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Acquisition: Rebuilding Homes and Lives on Safer Ground

LINCROFT, N.J.– In New Jersey, Superstorm Sandy destroyed or damaged 40,500 primary residences. Two years ago, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, FEMA granted nearly $152 million to New Jersey for housing assistance. After Hurricane Floyd, just over a decade before Irene, FEMA issued Disaster Housing Assistance Grants to more than l72,700 households.

New Jersey is no stranger to the loss of life and property caused by coastal storms, nor to the time, money and energy it takes to rebuild in the days and months that follow. Many residents of low-lying coastal regions have found their living situations unsustainable as storm after storm devastates houses, neighborhood and communities. But some communities have made a way out of the damage cycle with the use of acquisition or buyout grants.

One of New Jersey’s main priorities after major storm damage is to acquire land where repetitive flood loss is common and convert it to open space, thereby reducing the loss of life and property. This process is called acquisition.

FEMA, through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, has granted $55,249,816 to the state so far for the acquisition of properties in the aftermath of Sandy, and plans to award $100 million total.

Homeowners do not apply directly to FEMA for acquisition. Instead, the state and local communities work together to identify areas where buyouts make the most sense. Local officials then get input from the community and those homeowners with destroyed or severely damaged properties, as well as from the state and FEMA, to ensure that the acquisition applications are environmentally sound and cost-effective. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, instituted by FEMA, covers 75 percent of the costs, and 25 percent is matched by non-federal sources.

After the state, (the grantee) decides its priorities in terms of funds usage, FEMA Hazard Mitigation Program Guidance allows the subgrantee to offer homeowners pre-disaster fair market value for their homes. Buyouts are always voluntary, and homeowners may opt out of participation.

All properties acquired by communities for mitigation are then converted to open land.

Acquisition Success Stories

More and more New Jersey communities are recognizing acquisition as a permanent solution to a recurring problem.

In 2005, two successive flooding disasters destroyed six homes in Harmony Township in Warren County. At the request of Harmony Township, Green Acres and FEMA provided funding for acquisition. Those six properties have been cleared to prevent further property damage and now provide access points to the Delaware River for visitors to the area.

Even without FEMA’s 75 percent cost share, state organizations like the Green Acres Program successfully convert properties throughout New Jersey into safe and accessible open areas, such as parks and wildlife habitats, which by law must remain open land forever through deed restriction.

Green Acres and the State Agriculture Development Committee converted 1,900 acres in central New Jersey using open space funds, creating a 512-acre State Wildlife Management Area, and a 500-acre addition to Monmouth County public greenways.

In Manchester Township, a joint acquisition effort coordinated between the Green Acres Program and the U.S. Navy added 246 acres to the Manchester Wildlife Management Area in Ocean County, which will also serve as a protective buffer for the Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station.

Communities that opt into the acquisition process not only protect their citizenry, but also make it possible to create an even more beautiful New Jersey coast, with open space for community residents and visitors alike.

And for many New Jersey residents, buyout is the opportunity to at least partially recoup an investment in a property that has lost value after multiple storms. It also provides the possibility of safety, peace of mind and a new start.

Homeowners do not apply directly to FEMA to participate in the acquisition process. Instead, they can contact their local emergency management office to learn more about Hazard Mitigation programs available to their community.

http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4086/updates/sandy-one-year-later

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications###

http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4086/updates/sandy-one-year-later

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Acquisition: Rebuilding Homes and Lives on Safer Ground

One Year Later: Mitigation Makes Communities Safer

LINCROFT, N.J. — Emergency response. Debris removal. Reconstruction and repair. Rental assistance. Low-cost disaster loans. These activities and terms have become familiar to many New Jerseyans since Superstorm Sandy struck last year. But another activity is going full force with the purpose of protecting life and property from future disasters – hazard mitigation.

Sea Bright, N.J., Feb. 20, 2013 — Homeowners stand and watch their home being elevated. This family has started the rebuilding process after being forced out of their home by Hurricane Sandy. Rosanna Arias/FEMAHazard mitigation is the only phase of emergency management specifically dedicated to breaking the cycle of damage, reconstruction and repeated damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides assistance to state and local governments after a major disaster declaration to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during disaster recovery.

“Hazard Mitigation grants help make communities safer,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer in New Jersey, Gracia Szczech. “Mitigation programs also help reduce the financial impact of disasters on the state and on the county.”

Eligible applicants for HMGP grants are states, local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations. Individual homeowners and businesses may not apply directly to the program, but local governments may apply on their behalf.

These grants can be used to fund projects that protect public or private property if the project fits within state and local mitigation plans. Projects eligible for HMGP funds include retrofitting buildings to minimize damage from high winds and flooding; elevation of flood-prone buildings; minor flood-control projects; and the purchase of property at risk of repetitive flooding for conversion to open space. The state works with local communities to determine the focus of the Hazard Mitigation program.

