#hazardmitigation

Acadiana to Receive $30M for Hazard Mitigation Related to 2016 Flood

“It’s harder,” [Governor] Edwards said. “It requires more work. It’s politically risky, but it is the right thing to do.”

On May 29, FEMA opened the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants for funding opportunities. Programs included are Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM). Both programs assist state, local, tribal and territorial governments in strengthening our nation’s ability to reduce the potential cost of natural disasters to communities and their citizens.  

FMA Grants

These grants will continue to focus on reducing or eliminating claims under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) with a focus on mitigation planning and the mitigation of severe repetitive loss properties. The federal funding is $150 million. All projects funded will be the result of a grant proposal competition on a national level. Federal priorities for FMA are:

Flood mitigation planning

Mitigation activates which reduce or eliminate damages to Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) properties

Mitigation activities which reduce or eliminate damages to Repetitive Loss (RL) properties

PDM Grants

These grants will continue to focus on implementing a sustained pre-disaster natural hazard mitigation program and provide the grant funding set aside as required in the Stafford Act to states and tribes to support overall mitigation planning and projects. The federal funding is $30 million with $250,000 reserved for every state and territory. There is $5 million set aside for federally recognized Indian tribes. After subtracting the set-asides, the national competition will be for the remaining $11 million. Federal priorities for PDM are:

Mitigation planning

Non flooding-related structural mitigation projects

Flooding-related structural mitigation projects

In coordination with the federal priorities, the commonwealth’s priorities established via policies and the state hazard mitigation plan are:

Mitigation planning

Mitigation projects which reduce or eliminate damages to existing infrastructure

Mitigation projects which reduce or eliminate damages to SRL and RL structures

As both grant opportunities have nationally competitive processes, all project submissions must be complete and contain all required elements. It’s critical that any submission to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) must reference the mitigation strategy in the local/regional FEMA-approved and locally-adopted hazard mitigation plan that is being addressed by the proposed project. No partial project applications will be submitted to FEMA by VDEM.   

All FMA and PDM projects must be submitted to VDEM no later than 5 p.m. July 24, 2015.  This allows VDEM the time to review the applications prior to submission to FEMA. VDEM must submit all FMA and PDM grant applications to FEMA by August 28, 2015. 

NOAA 2015 Regional Coastal Resilience Grant Program:

Awards will be made to organizations that advance resilience strategies in plans for land and ocean use, disaster preparedness, environmental restoration, hazard mitigation, or other regional, state, or community plans. Successful proposals will demonstrate regional coordination among project stakeholders, leverage resources (such as funds, programs, partnerships, and others), and result in economic and environmental benefits for coastal communities. Project results will be evaluated using clear measures of success.

Governor of New York State

NYS State Capitol Building

Albany, NY 12224

  February 2, 2013

  Dear Governor Cuomo,

As you know, Super Storm Sandy has drastically affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of families across Long Island and New York State.  As residents of the Town of Babylon, our communities on the South Shore suffered extensive damage during the storm and we write to you today for assistance.

Firstly, we want to thank you, as well as our federal officials, for working so hard to secure the much-needed FEMA funding to aid in our recovery.  From our local community groups, to the Villages of Babylon, Lindenhurst, and Amityville, to the Town of Babylon and Suffolk County, we have banded together to help each other through this difficult time.  The recent passing of the $51 billion federal aid package has encouraged our community, but it now moves to New York State to administer this funding across the many areas of need in our region, and with two storms within 14 months of each other and hurricane season fast approaching once again, we urge you to administer these programs swiftly and without delay.

In your recent State of the State you proposed streamlining the distribution of Federal relief funds Washington has earmarked for New York.  The State manages the funds for the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Program.  Unfortunately, lengthy delays occurred during the grant round for Tropical Storm Irene, and we hope to see this process streamlined for this disaster.  In addition, in past storms only Home Elevation or Home Removal grants were funded.  This will cover some people, but not all. 

There is a serious need for grant programs to extend to residents who need help to:

Rebuild homes to 2013 building codes

Remediate them from fuel spills and mold growth

Flood proof utilities and heating systems

Repair with upgrades such as flood gates and other water resistant options which could reduce future damage

These steps will go a long way in reducing the impact of future storms.

The major choice being faced by all South Shore residents is to rebuild or leave.  Our connection to the waterfront is a part of the history of our community and our identity as Long Islanders.  We can confidently say that the communities of the Town of Babylon are committed to rebuilding – rebuilding smarter and stronger. With your help, our communities can be restored to their former vibrancy and resilience. We look forward to working with you to accomplish this considerable task.

Sincerely,