FEMA Awards $2,698,523 Grant to Des Plaines: Hazard Mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish 21 flood prone structures

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved $2,698,523 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to the City of Des Plaines, Ill., for the acquisition and demolition of 21 residential structures in the Big Bend subdivision located in the Des Plaines River floodplain. Following demolition, these properties will be maintained as permanent open space in the community.

“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 demolition of these homes 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 residents in the Big Bend subdivision 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 them to move out of the floodplain and avoid future heartache and property losses.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the $3,598,030 eligible project cost. The remaining 25 percent of the funds, $899,507 will be provided by Des Plaines through grant funds from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. Additional funding for this project may be released based on the project work schedule and progress.

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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