Aid available for cities damaged by nor'easter

The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Thursday granted more than $1 million to help Virginia localities replace and repair infrastructure damaged in November's nor'easter.

The money also will be available to private non profit organizations whose facilities and properties were damaged during the storm.

Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach are among the 12 cities and counties eligible for aid.

The federal disaster grant assistance can pay up to 75 percent of the cost of debris removal and infrastructure repair. The remaining cost will be shared between the commonwealth and the municipalities.

Local cities sustained major damages during the mid-November storm. In Norfolk, officials estimated nearly $5 million in damage to public property. Portsmouth leaders estimated their city had roughly a half-million dollars in city damage and overtime costs.