Press release from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security:
FEMA awards grants totaling $1.5 Million to the City of Fort Wayne
Funds from the two grants will be used to acquire and remove 40 flood-prone homes
CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved two Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) projects totaling nearly $1.5 million for the city of Fort Wayne, Ind. The funds will be used to acquire and remove 40 homes susceptible to annual flooding.
The two HMGP grants, one for $749, 513 and the second for $745,880, will be available once a final agreement is signed among the city of Fort Wayne, 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 nearly $1.5 million projects, with the city of Fort Wayne 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 Fort Wayne 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 for those who had their homes damaged or destroyed. It’s important for them and their community’s recovery,” said IDHS Executive Director Joseph Wainscott. “The partnership and teamwork among the city of Fort Wayne, 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.
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