The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Thursday that it would send about $4.9 million to Baltimore County for costs associated with severe winter storms in December 2009 and February 2010.

"It's a tremendous help to be reimbursed for some of the unexpected and unbudgeted expenses from last winter's extreme snowstorms, and I give a lot of credit to the Governor and the staff at [the Maryland Emergency Management Agency] for reaching out to us and really going to bat for the local jurisdictions," said County Executive James T. Smith Jr.

The county spent about $20 million on snow removal and other costs associated with the three snowstorms. FEMA has to date awarded more than $30 million to Maryland jurisdictions affected by the snow disasters.

mary.gail.hare@baltsun.com