FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency -- has announced more than $144 million to help Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas strengthen community resilience, restore critical infrastructure and invest in mitigation measures to reduce future disaster damage. Some of that funding is coming to Cimarron Electric.
According to Jeff Hyatt, chief marketing officer for Cimarron, the $4 million from the federal agency will go toward permanent repairs to the Concho Substation power distribution system after a severe winter storm in 2020.
Hyatt said Cimarron had applied to FEMA, outlining what it wanted to do to make the lines less likely to snap under winter weather pressure. Those improvements included placing poles closer together, using stronger wire, adding reinforcements near the pole connections and using anti-galloping devices that keep the lines from the dangerous, fast up and down motions often associated with high winds.
“Hopefully, this will make the lines more resilient,” he said.
The company had to include an archeological survey with the application because the poles may be relocated and the area could be archeologically sensitive. Once the survey was approved, the application could move ahead “We just found out the funds had been obligated,” Hyatt said Monday. “We’ve been waiting nearly six years. We were cautiously optimistic, and we’d like to start the project soon.”
This funding is part of the $584 million approved nationwide through FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs. These programs help states, local communities, tribes and territories to rebuild safer communities and protect infrastructure from future events. The funding supports the administration’s commitment to improving federal disaster assistance and investing in projects that protect Americans.
FEMA coordinates directly with the state on all recovery and hazard mitigation projects, ensuring recovery is state-led and federally supported.
These projects are part of FEMA’s ongoing support for state and local communities rebuilding from disasters. FEMA remains committed to helping communities recover from hurricanes, severe storms, tornadoes and wildfires and to building resilience for the future.
The FEMA Region 6 office, located in Denton, Texas, partners with 68 Tribal Nations and Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.