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Join our new forum to discuss hazard mitigation, promote your project success stories, and share lessons learned from grant application, implementation, and closeout.
“What recipients already distribute HMA management cost funding to subrecipients? What are your best practices?”
“How are you using advance assistance? What are some myths and myth busters about advance assistance?”
“What are some of the impediments to your state or tribe becoming an Enhanced Plan State/Tribe? What benefits or challenges do you foresee for developing an Enhanced Plan?”
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HMGP Management Costs Interim Policy Now Available
On Oct. 5, President Donald J. Trump signed the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 (DRRA) into law as part of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018. FEMA worked closely with Congress over the past year as they considered, and ultimately passed, important reforms to federal disaster programs. These reforms acknowledge the shared responsibility of disaster response and recovery, aim to reduce the complexity of FEMA and build the nation’s capacity for the next catastrophic event.
The law contains more than 50 provisions that require FEMA policy or regulation changes for full implementation, as they amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. To begin implementation of these reforms, both the FEMA Public Assistance Management Costs (Interim) Policy and the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Management Costs (Interim) Policy are now available.
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FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Division invites you to a webinar on Thursday, December 13, 2018, to learn about bioengineering stabilization methods for coastal, streambank and wildfire projects. After the presentation, there will be a 15 minute question and answer session.
Bioengineered stabilization methods incorporate the use of living and nonliving plant material, biological elements and natural barriers to reduce erosion, establish vegetation, stabilize shorelines and streambanks, and mitigate wildfire risk. View resources that can help you develop mitigation projects using bioengineering stabilization methods.
Title: Bioengineering Methods for Coastal, Streambank and Wildfire Projects
Date: Thursday, December 13, 2018 (1 - 2 p.m. ET)
Adobe Connect:https://fema.connectsolutions.com/bioengineered_stabilization/
Phone: 1-800-320-4330 Code: 338559#
Be sure to test your Adobe Connect connection prior to webinars.
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FEMA opened the FY18 Pre-Disaster Mitigation and Flood Mitigation Assistance grants application period on October 1, 2018. Eligible applicants must apply for funding through the Mitigation eGrants system on the FEMA Grants Portal accessible at https://portal.fema.gov. All applications must be submitted no later than 3 pm Eastern Time on January 31, 2019.
Flood Mitigation Assistance:
FMA grants are available to implement measures to reduce or eliminate risk of severe repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). In FY18, $160 million is available for FMA grants.
Further information is in the NOFO: DHS-18-MT-029-000-99 and FY 2018 FMA Fact Sheet.
Pre-Disaster Mitigation:
The goal of the PDM grant program is to reduce overall risk to the population and structures, while at the same time reducing reliance on federal funding from Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) disaster declarations. $235.2 million is available for FY18 PDM grants. Further information is in the NOFO: DHS-18-MT-047-000-99 and FY 2018 PDM Fact Sheet.
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 The U.S. Virgin Islands Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT) recently released its report assessing the performance of residential and non-residential structures in St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix during Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The report also provides lessons learned and key findings including over 40 recommendations for mitigating the most commonly observed building science issues.
To view the full USVI MAT report, visit: https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/170486
To learn more about FEMA’s Mitigation Assessment Team Program, visit: https://www.fema.gov/mitigation-assessment-team-program
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 In September 2018, the Federal Insurance Mitigation Administration welcomed Katherine Fox as the Assistant Administrator of its Mitigation Directorate.
In this role, Fox oversees the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program (PDM), Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grants, and the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Floodplain Management Program and Community Rating System (CRS). Additionally, she oversees FIMA’s Disaster Operations and leads the Hazard Mitigation Disaster Workforce Cadre.
Before joining FIMA, Fox served as the Director of the FEMA National Preparedness Assessment Division.
Read Katherine Fox’s full biography.
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 FEMA released an updated Flood Insurance Manual (FIM), which supersedes the previous FIM, last month. The FIM is a resource for insurance professionals working with FEMA to close the insurance gap.
The redesigned FIM’s goal is to make flood insurance issues and National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) processes more understandable. Changes in the new manual include:
- The expanded Newly Mapped rating eligibility (effective October 1, 2018), appears in the How to Write section.
- FEMA added Cancellation Reason Code 26 to the How to Cancel section to allow termination of an NFIP policy when a policyholder has obtained a duplicate policy from another source.
- Notification requirements of Preferred Risk Policy Eligibility for certain cancellation reasons appear in the appropriate cancellation reasons within the How to Cancel section.
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If you have been approved for an SBA disaster loan for your home or business, you can take out additional money to build back safer and stronger. Ask about SBA mitigation loans to protect your home from future damage. Visit www.sba.gov/disaster and apply online at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
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