CHICAGO – Through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded $931,930 to the village of Sanford, Michigan, for the acquisition and demolition of 14 homes that were damaged following the Midland dam break in May 2020. Located in the floodplain of the Tittabawassee River, this area is susceptible to recurring flooding unless mitigation measures are taken. To reduce the community’s flood vulnerability and mitigate risk to life and property, these structures will be removed from the flood hazard area, and the location will be reverted to open space maintained by the city.
“FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate the risk of disaster losses,” said Moises Dugan, acting regional administrator, FEMA Region 5. “The damage sustained from the dam breaks in Midland, Michigan, was substantial and this project will increase the community’s resilience to future flooding.”
“The Sanford community is still dealing with some of the devastating impacts of the floods nearly two years ago,” said Capt. Kevin Sweeney, commander of Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security division. “We are grateful to our federal partners for their continued efforts to help the community recover and become more resilient.”
HMGP provides grants to state, tribal and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures following a natural disaster. For this project, FEMA will pay 75% of the $1,242,573 eligible project cost with the remaining 25% of the funds, $310,643, provided by the village of Sanford. FEMA will also provide an initial $25,000 in sub-recipient management costs to assist Sanford in managing this grant. To learn more about HMGP or FEMA’s other Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs, visit www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation.
FEMA's mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.