Brownlow Utility District to Receive $1 Million to Repair Crackers Neck Road Waterline

FEMA has approved more than $1 million to repair the waterline that runs along Crackers Neck Road and serves the community near Vaught Creek, which was damaged after Tropical Storm Helene swept across Eastern Tennessee in late September. 

FEMA’s Public Assistance program will cover eligible costs to remove the current waterline and replace it on the opposite side of the roadway.

The total project cost is $1,340,800. The federal cost share is $1,005,600.

Because Public Assistance is a cost-sharing program, FEMA reimburses applicants 75% of the eligible cost of approved projects. The federal share is paid directly to the state to disburse to agencies, local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations that incurred those costs. The remaining 25% represents nonfederal funds. 

The Public Assistance program is FEMA’s largest grant program, providing funding to help communities responding to and recovering from presidentially declared disasters or emergencies. Helene swept across Tennessee Sept. 26-30 and the president approved a major disaster declaration on Oct. 2, allowing FEMA to pay for disaster-damaged infrastructure.