RINGGOLD, Ga. -- Federal and state officials have approved more than $100,000 in emergency aid to Northwest Georgia, but about $1.5 million is still in the pipeline after September floods damaged roads, public buildings and bridges.
Catoosa County leaders filed the final piece of paperwork Monday for a $468,000 request, joining a $1 million request from Walker County and a $32,000 application from Chattooga County, according to a Georgia Emergency Management Agency spokesman.
Fort Oglethorpe and Trion, two of the harder-hit areas in the region, have applied for aid, but their requests were not available Wednesday from GEMA.
Agency spokesman Buzz Weiss said all the numbers could still change if some damage doesn't qualify or if additional damages do make the cut.
"Any of this post-disaster stuff is a work in progress," he said.
The Georgia and federal emergency management agencies have approved $42,000 for Chickamauga, $60,000 for Rossville and $10,000 for Catoosa County Schools.
Rossville Vice Mayor Teddy Harris said most of the city's emergency money went to repair a drainage ditch and a ballpark, which the small town couldn't have afforded to do on its own.
"The floods destroyed a lot of things down there," he said.
Catoosa County leaders say they would use the most of their grant to repair pavement and install a box culvert on Mount Pisgah Road, a project budgeted at $300,000.
"That's pretty significant," County Commission Chairman Keith Greene said. "That pretty much covers the damages."
Mr. Weiss said there is no timetable on when the money might come through.
"Particularly with a flood, it can take a while to get a handle on the damage," he said. "We're hoping that it doesn't take an extended period of time."
FLOOD AID
Money applied for
$468,000: Catoosa County
$1 million: Walker County
$32,000: Chattooga County
Money approved
$42,000: Chickamauga
$60,000: Rossville
$10,000: Catoosa County Schools.
Source: GEMA, Catoosa County Commission