BATON ROUGE, LA — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is announcing funding awards for two Louisiana communities for projects related to Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Gustav. FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Program provides federal funds to eligible communities after a presidential disaster declaration to reduce the impact of future events.
FEMA is awarding more than $1 million to St. Bernard Parish to fund the elevation of six residential homes. The funds are specific to Hurricane Katrina and will cover expenses related to elevating the homes to a level at or above the Base Flood Elevation or higher if required by FEMA or local ordinances. FEMA has provided previous funds to St. Bernard Parish for this project that covered the elevation expenses for an additional 39 homes bringing the total number of homes elevated to 45.
FEMA is also providing more than $1.9 million to the City of St. Gabriel for a Drainage Improvement Project. The funding, associated with Hurricane Gustav, will be used to increase the capacity of the Sunshine Wastewater Treatment Plan to manage projected daily flow rates during significant weather events. Improvements to the facility will allow for an increase in the treatment capacity from the existing 150,000 gallons per day to 350,000 gallons per day. This is the second funding award for this project. The previous award included nearly $250,000.
These grants are funded through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). HMGP provides funds to states, tribes, and local communities after a disaster declaration to protect public or private property through various mitigation measures.
FEMA obligates funding directly to the state. It is the state's responsibility to ensure that communities receive these awards. Following the state's review process, and upon receipt of appropriate documentation, they will provide the funds on a reimbursable basis.
FEMA has a long-term commitment to help Louisiana communities recover and to become more resilient.