How FEMA’s Mitigation Programs Cut Losses in Disasters

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 8 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release:

It has been estimated that for every dollar spent on hazard mitigation, six dollars are saved when trouble strikes. So, whenever the president signs a major disaster declaration for any state, territory or tribal nation, FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) is automatically triggered for the entire jurisdiction.

HMGP authorizes the spending of funds in any area designated by the governor or chief to alleviate the potential damage from future disasters, thus reducing or eliminating the danger to people and buildings and the potential costs of dealing with such events.

Associated programs under the FEMA Unified Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Programs include Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA).

PDM is a sustained effort to reduce overall risk to the public and structures from natural disasters and to ease the cost of response and recovery for the federal government. An example would be the strengthening of the electrical grid against hurricane damage. Another would be the construction of safe rooms at schools or other public-access buildings.

FMA is embedded in the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968. It seeks to reduce or eliminate flood damage and policyholder claims under the National Flood Insurance Program. This may mean flood-proofing or elevating a structure or providing flood-resistant materials for rebuilding.

Find out more about hazard mitigation at www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-assistance. Or, call the FEMA mitigation Helpline at (866) 222-3580.