Concord, NH – Governor Chris Sununu announced today that President Joe Biden granted his request for a major disaster declaration in response to the storm that severely damaged communities across New Hampshire from December 22-25, 2022. Belknap, Carroll, Coos and Grafton counties are included in the declaration.

    "This disaster declaration will afford communities affected by the storm the opportunity to rebuild and recuperate costs incurred fixing the damages," said Governor Chris Sununu. "The state will continue to work with officials in all four counties to utilize these relief dollars as efficiently and expeditiously as possible."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), working with State and local emergency management officials, recently completed a Preliminary Damage Assessment, finding that the statewide cost for response efforts related to this event totaled $3,102,420.

The declaration allows communities in Belknap, Carroll, Coos and Grafton counties to move forward with seeking federal funding assistance.

    "Communities now can start to work toward recovering costs from storm cleanup," said Robert Buxton, Director of The New Hampshire Department of Safety's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM). "We will continue to guide communities through the process of making repairs and mitigation projects to prevent similar problems in the future."

The President's declaration also makes federal support available through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide and the Public Assistance Program. The purpose of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable the implementation of mitigation measures during the immediate recovery from a disaster. FEMA can fund up to 75 percent of the eligible costs of approved projects. The Public Assistance Program provides grants to state and local governments to assist with disaster recovery, including debris removal, emergency protective measures, and permanent restoration of infrastructure.

HSEM will contact communities in the affected counties to set up briefings to explain the process of applying for assistance. The briefings will be a combination of in-person and online. Agencies that are eligible for receiving assistance include local, county and state agencies as well as nonprofits that provide critical services.