FEMA has obligated $340.7 million in Hazard Mitigation grants after Sandy for New Jersey’s mitigation measures, which include:

$100 million for the acquisition of structures in flood-prone areas to be cleared and converted to permanent greenspace;
$100 million for elevation of buildings in flood-prone areas; and $3.8 million for county mitigation plans

Sea Bright, N.J., Feb. 20, 2013 — Construction worker carries wood for cribbing used in the elevation of a Sea Bright home as part of mitigation. Homeowners have just begun rebuilding and expect their home to be ready by summer. Rosanna Arias/FEMAThe state is applying the remaining grant money for mitigation measures being incorporated into eligible rebuilding projects of state and local agencies, and certain private nonprofit organizations, such as hospitals and universities.

Five issues are considered when determining the eligibility of a proposed project:

Does the project conform to the state’s hazard mitigation plan?
Does the project provide a beneficial impact on the disaster area?
Does the application meet the environmental requirements?
Does the project solve a problem independently?
Is the project cost effective?

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding is made available at the request of a state’s governor following the declaration of a major disaster. The grant funds available for mitigation equal 15 percent of the amount FEMA spends to assist disaster survivors and communities in the recovery process. Under

HMGP, federal funds pay for 75 percent of the project cost with 25 percent coming from non-federal sources. All programs require an up-to-date Hazard Mitigation Plan.

Video-links: Sea Bright Mitigation

Next week the One Year Later releases will feature examples of a business owner and a homeowner who applied mitigation techniques to their property at their own cost, which, in the aftermath of Sandy, proved to be a sound investment.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

Original article:

One Year Later: Mitigation Makes Communities Safer

NFIP Substantial Damage: What Does It Mean for Alaska’s Disaster Survivors?

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – As survivors of Alaska’s 2013 Spring Floods continue the process of rebuilding their lives and property, there is an issue many could face: “substantial damage,” as defined by the National Flood Insurance Program.

It’s common to think substantially damaged merely describes a structure that has sustained a large amount of damage by a flood or any other source such as fire, tornado or earthquake.

In reality, substantial damage is a specific term that applies to a damaged structure in a Special Flood Hazard Area – or floodplain – for which the total cost of repairs is 50 percent or more of the structure’s market value before the disaster occurred, regardless of the cause of damage.

For example, if a structure’s market value before the damage was $200,000 and repairs are estimated to cost $120,000, that structure is “substantially damaged.” Land value is excluded from the determination.

It’s important to know the percentage of structural damage because that information helps property owners decide whether to repair or replace a damaged dwelling, and whether additional work will be needed to comply with local codes and ordinances, such as elevating a house in a floodplain.

The decision about a structure being substantially damaged is made at a local government level, generally by a building official or floodplain manager.

For communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, substantial damage determinations generally are required by local floodplain management ordinances. These ordinances must be in place for residents of a community to purchase flood insurance.

To calculate substantial damage, the local official makes a visual inspection of a house, making notes of the impacts to the structure itself and, when possible, to the interior. These notes, coupled with other information such as property valuations and estimated costs to repair, are used to calculate the percentage of flood damage to the structure.

Once a determination on the percentage of damage is made, local officials then share that information with the property owners if their structure is substantially damaged.

If a building in a floodplain is determined to be substantially damaged, it must be brought into compliance with local floodplain management regulations:

Owners who decide to rebuild may need to elevate their structures, or change them in some other way to comply with those local floodplain regulations and avoid future flood losses.
Owners of non-residential structures may be allowed to flood proof their buildings instead of elevating.

For more information about how or why a substantial damage determination was made, property owners should contact their local building official.

All property owners should check with local building officials to determine if permits for repair are required before beginning the work. Depending on local codes and ordinances, there can be serious consequences for not complying with the permitting process.

Property owners who have a flood insurance policy and a substantially damaged building in a Special Flood Hazard Area may be able to use additional funds from their flood insurance policy (up to $30,000) to help defray the costs of elevating, relocating or demolishing a structure.

For more information on this provision – also known as Increased Cost of Compliance – contact your insurance agent.

For more information on general flood insurance, contact your local floodplain administrator, the National Flood Insurance Program at 800-427-4661 or your local insurance agent. Information also is available at www.fema.gov and www.floodsmart.gov.

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NFIP Substantial Damage: What Does It Mean for Alaska’s Disaster Survivors?

Scotland County Added to Missouri Disaster Declaration

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Scotland County is now eligible for federal assistance from the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding that occurred during the period of May 29, 2013, to June 10, 2013.

