Annually on October 1, FEMA adjusts the Public Assistance thresholds for County/State indicators and small/large projects.
What are the thresholds as of October 1, 2024?
Any disasters that are declared beginning October 1, 2024, will need to meet new project threshold requirements.
- The State per capita indicator will be $1.89. The County per capita indicator will be $4.72.
- The Small Project threshold will be $4,000 minimum. The Large Project threshold will be $1,062,900.
You can find the history of thresholds at Per Capita Impact Indicator and Project Thresholds | FEMA.gov.
What are Per Capita Indicators?
To qualify for federal disaster assistance, the total scope of damage must be beyond the capabilities and resources of the state and local governments. In assessing the degree of Public Assistance damage, FEMA considers six general areas:
- estimated cost of the assistance,
- localized impacts,
- insurance coverage,
- hazard mitigation,
- recent multiple disasters, and
- programs of other federal assistance.
Although all of these factors are considered, the "estimated cost of assistance" is critical. Generally, FEMA expects to see that a threshold figure of $1 million in Public Assistance damage is met. It also considers whether the statewide per capita damage threshold has been met. Then, FEMA considers localized impacts. In Vermont, localized impact includes meeting a county per capita threshold. Meeting these thresholds indicates a state and county suffered damage beyond their capabilities and resources.
What are Project Thresholds?
FEMA establishes a minimum project threshold for each federal fiscal year. The threshold applies to incidents declared within that fiscal year and is based on the Consumer Price Index. If a project application totals less than the minimum threshold after the Applicant has accounted for all project costs - including insurance proceeds and other reductions to avoid duplication of benefits - the project is ineligible for Public Assistance. In some cases, grouping projects may assist a municipality with meeting the minimum project threshold.
FEMA establishes a dollar threshold for the implementation of Simplified Procedures under Section 422 of the Stafford Act. This threshold defines a project as small or large. FEMA administers funding for Small and Large Projects differently. For Small Projects, FEMA does not adjust estimated costs to the actual incurred amount. For Large Projects that are not capped, FEMA adjusts any estimated costs to the actual incurred amount so that the final approved funding is based on actual costs.