Companion Guide to Video March 2016

www.fhwa.dot.gov/federal-aidessentials

When disaster strikes, the Federal Highway 

Administration's (FHWA’s) Emergency 

Relief, or ER, program can help fund repairs 

to roads, bridges, and other infrastructure 

eligible for federal aid. 

Another module in this series provides an 

overview of the ER program. This module 

offers more detailed information about the 

process for requesting ER funds, including 

the initial ER application. An additional 

module gives more information about 

receiving the reimbursement for approved 

ER funding after FHWA approves the 

completed work. 

The ER application process begins after an

official disaster proclamation by a governor 

or the President. To qualify for ER funds, 

affected counties must be included in the 

proclamation. 

Local agencies must apply for ER funding 

through their State department of 

transportation, or DOT. The DOT signals its 

interest by submitting a notice of intent to 

the FHWA division administrator once it 

appears the event will qualify. The division 

administrator responds with an 

acknowledgement letter, authorizing general 

Federal eligibility for initial engineering and 

emergency repairs, and for agency forces to 

do the work. Final ER eligibility and 

reimbursement will be based on DOT 

documentation submitted later showing 

cost, justification, and compliance with 

Federal requirements.

Federal-aid Program Overview

Emergency Relief (ER)

Initial Steps for Requesting ER Funds

A more detailed look at the process for requesting ER funds, including the 

initial ER application
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

Emergency repairs to restore traffic and limit 

the damage to the remaining facilities are 

ongoing. Agencies do not have to wait for 

FHWA funding approval to perform 

emergency repairs, though they do need to 

ensure that routine Federal-aid

requirements are included in all construction 

contracts. 

Even as some emergency repairs begin, the 

DOT does an initial disaster assessment, 

and makes a more detailed request for ER 

funding using either the standard application 

method or the quick-release application 

method. 

In the Standard Application method, State, 

local, and FHWA personnel perform initial 

damage assessments at all or a sampling of 

sites. 

The DOT is responsible to coordinate with 

agencies critical to this effort, such as the 

Office of Federal Lands Highways, and 

other environmental resource agencies. 

Coordination helps to arrive at consistent 

and reliable damage estimates. 

The assessment team can perform drive-by 

inspections, sometimes referred to as 

windshield inspections, to expedite the initial 

ER funds request. However, the team will 

eventually complete detailed site 

inspections to justify the Federal funding. 

The team documents the damage at each 

site with FHWA's Detailed Damage 

Inspection Report form, or DDIR. The report 

lists the specific location and type of 

Federal-aid roadway along with describing 

the damage. Location maps, field site 

sketches, and photographs help document 

the damage. The DDIR also alerts FHWA of 

potential environmental or historical 

impacts, and includes any 

recommendations from the FHWA field 

engineer. 

Inspectors identified the repair work as 

either emergency or permanent, and 

suggest the most feasible and practical 

repair methods. 
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

The FHWA division office then helps the 

DOT compile the damage assessment data 

from the DDIRs to create a Damage Survey 

Summary Report or DSSR. The DSSR is 

the initial application for funds, and 

describes the extent of the emergency 

event and the serious damage to Federalaid roadways and facilities. Serious damage 

is when major or unusual damage severely 

impacts safety or closes the roadway and 

which requires repairs beyond those for 

normal heavy maintenance. 

Once the DOT is satisfied with the data, it

submits the DSSR to FHWA within three 

weeks of the event. FHWA uses the report 

to establish the scope of damage and 

general eligibility. 

If the DOT cannot submit a comprehensive 

application because data from multiple sites 

is still coming in, it can request partial 

funding based on available and credible 

information. The DSSR and the ER 

application evolve as they are updated with 

more information from the detailed 

inspections. The DOT must submit the final 

complete list of projects within two years of 

the date of the disaster. 

The Quick-Release application method is 

another option for State DOTs to request 

the first portion of ER funding. This option 

requires a higher level of Federal approval, 

and is generally reserved for larger events 

where getting some early cash flow is 

important. The quick release method sets 

up conditions for FHWA to allocate and 

release some limited funds for initial 

emergency repair costs as a down payment 

on the ultimate ER repairs. These funds can 

help with emergency repairs related to 

traffic control, detours, and the prevention of 

further damage. 

The Quick-Release application requires the 

DOT’s verbal request, and less detailed 

preliminary damage assessments, 

sometimes using media reports or aerial 

surveys. The time frame is a few days for 

submittal. Later, the DOT must submit 

documentation detailing the remaining 
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

eligible costs using the standard application 

method. 

Let's follow a flood event involving seven 

counties in a Midwestern state to see how 

the emergency relief process works for the 

initial request of funds. 

These counties experienced serious 

flooding over several days. As the 

floodwaters receded, State and local 

officials started emergency operations to 

restore essential traffic and prevent further 

damage to roads and bridges. The governor 

issued an emergency proclamation for all 

seven counties. Next, the DOT e-mailed the 

FHWA division office stating the DOT’s

intent to apply for ER funds. The division 

administrator acknowledged the DOTs 

request. 

The flood impacts were large, so the DOT 

used the Quick-Release application method 

with media reports and aerial surveys 

documenting the initial damage 

assessment. FHWA approved the request, 

and the State received authorization for the 

initial funds within a few days. 

Federal, State, and local officials then 

conducted more detailed damage 

assessment inspections to create the 

Damage Survey Summary Report, which 

was submitted later for all repairs sites 

included in the disaster event. 

State and county officials continue doing 

emergency repairs and awaited approval 

from FHWA to start permanent repairs. 

The governor also requested and received a 

presidential disaster declaration through the 

Federal Emergency Management Agency, 

or FEMA. The FEMA request was separate 

from the FHWA ER program and covered 

items like debris removal and repairs to 

non-Federal-aid highways. 

To learn more about the Emergency Relief 

Program, watch the other ER modules in 

this series. In addition, ER policies and 

procedures, such as the Quick-Release 

application, can change to meet the 

demands of emergency relief support, so 

please contact your State department of 

transportation and FHWA division office for 

the latest information.
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

The content of this 

document is not a 

substitute for 

information obtained 

from State departments 

of transportation, 

appropriate FHWA 

Division Offices, and 

applicable laws. 

Scenarios have been 

simplified for emphasis 

and do not necessarily 

reflect the actual range of 

requirements applicable 

to the scenario or this 

topic. This document

was created under 

contract number 

DTFH63-11-F-00066 by 

the Federal Highway 

Administration, U.S. 

Department of 

Transportation, and is 

offered to the public to 

heighten and focus 

awareness of Federal-aid 

requirements within the 

local public agencies 

community and 

reinforces the 

importance of these 

necessary policies, 

procedures, and 

practices.

This Companion Resource 

is the script content for 

the video production of 

the same name. 

Additional Resources

• FHWA’s Emergency Relief Program Web site

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/erelief.cfm

• FHWA Order 5182.1 - Emergency Relief Program Responsibilities

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/orders/51821.cfm

• FHWA’s Emergency Relief Manual

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/erm/er.pdf

• Emergency Relief questions and answers related to MAP-21

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/qandas/qaer.cfm

• FHWA’s Web site covering Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads 

(ERFO)

http://www.efl.fhwa.dot.gov/programs/erfo.aspx

• FHWA’s Contract Administration Core Curriculum providing an overview 

of Federal contracting requirements

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/contracts/coretoc.cfm

• FEMA’s policy and guidance covering public assistance

http://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-policy-and-guidance

• FEMA facts sheet on debris removal on Federal-aid Highways

http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/29617?id=6640