Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) officials said an immediate allotment of $460,000 in Emergency Relief (ER) funds would address Washington state wildfire damaged infrastructure.
The state experienced hot and dry weather conditions that resulted in multiple ongoing wildfires. High winds in early September aggravated the situation to spur one of the quickest and largest wildfire seasons to erupt in Washington’s history.
The FHWA’s ER program seeks to provide funding for highways and bridges damaged by natural disasters or catastrophic events. Quick release funds represent an initial installment of funds used to restore essential traffic and limit further highway damage, thereby enabling long-term repair work to begin at a more rapid pace.
The wildfires destroyed traffic control devices and other highway infrastructure and charred terrain, which caused slope destabilization and rock crumbling, per authorities, detailing the manner in which the funding allotment enables immediate repairs to roads and bridges and avert further damage.
Per the DOT, $100 million is authorized annually for the ER Program, with Congress periodically providing additional funds for supplemental appropriations.
The total ER obligations for U.S. Territories – American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and Virgin Islands – is limited to $20 million in any fiscal year, according to the DOT.