HMA Competitive Grant Application Period Closing Soon

f e m a hazard mitigation assistance e-brief

November 7, 2017  -  Subscribe

In This Issue:

HMA Competitive Grant Application Period Closing Soon

Closing

The application period for two competitive Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs is closing at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on November 14, 2017. Eligible applicants including territories, federally-recognized tribes, states and local governments may apply for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grants at https://portal.fema.gov.

If you have any problems submitting your application in the eGrants system, call 1-855-228-3362 or email MTeGrants@fema.dhs.gov. Please ensure that you keep a record of any previous email correspondences with FEMA’s eGrants helpline when contacting the help desk. 

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Webinar: The Ins and Outs of SBA Disaster Loans for Mitigation

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Division invites you to a webinar on Thursday, November 16, 2017, to share information on Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans for mitigation.

Presenters will provide general information on loans designed for mitigation measures such as home elevations, relocating utilities, retrofitting structures and building retaining walls. The webinar will be followed by a question and answer session.

Title: The Ins and Outs of SBA Disaster Loans for Mitigation
Date: Thursday, November 16, 2017
Time: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EDT

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New Job Aid Helps Develop Stronger Grant Subapplications

On October 23, 2017, FEMA published a new job aid, Considerations for Local Mitigation Planning Grant Subapplications, to provide Hazard Mitigation Assistance guidance for preparing a mitigation planning grant scope of work. This job aid guidance is provided to assist in the development of a strong, comprehensive grant subapplication.

Developing a local hazard mitigation plan can help your community reduce the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of hazards. FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) provides planning grants to communities looking to develop or update their hazard mitigation plans.

Information about the Hazard Mitigation program is available at www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-assistance. Information about the mitigation planning program can be found at www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-planning.

new job aid

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Hazard Mitigation Assistance in the Field

Reaching Survivors in Texas and Florida

Days after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma made landfall in Texas and Florida respectively, FEMA deployed hundreds of hazard mitigation staff to support state and local communities. To date, FEMA has provided important hazard mitigation information to nearly 70,000 people in the two states.  

Florida – Hurricane Irma

Big Pine Key

In the first 30 days after the hurricane, more than 150 mitigation staff provided hazard mitigation information at 22 Disaster Recovery Centers and 10 additional locations, reaching a total of more than 34,000 disaster survivors.

Throughout the affected area, homeowners are citing problems with mold, standing water, and roofing damage due to high winds. FEMA's brochure, “Mold & Mildew; Cleaning up your Flood Damaged Home (FEMA B-606)” has been widely utilized throughout state. Mitigation Community Education and Outreach specialists have also provided personal and property risk-reduction information. Subjects have included mitigation building techniques, clean-up, flood insurance and mitigation grants.

The state is very good to work with,” said Diane Earl, FEMA Hazard Mitigation Branch Director for Florida. “They understand the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and the local mitigation work group sets priorities, and Florida’s strict building codes help disaster resistant building reconstruction.” She added, “I’m inspired every day by the dedication of the people I work with and their desire to get people back on their feet. Mitigation programs help achieve that goal.”

Outreach

(Top Photo: Big Pine Key, Florida after Hurricane Irma.)

(Bottom Photo: Right: Spanish interpreter Susan Coletti assisting CEO Specialists Richard Sands and Esther Moore at a Mitigation Outreach location at the Lowes store in Homestead, FL.)

Texas - Hurricane Harvey

Texas Outreach

Since Hurricane Harvey made landfall in late August, more than 180 mitigation staff have assisted 33,000 survivors at the 32 Disaster Recovery Centers.  Throughout the affected area, homeowners are citing problems with mold – especially in the southern portion of Texas – and unprecedented urban and coastal flooding.

In response to the increased demand, field teams are using more sophisticated data analytics to evaluate damages before deploying to impacted areas. This enables teams to rule out structures with less than 18 inches of water, allowing certain communities to move more rapidly toward building permitting. It also highlights those structures with a severe amount of damage.

“We’ve been able to reduce inefficiencies since we’re inspecting less structures,” said Pat McArthur, FEMA Hazard Mitigation Branch Director for Texas. “I’m proud of the dedication of our work force and coordination levels that help the state and local communities.”

(Photo: Community Education and Outreach Specialist Adolph Hernandez supporting efforts in Houston, Texas,  pictured with Emily Akin of Fox 26 Houston and Lori Ann Shorthouse, part of the U.S. Coast Guard Surge Capacity Force.)

Stay tuned for an update on HMA efforts in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in the next HMA e-brief!

 

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Updates to Program Help Streamline and Accelerate Delivery

In new changes to the Program Administration by States (PAS), which was designed to create a more streamlined grant approval process, FEMA has a reduced role but maintains oversight responsibilities. Titled “Addendum to the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance, Program Administration by States Pilot, for States, Territories and Tribes, Hazard Mitigation Grants Program (HMGP),” the changes give eligible states, tribes, and territories greater authority to administer grants.

Updates to the PAS guidance include:

  • Changes to the State Mitigation Plan Review Guide (Guide). Grants management performance measures are now better aligned with the Guide. Performance measurements provide an incentive for states, tribes, and territories to build and maintain capacity, accelerate program delivery, and allows for more flexibility and autonomy.

  • A new non-disaster option. States, tribes, and territories can now request delegation of local mitigation plan approvals outside of a disaster declaration.

Anna

 

PAS was established as a result of Hurricane Sandy to help communities receive the hazard mitigation funds they need faster. Under PAS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can delegate one or a combination of the following activities to states, tribes, and territories: application review, benefit-cost analysis review, grant management, fiscal management, and mitigation planning. An archive copy of the PAS document dated April 1, 2013 applies to agreements signed before October 1, 2017.

Watch an overview video about PAS. 

Learn more about PAS, including how to submit a request to participate.

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Training

January 17 – 18, 2018: Course E0276: Benefit-Cost Analysis: Entry-Level

This course is designed as an introduction to the fundamental concepts of benefit-cost (BC) analysis. Participants will learn how to obtain BC data and conduct analyses using the latest version of the Benefit Cost Toolkit.

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Updated User Manual to Administer HMGP Grants Now Available

Manual

The updated National Emergency Management Information System (NEMIS) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) User Manual is now available in the FEMA library at:https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/23468.    

NEMIS is a database system used to track disaster data for FEMA and emergency management offices. The NEMIS HMGP User Manual provides instructions on how to use the NEMIS system to administer program information and grant applications for HMGP.

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Did You Know?

Sandy

To learn about the effects of Hurricane Sandy and the mitigation projects that followed, visit the Hurricane Sandy 5 Year Collection library.

To learn more about disaster declarations related to Hurricane Sandy, visit FEMA’s Disasters database.

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Dates For Your Calendar