Funding for Flood Mitigation Available
Funding for Flood Mitigation Available

Funding for Flood Mitigation Available

Time is limited for home owners and municipalities to take advantage of this round of FEMA Flood assistance programs. WestCOG encourages homeowners and municipalities to coordinate with WestCOG’s Regional Flood Assistance program by contacting Program Manager, Jacyln Reelick. WestCOG can confirm eligibility, navigate FEMA requirements, and streamline the entire grant process for eligible applicants.

Jacyln Reelick, WestCOG Program Manager | jreelick@westcog.org

Background

Each of FEMA’s grant programs are detailed below:

BRIC Grant Programiii

Intended for hazard mitigation planning, building codes, project scoping, and other projects that reduce damage to property, critical services, facilities and infrastructure from natural hazards.

Deadline: April 18, 2025

Match: 75% Federal and 25% non-federal cost share[i].

Funding Available: $750,000,000[ii]

FMA Grant Program[iii]

Intended to fund projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings and/or structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Project categories include Capability and Capacity Building Activities, Localized Flood Risk Reduction Projects, and Individual Flood Mitigation Projects. Examples of these projects include structure acquisition and demolition, structure elevation, dry floodproofing (historic structures), mitigation reconstruction, and more.

Deadline: April 18, 2025

Max Award: $50,000-$50,000,000 (dependent on project)[iv]

Match: 75% to 100% federal (dependent on project)[v]

Funding Available: $600,000,000[ii]

FMA Swift Current[iii]

This program mirrors the FMA Grant Program but is only offered after a disaster declaration. The program is intended to reduce or eliminate flood risk to NFIP-insured structures following a flood-related disaster through project scoping and individual mitigation projects for Repetitive Loss (RL), Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) or substantially damaged properties.

Deadline: June 5, 2025 (Opens February 5, 2025)

Funding Available: $20,000,000[vi]

Match: 75% federal and 25% non-federal (dependent on project)

HMGP[iii]

Intended for long-term hazard mitigation activities that reduce risk and potential impact of future disasters such as home acquisition, post-disaster code enforcement, floodproofing, structural elevation, structural retrofitting, flood risk reduction, and more. HMGP only becomes available following a presidentially declared natural disaster.

Deadline: September 20, 2025 (One year from the date of disaster declaration)

Max Award: Dependent on percentage of total disaster assistance (subject to sliding scale)

Match: 75% federal and 25% non-federal.

Discussion

WestCOG has had substantial success winning FEMA grant awards for homeowners and municipalities since the Council approved WestCOG’s Flood Mitigation Assistance Program in 2022. To date, WestCOG has had a 75% success rate with project selections. Municipalities are encouraged to take advantage of this program which offers technical assistance to local governments and homeowners such as grant eligibility screening, application development and post award grant management.


[i] BRIC match amounts may be adjusted to 90% federal and 10% non-federal for projects and activities located within or primarily benefiting Community Disaster Resilience Zones (CDRZ) or Economically Disadvantaged Rural Communities.

[ii] BRIC and FMA Funding amounts are for FY2024

[iii] Municipalities apply as Subapplicants and submit applications to the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS). DEMHS may require an earlier deadline than the federal deadline of April 18. While homeowners are not directly eligible for grant funding, they may work with their local government to develop and submit a grant on their behalf (WestCOG can assist with this process).

[iv] Individual Flood Mitigation projects do not have a funding cap.

[v] FMA match amounts for Repetitive Loss Properties (RLP) and Severe Repetitive Loss Properties (SRLP) can receive up to a 90% and 100% federal cost share, respectively.

[vi] FMA Swift Current available funds are tentative as the CT set aside amounts are still being confirmed.