Newport officials outline flood recovery plan, FEMA application and community relief steps

Newport city officials on Tuesday gave a status update on recovery from the Sept. flooding, saying the city has begun the FEMA public-assistance process, has recorded emergency purchases made during the response, and is coordinating local relief for flooded residents and businesses.

City leaders said they have filed an initial recovery scoping meeting with FEMA to begin documenting damages and projects eligible for reimbursement and that the city has about 18 months to complete projects submitted to FEMA. Officials said street-department cleanup work is expected to be at least 75% reimbursable and in some cases could reach 100%, but other categories may not be eligible.

The update said the city received equipment valued at about $65,000 — described as boats, trailers and related gear — through prior grant work and awards that concluded just before the flood. City leaders also described a local relief partnership that has distributed roughly $250,000 in grants to about 30 businesses, with the majority of those…