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FEMA Awards $1,071,593 Grant to Hubbard County

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $1,071,593 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Hubbard County, Minn., for the construction of two safe rooms at Camp Wilderness Boy Scout camp.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate the risk of loss of life and property,” said FEMA Region V administrator Andrew Velasquez III. “The construction of these safe rooms will protect the lives of vulnerable citizens by providing a secure location to seek shelter from tornadoes and other high wind events.”

“Boy Scouts visiting Camp Wilderness will be safer when severe weather hits, thanks to a local, state, and federal partnership,” said Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management director Joe Kelly. “Safe rooms are one way communities across the state are reducing the risk that comes with disasters. These lifesaving projects are possible when we combine resources and work together, and we encourage more cities and counties to apply for grants that will help them protect their residents.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the $1,428,790 eligible project cost. The Boy Scouts of America Northern Lights Council will contribute the remaining 25 percent, or $357,197.

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 FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at 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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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, 312-408-4455

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FEMA Awards $1,071,593 Grant to Hubbard County

Wildfire Recovery Update: Federal Disaster Assistance May Surpass $170 Million

DUPONT, Wash. – After two record-breaking wildfire seasons burned over 1.6 million acres of the Evergreen State, Washington continues to make headway in its recovery, which may be spurred by $170 million in federal disaster assistance, according to officials with the Washington Military Department’s Emergency Management Division (EMD) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“Help comes from friends, family and neighbors, as well as local, state and federal governments,” said State Coordinating Officer Kurt Hardin of EMD. “Progress improves when everyone works together.”

Last year in Washington, FEMA issued 12 Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) declarations, which will help local, state and tribal jurisdictions pay their firefighting and suppression expenses. Whether day or night, if a fire rages on nonfederal land and threatens to cause enough destruction to warrant a major disaster declaration, FEMA can make an immediate FMAG declaration.

The federal share of those 12 FMAGs may add up to $53 million. With $42 million for the eight FMAGs in 2014, the grand total equals $95 million for 20 FMAGs over two years.

Both wildfire seasons prompted an emergency declaration, which authorized FEMA to provide direct assistance for measures needed to save lives, protect property, and safeguard public health and safety.

Major disaster declarations after both wildfire seasons provide financial relief through FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) grants, which reimburses local, state and tribal governments for 75 percent of their disaster-related expenses. The state and the applicant split the remaining 25 percent.

The major disaster declaration for the 2015 wildfires made PA available to eligible applicants in eight counties: Chelan, Ferry, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Whatcom and Yakima; as well as the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. The 2014 declaration made PA available to applicants in Kittitas and Okanogan counties and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

Officials estimate PA grants for both wildfire seasons will run as high as $50 million—which includes about $26.5 million for 2015, with $4.8 million approved to date, and $23.6 million for 2014.

Although the funds go to government entities and nonprofits, Public Assistance benefits everyone— communities, cities and states. PA dollars help pay for efforts to keep people and property safe, clean up disaster-related debris, and put roads, utilities and public works back in order after the wildfires.

“FEMA serves as only one part of the wildfire recovery team,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Thomas Dargan of FEMA. “Many local, corporate, state, tribal and federal partners have pitched in and pulled together to help Washington recover.”

Besides the $145 million in FEMA grants listed above, another $25.6 million from this preliminary roundup of partners puts federal assistance past $170 million:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) allocated more than $1.5 million in loans and grants to replant trees, restore grazing lands, replace lost livestock, repair damaged fences, and help pay for uninsured crop losses as a result of the 2015 wildfires. FSA set aside another $17 million to reimburse eligible landowners in Okanogan County 75 percent of the cost to replace more than 850 miles of destroyed fences. USDA Rural Development placed four families in multi-family housing projects in Okanogan and Chelan Counties, providing almost $10,000 in rental assistance and interest credit to the projects.
Washington State Department of Commerce manages a competitive grant program that helps rural cities and counties tackle a wide range of serious challenges. Funding comes from annual Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). For wildfire recovery in 2015, Commerce awarded $2.1 million in CDBGs, notably $1 million to Okanogan County to expand the fire district’s emergency medical services facility and $1 million to the city of Brewster to construct an essential water reservoir for fire protection. Commerce is making an additional $4 million in CDBG funds available to help smaller disaster-affected communities—such as Entiat, Pateros and Twisp—leverage matching funds for essential facilities and services.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved $1.08 million in low-interest disaster loans for loss or damage from the 2015 wildfires: six loans for nearly $700,000 to help residents repair or replace their disaster-damaged homes and personal property; and five loans for more than $380,000 to help small-business owners meet working capital needs.

