For fiscal 2017, $160 million is available, including $70 million for community flood mitigation acts, that help address neighborhood-level flooding. Those include floodwater diversion and localized flood-control measures. The rest of the funds will be for mitigation planning, technical assistance and mitigating severe repetitive loss and repetitive loss structures via elevation, acquisition and relocation.
FMA grants are issued to implement strategies that reduce or eliminate the risk of flood damage to structures insured by the National Flood Insurance Program. PDM funds are used for all-hazard mitigation planning and projects like the construction of tornado safe rooms for communities and wind retrofits — enhancements made to strengthen the roof, walls and doors of structures to lessen damage caused by high winds. For fiscal 2017, $90 million in PDM grants is available, including $10 million for federally recognized tribes.
States, territories and the District of Columbia can apply for the statutory allocation of up to $575,000. The rest of the funds will be awarded on a competitive basis with an emphasis on mitigation activities that complement the post-disaster funding available under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and the flood mitigation funding from the FMA program.
“These types of grants are critically important to the well-being of communities all over the country, especially when it comes to reducing future disaster cost,” FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance Division Director Kayed Lakhia said in a press release. “We need to invest now in protecting our homes and families, and help make neighborhoods, cities and towns safer places to live for everyone.”
