FEMA Awards Gays Mills $733,205 Hazard Mitigation Grant
Release Date: November 5, 2009
Release Number: R5-09-082
CHICAGO, Ill. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today released $733,205 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to the village of Gays Mills, Wisc., for the acquisition and removal of 10 structures and the elevation of one structure 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 $977,606 project. The remaining 25 percent, $244,401, of the funds will be provided through a combination of funds from the state of Wisconsin and village of Gays Mills.
“This project will ensure the health, safety and welfare of the Gays Mills residents who lived in these homes,” said Janet M. Odeshoo, acting regional administrator, FEMA Region V. “The acquisitions and elevation will help prevent future structural losses, emergency repair costs and the financial obligations of federal, state and local governments.”
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 Wisconsin Emergency Management Administrator Ed Wall. “This funding will help many families impacted by the floods in the Gays Mills area 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.
Last Modified: Friday, 06-Nov-2009 12:51:49