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Corporate Headquarters 33 Commercial Street, Suite 1 Foxborough, MA 02035-2530 P: 508.543.1700 / F: 508.543.5157
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Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs Part of Maguire’s Emergency Management Services
Providence Office 224 Chapman Street Providence, RI 02905 P: 401.272.6000 / F: 401.272.9185
Other Hazard Mitigation Assistance Programs While the statutory origins of the programs differ, all share the common goal of reducing the risk of loss of life and property due to natural hazards. Pre‐Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Program: Provides funds to state, tribes and local entities, including public universities, for hazard mitigation planning and the implementation of mitigation projects prior to a disaster event. PDM grants are awarded on a nationally competitive basis. Like HMGP funding, a PDM project’s potential savings must be more than the cost of implementing the project. In addition, funds may be used to protect either public or private property or to purchase property that has been subjected to, or is in danger of, repetitive damage. The cost‐share for this grant is typically 75% federal/25% non‐federal. Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Grant Program: The goal of the FMA grant program is to reduce or eliminate flood insurance claims under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Particular emphasis for this program is placed on mitigating repetitive loss properties. Grant funding is available for three types of grants, including planning, project, and technical assistance. Project grants, which use the majority of the program’s total funding, are awarded to states, tribes, and local entities to apply mitigation measures to reduce flood losses to properties insured under the NFIP. The cost‐share for this grant is typically 75% federal/25% non‐federal but may be up to 90% federal in some cases.
M
aguire Group is a national consultant in disaster hazard mitigation, continuity of operations, and emergency management issues. We offer a full range of services to better prepare your organization before disaster strikes and help you recover more quickly if it does. Our experienced personnel are also uniquely adept at building necessary coalitions that link government agencies, first responders, and business and communities. As a full‐ service engineering firm, Maguire can also help design cost‐effective solutions. Maguire develops and implements strategies to address programmatic gaps between disaster response, recovery, and hazard mitigation. We are able to leverage our institutional knowledge of the various programs to provide solutions that are compliant with programmatic and regulatory requirements and authority. Maguire offers support that is recognized for its contributions and successes to disaster recovery and mitigation programs and operations. Our staff has responded to scores of disasters across the nation, providing technical and operational support for disaster recovery assistance. Maguire’s professionalism and expertise in disaster recovery and hazard mitigation are routinely acknowledged by our clients. We invite you to learn more about our expertise in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Public Assistance (PA) funding.
Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) Program: Provides funding to reduce or eliminate the long‐term risk of flood damage to residential structures insured under the NFIP. The cost‐share for this grant is typically 75% federal/25% non‐federal but may be up to 90% federal in some cases. Repetitive Flood Claims (RFC) Program: Provides funding to reduce or eliminate the long‐term risk of flood damage to residential and nonresidential structures insured under the NFIP. All RFC grants are eligible for up to 100% federal assistance.
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Hazard Mitigation Grant Program & Disaster Recovery Support The recovery and rebuilding period following a major disaster event provides an excellent opportunity to incorporate mitigation into the projects that will rebuild the community. This opportunity affords individuals and local governments the chance to evaluate their losses while the lessons learned are still fresh and rebuild in such a way as to reduce losses in the future from another similar event. The FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides grants to states and local governments to implement long‐term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration. Authorized under §404 of the Stafford Act and administered by FEMA, HMGP was created to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters. The program enables mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster. Unlike FEMA's more familiar public agency disaster assistance program that helps pay for the permanent repair and restoration of existing facilities, HMGP goes beyond simply fixing the damage. The HMGP will, within the limits of state and federal guidelines, help fund a wide range of new projects that reduce or eliminate hazard vulnerability and the potential of damage. HMGP funds may be used to fund projects that will reduce or eliminate the losses from future disasters. Projects must provide a long‐term solution to a problem such as the elevation of a home to reduce the risk of flood damages (as opposed to buying sandbags and pumps to fight the flood). In addition, a project's potential savings must be more than the cost of implementing the project. Funds may be used to protect either public or private property or to purchase property that has been subjected to, or is in danger of, repetitive damage. Mitigation activities following a Presidentially Declared Disaster are supported primarily through the Program. HMGP funds are made available following a declared disaster to assist local governments with natural hazards mitigation. Projects must provide a complete solution to the identified problem and must demonstrate a benefit‐to‐cost ratio of at least 1:1. Maguire can help you craft the application so that its benefits and cost savings are clear.
HMGP Project Types Acquisition of real property for willing sellers and demolition or relocation of buildings to convert the property to open space use
Retrofitting structures and facilities to minimize damages from high winds, earthquake, flood, wildfire, or other natural hazards
Elevation of flood prone structures
Development and initial implementation of vegetative management programs
Minor flood control projects that do not duplicate the flood prevention activities of other federal agencies
Localized flood control projects, such as certain ring levees and floodwall systems, that are designed specifically to protect critical facilities
Post‐disaster building code related activities that support building code officials during the reconstruction process
HMGP Project Goals to Meet Substantially reduce the risk of future damage, hardship, loss, or suffering from a major disaster
Have a beneficial impact in the designated disaster area
Conform with federal floodplain, wetland, and environmental regulations
Solve a problem, or part of a problem when there is assurance that the whole project will be completed
Be cost‐effective in that it addresses a problem that is repetitive or that poses a significant risk if left unsolved
Contribute substantially to the problem's long‐term solution
Provide cost‐effective protection over the expected project life
Have manageable future maintenance requirements
Be determined to be the most practical, effective, and environmentally sound alternative among the possible options
Have the documented support of the local community
FEMA will fund the approved projects at 75 percent, but the applicant must secure the 25 percent matching funds prior to receiving funding from FEMA (typically 75% federal/15% state/10% local funding). This can be very difficult for small communities or those that have limited budgets, as the process can take years. Maguire’s experts work with the State Hazard Mitigation Officer (SHMO) and can help explore additional funding sources. Eligible applicants include state and local governments, registered nonprofit organizations with like‐government services, special districts, and Indian tribes. Additionally, applicants must be jurisdictions that are participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and in good standing or be located in a community that is. Applicants must also have a FEMA approved All‐ Hazards Mitigation Plan or be located in a jurisdiction that has one. Maguire Group has helped numerous Rhode Island communities with their hazard mitigation planning efforts.
The process is complicated. Maguire Group provides grant management assistance and can assist your community with this process to minimize economic and social losses through successful emergency planning and implementation. As a full-service engineering firm, Maguire Group can also help design cost-effective, long-term infrastructure solutions.