County receives final reimbursement check for 2016 storm

Jun. 30—Hurricane Matthew did not make a direct strike on the Golden Isles in October 2016, but it downed thousands of trees, which caused widespread power outages, blocked roads and damaged rooftops.

The total cost in damages was estimated at more than $10.9 million. About 90% of the cleanup and recovery was covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Georgia Emergency Management Agency.

Among the many lessons county officials learned from Hurricane Matthew is patience when it comes to federal help paying for the damages.

Katie Baasen, county public information officer, said Glynn County has received its final reimbursement for work completed years ago.

"I don't think people realize how long it takes for these reimbursements," she said. "There is lots of paperwork."

A wall of boxes contains all the documentation the county had to file to receive the money to help pay the recovery costs.

Matthew downed thousands of trees throughout the Golden Isles. Immediately after the storm's passing, Georgia Power reported virtually countywide outages.

By Oct. 6, county officials had extended an earlier mandatory evacuation of the barrier island ahead of the storm to a standing order for the whole county.

Among the emergency expenditures approved for reimbursement were debris pickup on public roads, repairs to roads and structures, preventative measures and mosquito control.

Bassen said she didn't know the exact amount of the final check, but there is still some hurricane reimbursement money coming. The county is still owed $800,000 from Hurricane Irma, a storm that struck the Golden Isles in 2017.

As for the length of time it took to get repaid for the recovery from Hurricane Matthew, Bassen said nobody thought it would take seven years to get repaid.

"That's government," she said. "That's FEMA and GEMA."