Gov. John Carney on Thursday signed Executive Order #44, creating the Delaware Resilience Fund Program to assist Delaware families and communities hit by tornadoes and other severe weather this month.
“Many Delaware families saw their homes and communities devastated by back-to-back storms this month,” said Carney. “I’ve seen that devastation first-hand over the past two weeks. We should support our neighbors who have had their lives upended by severe weather – especially during these difficult times. We hope this new program will meet unmet needs in our communities and help Delaware families rebuild.”
The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) will coordinate with community organizations to assist families in making qualifying repairs to homes and properties that are not covered by homeowner’s insurance. DEMA also will work with community organizations to establish a process for citizens to submit requests for aid.
The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) will rate and assess damage to roadways statewide caused by August 2020 storms. In coordination with the Delaware Office of Management and Budget (OMB), DelDOT will designate funding from its Pavement and Rehabilitation Program to repair roadways damaged by severe weather this month.
“It is unfortunate that at times we do not have the ability to assist those greatly impacted after an event like this,” said A.J. Schall, Director of the Delaware Emergency Management Agency. “This program provides us one more option to support partners who assist so many throughout the state. We have been working on a permanent Resiliency Fund, so hopefully we can capture this momentum and continue to build partnerships to be even better prepared for the next event.”
