from the City of New Orleans
A home along Canal Boulevard, scarred by floodwaters. (photo by Jean-Paul Villere for UptownMessenger.com, 2015)
Today (June 12), the City of New Orleans announced the award of $12.5 Million in grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program.
Those dollars will fund the elevation of more than 50 pre-identified homes in New Orleans that have experienced repeated and severe flooding. Twenty-two of those homes are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“Flood mitigation has to remain a constant priority for me and our residents as we learn better how to live with water,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “This is a huge win for the City of New Orleans. Thanks to the funding from FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance program, we will be able to elevate the homes of an additional 52 families across the city who have suffered from flood-loss damages in the past. Home elevation is one of the many strategies that the administration is putting into action to reduce flood risk and strengthen resiliency throughout the city.”
The City’s Hazard Mitigation Office applied for FMA funds on behalf of Orleans Parish homeowners across the city whose structures have experienced severe and repetitive loss from flood damage. The grant application was submitted by the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), awarded by FEMA, and is the largest single grant awarded to any applicant in this round of funding.
New Orleans Hazard Mitigation Administrator Ryan Mast said, “FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs play a critical role in financing projects that reduce the impacts of natural disasters in the city, protecting both people and property. We are grateful for the support of our state and federal partners as, together, we secured critical funding to mitigate many of our most flood-prone structures.”
GOHSEP Director Jim Waskom said, “This program is helping protect our families and their properties from future weather related events. Emergencies across the state, this year alone, prove the importance of hazard mitigation work. We will continue to work with our local and federal partners for more opportunities allowing us to be proactive with mitigation efforts.”
Residents are encouraged to understand their flood risk, get flood insurance, and learn more about home elevation and other ways to protect property from flood damage by visiting Ready for Rain.
