AMESBURY — Four local cities and towns will be receiving reimbursements to cover some of the costs associated with the December 2008 ice storm, which crippled the region.
The state released $5.5 million in reimbursements to select cities and towns.
Amesbury will receive $23,966, Merrimac 11,122, Salisbury $6,674 and Groveland $2,879.
"We got money a while back, which we used to clean up the debris and fix anything that was broken," Amesbury Emergency Management director Don Swenson said, noting he had yet to be notified by the state money is on the way. "There are still some cables to be fixed and some fences at the schools that were taken down with ice and trees."
The money is in addition to the $49.2 million already distributed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to defray expenses from the storm that left more than a million homes and businesses without power and cost tens of millions of dollars.
In the Bay State, 250,000 customers lost power mainly in the Merrimack Valley and the central part of the state.
Amesbury and Merrimac were some of the hardest hit regions in the area. Power was out for over a week in some places.
"I am happy that the state was able to reimburse cities and towns $5.5 million for expenses related to last year's ice storm," state Rep. Mike Costello D-Newburyport said. "We were fortunate that our communities were not affected by the storm as much as some others, particularly in the western part of the state. I'm sure that Mayor Kezer and (Salisbury) Town Manager Harrington will put their portion of the reimbursement to good use."
The $5.5 million from the state will cover roughly 11 percent of the cost of the storm and will be distributed to 165 communities in Berkshire, Hampshire, Hampden, Franklin, Worcester, Essex, Bristol, Suffolk, and Middlesex counties.
The federal government's share will account for 75 percent of the cost of emergency work, debris clearance and recovery. Cities and towns will be left with the balance, which is roughly 14 percent, according to FEMA.
During the storm, the northern half of Salisbury sustained the most damage after heavy rains turned to ice.
To combat the storm, Salisbury Public Works had to hire contractors to cut down tree limbs and clean up.
"Whatever the town gets, it's a plus," Salisbury Public Works director Don Levesque said, noting he was not expecting much more money. "It will help reimburse the cost of the guys that were out there sanding and salting and hiring contractors."
Levesque said the push for the money coming to the town is from Emergency Management director Bob Cook.
"He had a lot to do with this," Levesque said. "This is money we didn't count on, and if it can help the general funds why not? We're very happy."
Local Reimbursements
Amesbury $23,966
Merrimac $11,122
Salisbury $6,674
Groveland $2,879
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