SACRAMENTO – State agencies, local and tribal governments, as well as certain private nonprofit organizations, which sustained damage during severe winter storms from Feb. 1 to Feb. 23, 2017, have until April 25 to submit requests for public assistance to the state of California.

Submitting an RPA to the State is the first step in applying for funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance program.

On April 1, the president approved a major disaster declaration for the state of California. The declaration provides federal funds to help communities recover from severe winter storms, flooding, and mudslides that occurred from Feb. 1 to Feb. 23.

Federal funding is available to state, tribal, eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by severe winter storms, flooding and mudslides in 42 counties: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Mariposa, Merced, Modoc, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba.

Applicants are asked to submit their RPAs to the state by 5 p.m. on April 25.

The state will then submit the requests to FEMA. Requests for public assistance must be received by FEMA within 30 days of the declaration date.

FEMA reimburses applicants for no less than 75 percent of eligible expenses – the remaining 25 percent is the non-federal share. The federal portion is paid directly to the state, which disburses the funds to the applicants.

In addition to Public Assistance Program grants, funds will be available in California under FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, or HMGP, which is a cost-share program administered by the state.

HMGP provides supplemental financial assistance to public entities and certain private nonprofits to reduce risks to life and property in future disasters.

More information about the Public Assistance Program is available at www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit . More information about the HMGP is available at www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-grant-program .

Additional information about the declaration is available at www.fema.gov/disaster/4308 . More information about applying for the Public Assistance Program is available at www.caloes.ca.gov/for-governments-tribal .