Provo Withdraws Federal Disaster Aid Application

Provo, Utah, will not seek federal aid to help rebuild public areas that were destroyed during an extraordinary 12-minute storm.

City officials said they were withdrawing a disaster declaration made after the storm swept through Provo on Aug. 1. Federal help is unlikely because insurance should cover much of the damage.

“It just became obvious to us that once they meet the requirements of their coverage, it’s not enough to trigger the federal minimums,” city spokeswoman Raylene Ireland said.

To qualify for the federal designation, a certain percentage of damaged public property must lack insurance.

The city still is figuring out how to make up for damage not covered by insurance. Ireland said the money most likely will come from city coffers, but no decision has been made. The storm caused damage worth an estimated $13.2 million.