FEMA Awards $3.7 Million to Alabama for Disaster Mitigation
Release Date: December 23, 2005
Release Number: 1605-145
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MONTGOMERY, Al. -- The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded a total of $3.7 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant funds for disaster mitigation projects to the Town of Brookside, the Gulf Shores Utilities Board and the Franklin County Water Service Authority in Alabama.
Brookside requested $1.3 million to acquire and demolish 26 repetitively damaged residential structures from the Five Mile Creek floodplain. The area cleared of structures will remain open space in perpetuity.
The Gulf Shores Utilities board intends to replace the existing vitrified clay pipe used in the wastewater collection system along East and West Beach Boulevard. FEMA’s $1.2 million will reimburse the utility for the installation of high-density polyethylene pipe. This piping will help minimize or eliminate future damage to the sewer system during storm surge events.
Franklin County Water Service Authority will use FEMA’s $1.2 million grant to offset the cost of providing a water supply to approximately 13,150 households through a water pipeline interconnected to a regional water system.
The $3.7 million represents FEMA’s share of 75 percent of the $5.06 million combined cost of the projects. Funds from FEMA’s mitigation program pay for measures taken to make an area better able to withstand the impact of future storms and reduce the cost of recovery work.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Friday, 23-Dec-2005 14:23:19