Scotland County joins the 27 previously declared Missouri counties eligible for FEMA Public Assistance, which may include assistance for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.

The counties now designated for FEMA Public Assistance include: Barton, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Chariton, Clark, Howard, Iron, Knox, Lewis, Lincoln, Maries, Marion, Miller, Montgomery, Osage, Perry, Pike, Putnam, Ralls, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Scotland, Stoddard, Sullivan, Texas, and Webster Counties.

All counties in the State of Missouri are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Hazard Mitigation assistance may enable counties to implement measures to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property for natural hazards, before a disaster strikes.

For more information on the Missouri disaster declaration visit: fema.gov/disaster/4130.

Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Find regional updates from FEMA Region VII at www.twitter.com/femaregion7. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Scotland County Added to Missouri Disaster Declaration

Sayreville, New Jersey—From Flood-Prone Neighborhood To Greenspace

TRENTON, N.J. — As recovery from Superstorm Sandy continues in New Jersey, one major improvement project is the conversion of a destroyed residential neighborhood in the Borough of Sayreville to a permanent greenspace.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $29 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding for the voluntary acquisition and demolition of approximately 129 residential properties in Sayreville.

The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management is managing the grant, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Blue Acres Program will implement the project and work directly with homeowners.

All of the homes in the project neighborhood are located in a National Flood Insurance Program Special Flood Hazard Area. This hazard designation indicates the structures are highly vulnerable to flooding.

In addition, many of the homes are on the National Flood Insurance Program’s severe repetitive loss and repetitive loss list of residential structures with excessive flood loss.

Acquisition of these repetitive loss properties removes them from the risk of flooding and reduces the impact on the National Flood Insurance Program and on both Federal and State disaster assistance funding.

“By acquiring and removing these homes, FEMA is diminishing the borough’s vulnerability to natural disasters and removing residents from a potentially dangerous area,” said Gracia Szczech, FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer for New Jersey.

“This funding will go a long way to help the affected families move on with their lives.”

Once the homes are acquired and demolished, further construction will not be allowed on the properties.The land will be restricted to open space in perpetuity. Sayreville has accepted responsibility for all maintenance and upkeep of the land.

The use of federal funds to purchase these properties allows families to relocate to safer areas.

Under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, the state solicits project proposals from local jurisdictions then prioritizes the projects for approval by FEMA.

The project grant was awarded and funded by FEMA. The total project cost is $39,274,060, the Federal share $29,455,545.

The remainder of the cost of the project will come from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acre/Blue Acre Program.

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration.

The grants help to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is authorized under Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Sayreville, New Jersey—From Flood-Prone Neighborhood To Greenspace

FEMA Awards More Than $8M for Water Pump Project in Galveston, TX

DENTON, Texas — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is awarding more than $8 million to the state of Texas for improvements to a potable water pump station in Galveston, Texas.

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) will pay 75 percent or $8,112,868 of the more than $10.8 million project.

The water pump station, located on 59^th Street in Galveston, will be demolished, replaced, elevated and hardened. The retrofit of this critical facility is designed to withstand a 500-year flood and extreme winds.

The federal share of the funds for the project come from the agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).

HMGP provides grants to states and tribal and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures that reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.

Learn more about FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant program online at http://go.usa.gov/D6D.

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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. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6, the R6 Preparedness website at www.fema.gov/region-vi/region-6-preparedness and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

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FEMA Awards More Than $8M for Water Pump Project in Galveston, TX

FEMA Awards $2.3M for Community Safe Room in Victoria Co, TX

DENTON, Texas — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded $2.3 million to the state of Texas for construction of a community safe room in the city of Victoria in Victoria County, Texas

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) will pay 75 percent or $2,325,000 of the $3.1 million cost.

The stand alone, 20,000 square foot safe room will provide protection from hurricanes, tropical storms and tornadoes for the residents of Victoria County and is accessible for people with disabilities. It will be built on the campus of St. Joseph High School.

The federal share of the funds for the project come from the agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). HMGP provides grants to states, and tribal and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures that reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.

Learn more about FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant program online at http://go.usa.gov/D6D.

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FEMA Awards $2.3M for Community Safe Room in Victoria Co, TX

FEMA Approves $1.62 Million for Mitigation Project in Culebra

San Juan, PR – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved $1.62 million to the Puerto Rico Ports Authority for the rehabilitation of the Terminal Cargo Ramp in Culebra. The funds were made available under FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to enhance the resilience of the sole cargo ramp in the Island Municipality, which provides normal daily services, as well as during emergency situations.

