DENTON, Texas — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded nearly $1.5 million to the state of Texas for improvements to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Smithville, Texas.

The grant will fund improvements to defense zones through vegetation management and will fortify existing buildings to better withstand wildfires.

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) will pay 75 percent or $1.48 million of the combined $1.97 million cost.

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://www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-grant-program.        

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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