While corporate contributions are too numerous to capture or count, corporate partners have made generous donations to wildfire survivors. As one example, the American Red Cross received $600,000 from corporate leaders and well-known businesses in Washington—including Boeing, Microsoft, Costco Wholesale, Amazon, Alaska Airlines, Puget Sound Energy, Weyerhaeuser, Chateau Ste. Michelle and the Madrona Venture Group, according to the Boeing website.

On behalf of the state, EMD administers FEMA disaster programs in Washington—such as FMAGs, Public Assistance and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)—and disburses funds to local, city, nonprofit, county, state and tribal applicants.

The major disaster declarations after both wildfire seasons made HMGP funds available statewide, which will build stronger and safer communities in Washington. Two more factors bolster that goal:

Because EMD developed an enhanced State Mitigation Plan approved by FEMA in 2006, the state will get more money for mitigation measures, equal to 20 percent of total PA grants awarded for each disaster. For the 2015 wildfires, statewide HMGP funds will total as much as $6.3 million. For the 2014 wildfires, statewide HMGP funds will be close to $5 million.
Under a new pilot program in HMGP, Washington may receive as much as $5.3 million in additional FEMA grants for projects aimed at reducing the risk of post-event fires, floods or erosion in the seven counties that received FMAG declarations in 2015.

Local partners remain crucial to the long-term recovery of residents who had uninsured losses from the fires. Community leaders in northern Washington, for example, formed the Carlton Complex Long-Term Recovery Group (CCLTRG) to address unmet needs caused by the 2014 Carlton Complex Fire, which was the largest fire in state history in the biggest county in the state—Okanogan County.

In addition to offering basic disaster services, CCLTRG leaders set their sights on building homes for displaced families who could not afford to rebuild. They knew new home construction would:

prop up the community,
strengthen the region’s tax base, and
support its local farm, timber and ranching economies.

While Okanogan County struggled to recover from the physical, emotional and economic toll of the 2014 Carlton Complex Fire, the 2015 wildfire season scorched more than 1 million acres in north, central and eastern Washington. The 2015 Okanogan Complex fire alone burned more than a half-million acres—now crowned the largest in state history.

To aid in recovery, liaisons from EMD and FEMA helped CCLTRG identify potential funding sources and guided leaders on how to build and strengthen the organization. CCLTRG expanded its reach to become the Okanogan County Long-Term Recovery Group (OCLTRG) and broadened its mission to include boosting the county’s preparedness and resiliency to future disasters.

Today OCLTRG acts as an umbrella organization, advising other long-term recovery groups from distinct areas of north-central Washington and pooling resources. Leaders steer a workforce that includes hundreds of volunteers and dozens of charities and faith-based groups who help people—whether it’s finding furniture for a farmworker who lost everything in the fires or helping a rancher round up and pen his surviving cattle.

OCLTRG has built 15 modest homes and plans to build another 15 homes by the end of 2017. When possible, the builders use fire-resistant materials, clear underbrush, and landscape to create an open, defensible space around each house, which may provide some protection against future wildfires.

All totaled, the OCLTRG has raised more than $4.2 million in cash, checks and online contributions to the North Central Washington Community Foundation/Methow Valley Fund.

“Given its success and strong leadership, OCLTRG now serves as a national model to help other rural communities recover from wildfires,” said FCO Dargan. “I commend its leaders and their absolutely tireless efforts to build back a stronger and more resilient community.”

