Chatham County Receives Over $764,000 For Savannah Area Flood Mitigation 

Grant also awarded to City of Thomasville as part of FEMA's Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program

Release Date: May 11, 2004
Release Number: R4-04-081

ATLANTA, Ga. -- The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that $764,475 in funding would be made available to help prevent future flooding in Chatham County, Ga., with an additional $174,856 being awarded to the town of Thomasville, GA.

The awards comes from the federal Pre-Disaster Mitigation Competitive (PDM-C) grant program, a Presidential initiative, administered by FEMA for pre-disaster mitigation planning and projects primarily addressing natural hazards. The federal grant amount for Chatham County is $764,475 - which is 75 percent of the total project cost, with Chatham County covering the remaining 25 percent share of $224,825.

"President Bush recognizes the great importance in reducing the loss of life and property to natural disasters," said Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, "I am pleased to represent the administration in sharing the good news of this project."

The grant will allow Chatham County officials to purchase and demolish 12 properties in the Lamarville Woods subdivision in the western part of Savannah. The site of frequent flooding, officials plan to maintain the land as open space.

In addition to the Chatham award of a PDM-C grant, an additional grant in the amount of $174,856 is being awarded to the City of Thomasville for the acquisition of nine properties - including six homes - that are subject to frequent flooding. The homes will be demolished and the land will become a creek-side community park.

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and administers the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 11-May-2004 16:53:05