FEMA Should Recover $764,968 of Public Assistance Program Grant Funds Awarded to the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii

The Hawaii State Civil Defense (State), a FEMA grantee, awarded the University $22,488,551 for costs resulting from severe floods and flash flooding on October 30, 2004. The award provided 75 percent FEMA funding for 32 large projects and 51 small projects. Our audit covered the period from October 2004 to December 2011, the date FEMA closed the University's subgrant application. We 11udited eight large projects, with total costs of $24,595,158 ($16, 772,672 after insurance reductions). We decided to audit this grant, in part, due to the significant amount of funds associated with the grant; the delay from when the disaster occurred to its declaration; and other issues that came to our attention pertaining to the University's accounting and procurement practices.