FEMA Awards Kenosha County $1.75 Million Hazard Mitigation Grant
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency
Management Agency released $1,751,449 in Hazard Mitigation
Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Kenosha County, Wisc., for the
acquisition and removal of 16 structures repeatedly damaged by flooding.
HMGP provides grants to state and local governments to implement
long-term hazard mitigation measures. Through HMGP, FEMA will pay 75
percent of the $2,335,265 project. The remaining 25 percent of the
funds, $583,816, will be provided through a combination of funds from
the state of Wisconsin and Kenosha County. Wisconsin Emergency
Management (WEM) administers the HMGP 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 Kenosha County
will reduce future structural losses and lessen the financial impact on
individuals and governments following a disaster.”
HMGP funds will be used to remove these homes from the floodplain,
returning the area to open space in perpetuity. HMGP projects like this
are the cornerstone of disaster prevention efforts, and illustrate the
importance of governments working together for the benefit of citizens.
“We continue to deal with the after effects of the devastating 2008
flooding,” said WEM Administrator Ed Wall. “This funding will help many
families impacted by the floods in Kenosha County to start over.”
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.