FEMA Awards $656,147 Grant to Clark County: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish 12 flood prone structures

CHICAGO –The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $656,147 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Clark County,Ill., for the acquisition and demolition of 12 residential structures located in the floodplain of the Wabash River and its tributaries. 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 these Clark County 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 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 $874,862 eligible project cost. The remaining 25 percent of the funds, $218,715, will be provided by Clark County.

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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