FEMA Awards City Of Miami $1.5 Million To Upgrade Existing Stormwater Drainage System
Release Date: August 1, 2006
Release Number: R4-06-030
ATLANTA, Ga. -- A stormwater management improvement project designed to reduce flood damage to homes and businesses in the City of Miami's Fairlawn residential neighborhood will have $1.5 million to do the job. This is the latest in a series of projects funded by FEMA to reduce flooding within the C-4 Canal Basin.
As part of its Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program (PDM), officials of the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have awarded the Florida Division of Emergency Management a federal grant to reduce future damages of frequent flooding events. The stormwater management project will benefit over 200 homeowners by reducing repetitive shallow flooding. The City of Miami will receive $1.5 million in federal funding from FEMA. The federal award represents 75 percent of the total project cost of $2,000,000. The city will fund the remaining 25 percent, or $500,000.
"This project encourages local leaders to look ahead and work towards avoiding what could be catastrophic events," said acting FEMA Region IV Director Mary Lynne Miller. "This will aid in making the community safer and make great strides toward reducing the need for federal post-disaster recovery funds."
The PDM grant will help the city with a comprehensive flood protection program and the South Florida Water Management District with overall flood reduction in the C-4 Canal drainage basin,. The project area is just south of Blue Lagoon in western Miami, bounded by NW 4th Terrace and 7th Streets and NW 47th and 53rd Avenues. This project involves upgrading the existing stormwater drainage system and the installation lift stations leading to a storm sewer pump to accommodate a larger volume of runoff. The stormwater will be pumped into the C-4 Canal.
The PDM is a national competitive program that provides funding for mitigation plans and the implementation of cost-effective projects, such as buyouts of flood-prone buildings, construction of safe rooms, elevations of homes located in the floodplain and making structures more earthquake resistant prior to disaster events.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages the federal response and recovery efforts following an incident of national significance. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, workers 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: Tuesday, 01-Aug-2006 14:29:59