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Wildfire Recovery Update: Federal Disaster Assistance May Surpass $170 Million

Lake County Receives $883,000 Federal Grant for Flood Control

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Lake County has been approved to receive $883,110 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a culvert project that will reduce localized flooding and debris flow at selected sites burned by the Valley wildfire, which began Sept. 12, 2015.

FEMA covers 75 percent of the eligible costs with the county paying the remaining 25 percent, for a projected total cost of $1.1 million.

The project includes installing 55 culverts in areas where burn scars prevent rainwater absorption. Engineers found debris and flood flow potential is up to 1.7 times the normal amount, which presents an expected inundation of existing drainage facilities.

This grant is the first from a pilot program called Fire Management Assistance Grant Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (FMAG-HMGP). FMAG grants can reimburse 75 percent of the costs of firefighting operations to state, tribal and local governments. Eligible costs include funding for personnel, materials and equipment.

The FMAG-HMGP grant provides funding to reduce the flood risk after FMAG declarations. A critical requirement for this funding is having an approved county and state hazard mitigation plan.

FMAG-HMGP Pilot funds are available to states, territories and federally recognized tribes that received an FMAG declaration in the time frame covered by the Department of Homeland Security 2015 Appropriations Act, March 4 through Dec. 11.

FEMA encourages the use of the FMAG-HMGP funds for mitigation of burn-impacted areas to reduce the increased risk for wildfire, flood or erosion post event. However, the FMAG-HMGP Pilot is available for the mitigation of any hazard in the FMAG declared area.

The Valley Fire burn area is drained by a number of waterways including Big Canyon Creek, Putah Creek, Dry Creek, Crazy Creek, Kelsey Creek and Seigler Canyon Creek. The residential communities within and downstream of those creeks are serviced by a network of roads and highways. Numerous culverts, many of them inadequate, drain this area.

This project is expected to be completed 22 months following the award by Cal OES.

For more information on California’s wildfire recovery, visit: caloes.ca.gov or fema.gov/disaster/4240 and follow us on Twitter @femaregion9 or @Cal_OES and at Facebook.com/FEMA or Facebook.com/California OES.

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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Lake County Receives $883,000 Federal Grant for Flood Control

Unique Wildfire Mitigation Efforts in Bastrop County Trim Risks

During September, National Preparedness Month, the Austin Joint Field Office is releasing a series of stories highlighting FEMA’s support of Texas communities as they take steps to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property.

AUSTIN, Texas – On Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011, a firestorm engulfed Bastrop County, Texas, destroying 1,688 homes, burning more than 34,000 acres, and claiming two lives. The Bastrop County Complex Fire was the most devastating wildfire in Texas history and steps are being taken to protect residents and prevent history from repeating itself.

Reducing the amount of vegetative debris that fuels wildfires is one action the county is taking to minimize the fire threat, said Michael Fisher, Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management Coordinator. As dead vegetation and trees accumulates on the ground, it creates a continuous source of fuel. When ignited, the resulting fire burns hotter, spreads faster, lasts longer and covers more ground. When fuel is reduced, fires are less intense.

Fisher said the county decided to reduce this understory fuel using non-traditional mechanical means as opposed to prescribed burning. According to Fisher, it’s a unique approach that’s never been used.

The county received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to fund the mitigation project.

“We targeted nearly 4,000 acres, which we are developing into a north project and a south project,” says Fisher. “For each project, we identified the line, area or zone where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wild land or vegetative fuels.”

Fisher said the developed areas feature a mix of houses located on small, medium and large lots. While homes in those neighborhoods have varying degrees of fire resistance and space that can be defended, the adjacent areas have a history of large destructive fires and a high-density concentration of understory fuel.

The north project cost is just over $1.6 million; FEMA contributed more than $1.2 million. The south project cost is $2.1 million; FEMA contributed almost $1.6 million. The HMGP grant has a two-year performance period so Fisher says the county is focusing on what it can do in that time period.

With the funds, the county has designed a mechanical thinning process that uses skid steers, which are low-impact machines with a mulching head on the front with teeth. Operators grind up the understory and remove undesirable species growing under the tree canopy. In a wildfire outbreak, the fire stays on the ground and does not rise into the trees.

