Arizona makes $200,000 available to DEMA for storm recovery

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs declared a state of emergency covering Navajo and Coconino counties on Oct. 30, after severe weather from Oct. 20 through 22. Her office said she directed $200,000 from the state general fund to be made available to the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs’ Division of Emergency Management for response and recovery.

Navajo County sought state aid before the declaration i

Navajo County submitted an application for state financial assistance on Oct. 28, two days before the state declaration. The governor’s office said the county cited power outages, property damage, blocked roads and potential public-health and safety threats. The dates place the county’s request before the broader state action.

Before Oct. 30, Navajo County’s Board of Supervisors had declared a local emergency, and state Rep. Walt Blackman had formally asked Hobbs for a state declaration, Arizona’s Family reported. The outlet also reported on Oct. 28 that Hobbs had declined a state declaration earlier that week.

In Heber-Overgaard, the National Weather Service rated the tornado EF-1, with estimated winds of up to 110 mph and a path about 9.25 miles long in 11 minutes. It damaged homes, trees and a commercial building, KNAU reported. By Oct. 28, residents and town leaders were still cleaning up, with volunteers helping, Arizona’s Family reported.

Funds are for state emergency management i

Does the $200,000 mean direct payments to residents? The governor’s announcement makes the funds available to DEMA’s emergency-management division for response and recovery; it does not identify direct resident assistance or specify how the money will be divided between the counties. The announcement also gives no distribution timeline.