Administration releases 1st round of disaster relief funds to municipalities

The Healey-Driscoll administration is releasing the first $10 million of disaster relief funding for communities that incurred damage from flooding last year.

The funding comes from a supplemental budget enacted in December that included $15 million for municipalities that experienced damage or incurred emergency response costs from extreme weather over the past year.

This first round will go to 37 cities and towns, primarily in western and central Massachusetts, that suffered damage last summer to roads, culverts and other infrastructure, and incurred extraordinary emergency response costs. (See the administration’s press release for the complete list.)

The neighboring Franklin County towns of Deerfield and Conway received the largest amounts, at $1.58 million and $1.25 million, respectively. Twenty-one communities received amounts below $100,000.

The remaining $5 million will be released in the spring to support municipalities impacted by storms last September.

The administration said municipalities that suffered catastrophic damage due to severe weather needed more support to rebuild. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, a former mayor of Salem, said she knows “first-hand how crucial collaboration is in tackling the biggest challenges facing our 351 cities and towns.”

She announced the release of the funds during the MMA Annual Meeting in Boston on Jan. 20.