or replace disaster-damaged infrastructure. PA funds can be used to cover the costs of debris removal, emergency protective measures, repairs to public facilities, and other eligible expenses. By leveraging PA funds, local governments can expedite the recovery process and ensure that their communities are able to rebuild and bounce back from the effects of a disaster.
  
  The President has approved a Major Disaster declaration for areas in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia impacted by Hurricane Helene. Local governments in the areas covered by the declaration are eligible to apply for FEMA's Public Assistance program.
  
  Federal Public Assistance Program Cost Share for Hurricane Helene
  • Florida, Georgia, South Carolina - Federal funds for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance under the Public Assistance program has been increased to 100% of the total eligible costs for a period of 90 days of the state’s choosing within the first 120 days from the start of the incident period.
  • North Carolina - The federal cost-share to has been increased from 75% to 100% of the total eligible costs for the first 180 days of the incident period.
  • Tennessee - For a period of 45 days of the state’s choosing within the first 120 days from the start of the incident period, assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program is authorized at 100% of the total eligible costs.
• FEMA’s Individual Assistance (IA) program provides a range of resources to individuals and families affected by a disaster. These resources can include: housing assistance, home repair assistance, personal property replacement, medical and dental assistance, transportation assistance, and assistance with funeral expenses.

• SBA Disaster Assistance Loans – The U.S. Small Business Administration offers low-interest disaster loans to help homeowners, renters, nonprofits, and businesses of all sizes recover from declared disasters.

  Types of Available Disaster Loans

  • Home Disaster Loans - Loans to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate and personal property, including automobiles.
  • Business Physical Disaster Loans - Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property owned by the business, including real estate, inventories, supplies, machinery and equipment. Businesses of any size are eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, private universities, etc., are also eligible.
  • Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) - Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period.
     
• CDBG Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) - HUD provides flexible Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to help cities, counties, and states to recover from Presidentially declared disasters.
   
• CDBG Mitigation Funds - Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) provides funding to eligible grantees in areas impacted by recent disasters to use this assistance to carry out strategic and high-impact activities to mitigate disaster risks and reduce future losses.

ICMA Resources

EJ TCTAC - The Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC), powered by ICMA, provides free support to local governments, tribes, and community-based organizations, particularly those facing environmental challenges. TCTAC offers tailored resources, peer-learning opportunities, and expert guidance to help strengthen community responses to environmental justice issues and climate-related challenges. Through its collaborative framework, TCTAC connects local leaders with environmental experts, federal and state resources, and non-governmental organizations. The program also offers training, webinars, and technical workshops, ensuring that communities have the tools and knowledge needed to build resilience and address long-term environmental concerns. To learn more, visit our website https://tctac.icma.org/ or email us at tctac@icma.org  

Disaster Recovery Essentials – an ICMA Leading Edge Research Report which provides tools for preparing your community to face the unexpected.  

Leadership and Professional Local Government Managers: Before, During, and After a Crisis – an ICMA Leading Edge Research Report showcasing leadership and management skills and techniques that professional managers deploy when a crisis strikes.

Considerations for Local Government Leaders Post-Hurricane - key considerations that should guide local government leaders as they approach community recovery efforts.

ICMA Experts Offer Advice on Hurricane Recovery - a blog post highlighting resources and strategies to guide disaster recovery.

Rebuilding after Disaster Strikes – In partnership with IEDC, ICMA developed a series of 7 case studies highlighting best practices in disaster recovery.

Disaster Recovery Podcast - William Whitson joins ICMA's Voices in Local Government podcast to cover the most critical points in disaster recovery.

Podcast - Reacting, Recovering, and Rebuilding from Hurricane Disaster - Paul Shives, business administrator of Tom's River, New Jersey, looks back at preparedness and response efforts, talk about the community's challenges - then and now, and reveals leadership lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy, the worst natural disaster in the state's history.

Disaster Recovery for the Long Haul - Advice on how managers consumed by the immediate disaster response can begin  to engage the community stakeholders in conversations about the future.

Partner Resources

Restore Your Economy - Case studies, publications, reports, and webinars on disaster economic recovery. (IEDC and U.S. EDA)

Leadership in Times of Crisis: A Toolkit for Economic Recovery and Resiliency (IEDC and U.S. EDA) 

Lessons in Emergency Communications from Hurricane Ian - A Granicus webinar featuring local government communicators, representing the City of North Port and Sarasota County, Florida, who share their invaluable experiences and insights communicating effectively during a natural disaster. Q&A responses from the webinar can be found here. 

Communicating in an Emergency - Expert Guidance on Getting it Right - A Granicus webinar featuring local government professionals and their guidance on how to communicate effectively with the public during an emergency, when details are constantly changing. Read the webinar recap blog here. 

Keeping Calm in an Emergency - A Granicus blog outlining how having an emergency communications in place helps keep a local government calm during a crisis.