Monterey County appeals FEMA’s denial of reimbursement for repairs done after 2020 Carmel Fire

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- Monterey County is appealing the denial of about $1.5 million in reimbursements from FEMA for repairs done to Cachagua Road after the 2020 Carmel Fire.

A letter from the State Office of Emergency Services shared by the county details some of the work completed was to fix culverts and roads that help in case of emergencies along Cachagua Road.

FEMA's denial, according to State OES was due to FEMA's inability to complete an Environmental and Historic Preservation review prior to the project.

The appeal notice from State OES indicates the project was important to complete as soon as it was safe to do so because the road is narrow, winding and has several culvert crossings. It also is an important connection between Carmel Valley Road and Tassajara Road.

"The record will demonstrate that the circumstances [to restore access for residents] were exigent -- within weeks of work completion, atmospheric river rainfall events impacted the Monterey County region. These burned areas released substantial amounts of mudflows and debris flows from these denuded and hydrophobic soils."

The letter states the work completed mitigated debris flow impacts and helped prevent property owners from being trapped at home.

You can read the letter in its entirety below.

We also reached out to FEMA for comment but haven't heard back.