FEMA ISSUES $2.7M INSTALLMENT TO CALIFORNIA FOR EARTHQUAKE PROTECTION
[https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20250121/fema-issues-27m-installment-california-earthquake-protection]


Release Date: 
Septembre 17, 2020 

OAKLAND, CALIF. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has
released an additional $2.7 million installment to the California
Earthquake Authority (CEA) for its Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB)
program. The grant will subsidize a project of the California
Residential Mitigation Program, a joint powers authority of the
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the CEA, for
earthquake retrofits on 532 at-risk homes likely to shake from their
foundations in the event of an earthquake.

EBB addresses two seismic vulnerabilities found in many older homes
that may have short, wood-framed cripple walls under the first floor.
The retrofit bolts the house to the foundation, and if short,
wood-framed walls are present under the first floor, the retrofit
braces those walls with plywood to reinforce and help prevent the
house from collapsing or sliding off its foundation during a quake.

EBB is a code-compliant retrofit that lessens the potential for damage
and may allow families to remain in their homes after earthquakes.
Each EBB recipient receives a grant of up to $3,000 to bring their
home up to seismic code compliance.

FEMA’s $2.7 million release from its Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
(HMGP), in combination with the applicant’s $1.6 million, marks the
latest installment of the $33.3 million project. The remaining $11.7
million will be released incrementally throughout the life of the
grant, as applications are approved, to retrofit a total of 6,667
homes.

FEMA’s HMGP helps states, territories, federally-recognized tribes,
local communities and certain private, non-profit organizations become
more resilient to potential infrastructure damage and reduce future
disaster costs. Over the past 30 years, FEMA has invested more than
$1.4 billion to reduce disaster risk in California.

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