FEMA Awards $1,643,411 Grant to Pearl City: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish 23 flood prone structures

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released $1,643,411 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Pearl City, Ill., for the acquisition and demolition of 19 residential and four commercial structures located in the floodplain of Yellow Creek.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce the risk of loss of life and property,” said Andrew Velasquez III, regional administrator, FEMA Region V. “The acquisition of these homes and businesses permanently removes the structures from the floodplain and greatly reduces the financial impact on individuals and the community when future flooding occurs in this area.”

“Approval of this grant is good news for Pearl City and its residents who have been devastated by flooding many times in the past,” said Jonathon Monken, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. “The grant will enable people and businesses to move out of the floodplain and avoid future heartache and property losses when Yellow Creek surges over its banks.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay $1,643,411 or 75 percent of the project’s total cost. Pearl City will contribute 25 percent of the remaining funds, or $547,804.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

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