FEMA Awards $1,398,396 Grant to Gallatin County: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire 19 flood prone residential structures and raise seven…

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today released $1,398,396 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Gallatin County, Ill., to acquire and demolish 19 residential structures as well as raise seven homes above the base flood elevation in the Ohio River floodplain.

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

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay $1,398,396 or 75 percent of the project’s total cost. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will contribute 25 percent of the remaining funds, or $466,132.

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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