CHICAGO — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) funds in the amount of $921,790 to the village of Valley View, Ohio, and $224,670 to Medina County, Ohio, for the mitigation of flood prone residential structures.  The Medina County funding will be used to acquire and demolish one structure in the floodplain of the Rocky River. The village of Valley View will use their funding to acquire and demolish four structures and elevate one so the first floor is two feet above the base flood elevation of the Cuyahoga River floodplain.

FMA provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures. “Flood Mitigation Assistance 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 projects funded by this program will lessen the financial impact on individuals and these communities when future flooding occurs in this area.”

“Removing or elevating flood prone structures reduces future flood damages and aids recovery efforts,” said Evan Schumann, director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. “Ohio is pleased to be able to extend our mitigation efforts into these two communities.”

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