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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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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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.
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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.
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.
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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.”
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(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.)
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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.”
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(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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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.
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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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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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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