Fema Mitigation Grants Important For Recovery, Protection

LINCROFT, N.J. — FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides important assistance to local, state and tribal governments following a major disaster declaration, both speeding recovery and protecting life and property from future disasters.

With the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, the Federal Emergency Management Agency provides funds to the state to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during recovery from a disaster.

The Hazard Mitigation Grant program can be used to fund projects to protect public or private property as long as the project fits within state and local government mitigation strategies. Funds are sent to the state for distribution.

Examples of projects include:

• Acquiring and relocating structures from hazard-prone areas, such as the $29.5 million acquisition of flood-prone properties in Sayreville.
• Retrofitting structures to protect them from floods, high winds, earthquakes or other natural hazards.
• Constructing certain types of minor and localized flood control projects.
• Constructing safe rooms inside schools or other buildings in tornado-prone areas.
• Helping state, local or tribal governments develop mitigation plans.

Federal funding under FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is made available at the request of a state’s governor following the declaration of a major disaster.

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding is allocated using a sliding scale formula based on the percentage of funds spent on FEMA’s Public and Individual Assistance Programs for each declared major disaster.

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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