EMA says recent flash flood fell short of state/federal assistance thresholds; city to rely on local resources

Greg Gebauer, speaking for the local Emergency Management Agency, briefed councilors on the July flash flooding and why the city did not file a state or federal emergency declaration. Gebauer explained that PEMA and FEMA thresholds for unlocking state or federal assistance include structural flooding of at least 18 inches on the first floor for many homes or a countywide damage total hitting congressional/state thresholds; the storm in Saint Marys produced heavy, short-duration rainfall (about 3 inches in places) but did not meet those numerical criteria.

"We weren't even close there," Gebauer said, summarizing eligibility for state and federal programs and noting that, in most cases when the thresholds are not met, available federal assistance is limited to low-interest loans rather than grants. He also explained that a local emergency declaration—one the mayor or managers can enact with council approval—would give temporary authority (roughly seven days) to reallocate funds and make decisions quickly in an emergency.

Gebauer and staff answered council questions about the survey of damage and eligibility; they said typical federal thresholds also require a minimum number of households or businesses with uninsured losses to qualify for assistance and that public-assistance requests for infrastructure repair typically require very high damage totals (the transcript cites $25,000,000 as a threshold mentioned during the briefing). The EMA team recommended continued coordination with county agencies and noted that mutual aid and local response handled most urgent needs during the incident.