In a declared disaster area, FEMA and the state of Florida work with the county emergency operations center to distribute funds and resources, clean up debris, and repair roads. Municipalities within a given county have a seat in the emergency operations center and help guide the dispatching of equipment and communicate the community’s needs.

There can be up-front costs to local governments for disaster cleanup. However, as long as everything is done correctly to FEMA’s marching orders, most of these expenses are reimbursed. The municipality would be responsible for a small percentage of the final cost for assets they own.

Being able to front these costs requires that local governments build up a reserve fund for this contingency. The county has such a contingency fund. For new towns, building reserves can take a few years. The feasibility study considers this, ensuring the 5-year projected budget includes enough to build an emergency reserve fund quickly.