Fisher said the project has sparked excitement, curiosity and some reservations among residents. Most of the acreage targeted for mitigation is private property. According to Fisher, the most challenging part of the project has been getting homeowner buy-in, but the county has succeeded in gaining right of entry from each property owner.

What could have been another potential hurdle has become a windfall for a resident amphibian and surrounding habitat.

The project sites are home to the endangered Houston toad, protected by the Endangered Species Act. Both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were consulted before work began. Toads in the project area have been captured and given to a biologist for safekeeping until it is deemed safe to return them to their habitat.

“We are learning that thinning out the forest actually creates a better environment for the Houston toad,” says Fisher. “In addition to mitigating wildfires in the neighborhoods, the project is helping to create a healthy forest because it returns the ecosystem back to the way it was intended.”

Fisher says Bastrop is happy to tell its story. “If we don’t get it right, we’ll tell that story, too. Disasters are non-traditional. Sometimes it takes a non-traditional approach to do what needs to be done in terms of mitigation. You can’t be timid.”

The website www.co.bastrop.tx.us has additional information about nontraditional wildfire mitigation.

To learn more about how cities and towns across Texas are building stronger, safer communities visit Best Practice Stories | FEMA.gov.

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Unique Wildfire Mitigation Efforts in Bastrop County Trim Risks

More than $159 million Obligated for Safe Rooms from Katrina

BILOXI, Miss.– In the last 10 years, FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program has obligated more than $159 million from Hurricane Katrina recovery to build community safe rooms throughout Mississippi to protect people during storms. HMGP provides grants to state, local and tribal governments to implement long-term mitigation measures to reduce the loss of life and property from a disaster.

Safe rooms can be built as multipurpose shelters to protect communities from tornadoes, hurricanes and floods. These community safe rooms are built to FEMA 361 specifications, which include hardening of walls and roofs to withstand 200 mph winds.

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency officials have made the construction of safe rooms a priority since Katrina. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control found that safe rooms are the best option to reduce the number of deaths during tornadoes.

“We always tell folks to get out of mobile homes and manufactured homes, and to consider going to a more substantial structure to wait out the storm,” said Robert Latham, executive director of MEMA. “By providing a secure place for them to go, we make our communities safer. Citizens need to incorporate safe room locations into their plans, or know where a substantial structure is located.”

“In so many cases, the death toll would be much higher were it not for safe rooms for people to take shelter in,” said Acting Director of FEMA’s Mississippi Recovery Office, Loraine Hill.

To date, 42 public safe rooms have been added to schools; 34 have been built as stand-alone structures for general use, and 9 constructed for first responders. Populations served by these safe rooms include approximately 44,000 students and staff; 28,000 citizens in the general population, and 3,500 first responders.

During the threat of an outbreak of tornadoes in the state earlier this year, 70 residents sought shelter; in a community safe room in Rankin County, built to FEMA 361 standards.

Another $205 million in HMGP funding was made available to Mississippi for mitigation projects, such as elevating buildings, flood control, sirens, generators and grants to individuals to retrofit areas of their home or build stand-alone safe room units.

For more information on building a public safe room to FEMA 361 specifications, go to http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/3140.

A video on community safe rooms in Mississippi.

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More than $159 million Obligated for Safe Rooms from Katrina

Hazard Mitigation Grant Workshop Scheduled

ATLANTA—The Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will hold one workshop on June 10, 2015 to explain a hazard mitigation program that funds projects that reduce or eliminate damage from future disasters.

A portion of the federal funding made available for disaster response and recovery from the February winter storm is allocated for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The program provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation projects.

State officials will be available to answer questions and provide recovery information to workshop participants and to anyone who is interested.

