For immediate release: Dec 11, 2009
Posted by: [DHS]
Contact: John Erickson
Phone: (317) 234-6713
Email: pio@dhs.in.gov
FEMA Awards $4.3 Million Grant to the City of Columbus
Funds from the grant will be used to acquire and remove 63 flood-prone homes
CHICAGO - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today released $4.3 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to the city of Columbus, Ind. The funds will be used to acquire and remove 63 homes susceptible to annual flooding. The funds will be available once a final agreement is signed between the city of Columbus and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS).
The HMGP federal share of the grant is $4,364,174 and will be available once a final agreement is signed among the city of Columbus, FEMA and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS). HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term risk reduction measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay the 75 percent federal share of the $5.8 million project, with the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority providing the remaining 25 percent of the project cost. The IDHS administers the mitigation program.
“Mitigation projects such as these benefit residents and communities affected by disasters,” said Janet M. Odeshoo, acting regional administrator, FEMA Region V. “These acquisitions in Columbus will reduce future structural losses and lessen the financial impact on individuals and governments following a disaster.”
“Indiana continues to recover from the long-term effects of the 2008 flooding. This assistance is a key step in the recovery process for those Columbus residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed,” said IDHS Executive Director Joseph Wainscott. “The partnership and teamwork among the city of Columbus, IDHS and FEMA helped provide this much needed relief.”
HMGP funds will be used to remove these repetitively damaged homes from flood prone areas, returning the area to open space in perpetuity. HMGP projects like this are the cornerstone of disaster prevention efforts, and illustrate the importance of local, state and federal governments working together for the benefit of citizens.
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.
« Back to News Release List
Link to this event: http://www.in.gov/portal/news_events/44672.htm
via .