“For years, when hurricanes and tropical storm events affected Culebra, the residents and visitors of the municipality remained isolated for days. This project assures the continuity of port services, for which most residents depend on for their daily routine. The services will continue without major interruptions during and after disaster events,” said FEMA’s Caribbean Area Division Director Alejandro De La Campa. “More than 1,800 Culebra residents will benefit from this mitigation measure, as well as thousands of tourists that visit the Island on a yearly basis.”

Past hurricanes and continuous wave action have deteriorated the concrete cargo platform at Bahía de Sardinas, in Culebra’s Dewey Ward. If the platform is left unattended, it may collapse eventually. Also, seawaters surrounding Culebra (up to three nautical miles) and its neighboring islands and cays are designated critical habitat for the green sea turtle. These elements were taken into consideration while choosing the structural mitigation measure to apply: improving the structure with the lowest impact on the adjacent ocean environment.

A project of this nature involves the structural evaluation of the terminal cargo ramp, its designing phase and the construction phase of the structure. The rehabilitation activities includes the partial demolition of the existing concrete platform, removal of the concrete debris outside the platform area, construction of a new concrete platform with new reinforcing steel, and concrete deposit with corrosion inhibitor additives. The total project cost is $2.16 million, with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico providing $542,269, which represents the 25% State share.

FEMA’s HMGP provides grants to States and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration, to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.

State officials interested in heading up such projects to mitigate public facilities may learn more about the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program by going online to FEMA’s Federal Insurance and Mitigation Division section on the Federal Emergency Management website at http://www.fema.gov/fima/mitgrant.shtm.

FEMA News Desk: (787) 296-3554, (787) 296-3560

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FEMA Approves $1.62 Million for Mitigation Project in Culebra

FEMA Extends Deadline For Irene-Related Mitigation Grants

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. – The state and Vermont municipalities and non-profits seeking federal grants for projects to make their communities more resilient in future disasters will have more time to apply for these funds.

Officials with the state and Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today that the deadline for submitting Hazard Mitigation Grant Program applications related to Tropical Storm Irene to FEMA has been extended to September 1, 2013. The state will establish its own deadlines for municipalities and other eligible applicants in order to meet FEMA’s deadline.

The HMGP program provides grant funds in addition to the disaster aid given to individuals and state or local governments after a federally-declared disaster for projects designed to reduce the risks to life and property in future disasters.

“This is an important deadline extension,” said Dave Rapaport, Vermont’s Irene Recovery Officer. “The huge size of this disaster means that we’re receiving more funding through this program than we’ve had the capacity to use before time ran out. The additional time will mean that we’ll be able to avoid leaving money on the table and formulate more eligible projects to prevent damage from future storms.”

The amount of money available is a percentage – 15 percent – of the total disaster aid provided by FEMA, and the program is administered by the Vermont Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. Only state, municipal, or tribal governments and certain non-profits can apply and are responsible for a 25-percent match.

Projects can include flood-proofing structures or making them resistant to hurricanes or tornadoes, or buying out flood-prone properties as Vermont has chosen to do.

“FEMA has already obligated about $13 million in HMGP funds to Vermont, and there could be as much as $21 million more coming,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mark Landry, the head of FEMA’s Vermont operations.

FEMA had already granted Vermont two extensions of three months each from the normal one-year deadline, Landry said, and utilized a little-known provision of the Stafford Act – the law named after former Vermont Senator Robert Stafford that helped create FEMA – to give the state another six months.

An HMGP application can be downloaded from DEMHS’s website at http://vem.vermont.gov/mitigation, or interested parties may contact the State Hazard Mitigation Officer, Ray Doherty, at 800-347-0488 or ray.doherty@state.vt.us for an application or assistance in applying for funds. He will be providing additional detailed guidance for applicants shortly.

HMGP funds are awarded on a competitive basis and all applications are reviewed and selected by the state mitigation project selection committee, then subject to approval by FEMA.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders and 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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FEMA Extends Deadline For Irene-Related Mitigation Grants

FEMA Awards More Than $3.4 Million for Community Safe Rooms in Kleberg County, Texas

DENTON, Texas — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded more than $3.4 million to the state of Texas for the construction of two community safe rooms in the city of Kingsville in Kleberg County, Texas.

The concrete dome shaped safe rooms will serve as multi-purpose training centers; one will be 20,000 square feet in size and the other will be 18,000 square feet in size. Both will provide protection from storms and tornadoes for the people of Kleberg County, including those with access and functional needs, as well as special medical needs.

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) will pay 75 percent of the more than $4.5 million total costs for the projects, which are being built under the Texas Safe Shelter Initiative.

The federal shares of the funds for the projects come from the agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). HMGP provides grants to states, and tribal and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures that reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.

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FEMA Awards More Than $3.4 Million for Community Safe Rooms in Kleberg County, Texas

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