FEMA PA APPEAL SHORT SUMMARY & LINKS TO FEMA PA APPEAL WEBSITE

This is in response to a letter from your office dated August 7, 2018, which transmitted the referenced second appeal on behalf of St. Lucie County School Board (Applicant). The Applicant is appealing the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) decision to deobligate $553,650.70 in funding for its Administration Building (Facility) in order to reduce assistance by the amount of eligible damage to the Facility sustained in a previous similar disaster, as required under 44 C.F.R § 206.253(b)(2). As explained in the enclosed analysis, I am granting the Applicant’s appeal, because I have determined that the flooding that caused the damage at issue on appeal was not similar to the hurricane wind that caused the previous damage, and therefore the 44 C.F.R. § 206.253(b)(2) prior loss reduction does not apply. Further, the Stafford Act § 705(c) issue raised by the Applicant is now moot, as FEMA is reinstating the $553,650.70 deobligated amount. Please inform the Applicant of my decision. This determination is the final decision on this matter pursuant to 44 C.F.R. § 206.206, Appeals.