Governor McDonnell Requests Federal Disaster Assistance for Louisa County Schools
RICHMOND – Governor Bob McDonnell has requested a federal disaster declaration through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help with the cost to repair Louisa County schools that were damaged by the earthquake that struck Aug. 23 and subsequent aftershocks.
The Thomas Jefferson Elementary School and the Louisa County High School sustained the most substantial damage and are closed indefinitely. The county has provided temporary facilities for students until the schools are repaired or rebuilt. Other county schools were damaged as well.
Engineers and state officials have been working with the county and their insurance company since the earthquake to determine the level of damage and insurance coverage. Although the amount of insurance coverage has not been finalized, the estimated repair costs are projected to exceed available and applicable insurance coverage. Engineers hired by the county estimated that the damage was $31 million.
If approved, this disaster assistance would help state and local government recover costs associated with earthquake response, such as damage to critical infrastructure, debris removal and related emergency services.
Later this week, the governor will formally appeal FEMA’s Oct. 7 decision to deny individual assistance to residents whose homes suffered earthquake damage. Additional damage has been identified and information is being finalized to submit with the appeal.
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