The workshop is scheduled at:

Hall County Emergency Operations Center – Wednesday, June 10 from 10 am to noon, 470 Crescent Drive Gainesville, GA 30501

Examples of HMGP projects include:

Development or improvement of warning systems that include mitigation measures;
Construction of public tornado safe rooms that meet FEMA construction guidelines;
Retrofitting methods, such as elevation in place, structure relocation, structural reinforcement for high wind and seismic events, strapping of utilities, installation of storm shutters, tie downs, and other measures;
Acquisition of property and/or relocation of homes, businesses and public facilities from hazard-prone areas;
Generators that protect a critical facility and meet all other HMGP eligibility criteria. Critical facilities may include Emergency Operation Centers, police and fire stations, hospitals, and water and sewer treatment facilities;
Wildfire mitigation, such as creating defensible space, application of ignition-resistant construction and hazardous fuel reduction;
Soil stabilization projects that protect against erosion and landslides;
Structural hazard control or protection measures, such as floodwalls, detention basins and other storm drainage upgrades; and
Development of a local Hazard Mitigation Plan that meets federal standards.

The state’s priority for the HMGP is to fund projects in the designated counties that reduce or eliminate damages to life and property resulting from severe winter storms.

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Hazard Mitigation Grant Workshop Scheduled

FEMA Awards $2,999,810 Grant to the City of Des Plaines

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released $2,999,810 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to the city of Des Plaines, Ill., for the acquisition and demolition of 13 residential structures in the Des Plaines River floodplain.

“The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides funding for mitigation activities that reduce disaster losses and protect life and property from future disasters,” said Andrew Velasquez III, regional administrator, FEMA Region V. “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.”

“This grant is great news for these Des Plaines residents who have been hit by flooding many times in the past,” said James K. Joseph, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.” The residents can now move to higher ground and avoid future heartache and property losses, and local response agencies will no longer need to wage costly flood fights.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay $2,999,810 of the $4,380,100 eligible project cost, and the city of Des Plaines will contribute $1,380,290.

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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

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FEMA Awards $2,999,810 Grant to the City of Des Plaines

FEMA Awards $2,781,435 Grant to DuPage County

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released $2,781,435 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to DuPage County, Ill., for the acquisition and demolition of 13 residential structures in the Winfield Creek, Salt Creek and East Branch DuPage River floodplains.

“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.”

“This grant is good news for DuPage County and residents who have been hit by flooding many times in the past,” said James Joseph, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. “The residents can now move to higher ground and avoid future heartache and property losses, and local response agencies will no longer need to wage costly flood fights.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the $3,708,580 eligible project cost. DuPage County will contribute 25 percent of the remaining funds, or $927,145.

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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

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FEMA Awards $2,781,435 Grant to DuPage County

FEMA Awards $2,952,257 Grant to Village of Machesney Park

CHICAGO –The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $2,952,257 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to the village of Machesney Park, Ill., for the acquisition and demolition of 24 residential structures in the Rock River floodplain.

“This grant is great news for Machesney Park and residents who have been hit by flooding many times in the past,” said James Joseph, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. “The state of Illinois already has purchased more than 60 flood-prone properties in this area. This grant will enable even more residents to move to higher ground and avoid future heartache and property losses from future floods.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the $3,936,343 eligible project cost. The remaining 25 percent of the funds, $984,086, will be provided by the village of Machesney Park.

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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

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FEMA Awards $2,952,257 Grant to Village of Machesney Park

FEMA Awards $454,808 Grant to Vernon County: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish seven flood prone structures

CHICAGO –The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $454,808 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Vernon County, Wis., for the acquisition and demolition of seven residential structures in the floodplain. Following demolition, these properties located in the Town of Webster and Town of Christiana 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 acting administrator Janet Odeshoo. “The acquisition and demolition of these structures permanently removes them from the floodplain and greatly reduces the financial impact on individuals and the community when future flooding occurs in this area.”

“These homes have flooded several times in recent years,” said Wisconsin Emergency Management Administrator Brian Satula. “Through this voluntary buyout program, we are reducing the risks of future flood damage and helping these homeowners move from the floodplain.”

HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the $606,410 eligible project cost. The remaining 25 percent of the funds, $151,602, will be provided by the Wisconsin Emergency Management Agency and Vernon County.

Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at 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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FEMA Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455
WEM Media Contact: Lori Getter, (608) 242-3239

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FEMA Awards $454,808 Grant to Vernon County: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish seven flood prone structures

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