FEMA has awarded $1.5 million to Orange County, through the Texas Division of Emergency Management, to fund the elevation of 12 flood-prone homes, impacted by Hurricane Harvey, as part of FEMAs Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).

Federal grant funding will provide 75% of the cost of this project, and a local match will provide 25%.

These homes will be elevated to at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation, which is the depth of the water during a 1% chance flood. For a community to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), it must adopt the program’s minimum standards into its building codes.

Orange County adopted elevation standards higher than the base flood elevation to provide additional protection to the community. The elevation is also expected to result in lower insurance premiums for owners.

The county will work with each homeowner to select a qualified, experienced contractor who will complete the work in compliance with applicable local codes, standards and NFIP requirements.

HMGP provides funds to implement hazard mitigation measures following a presidentially-declared disaster. This program is designed to assist local communities, states, federally-recognized tribes and territories with implementing mitigation measures during the recovery process. The goal of the program is to reduce overall risk to the population and structures from future flooding events, while also reducing reliance on federal funding in future disasters.

This hazard mitigation project is part of FEMA’s long-term commitment to help Texas and its communities recover from Harvey and become more resilient.

For additional information on Hurricane Harvey and Texas recovery, visit the Hurricane Harvey disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4332, Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMAharvey, the FEMA Region 6 Twitter account at www.twitter.com/FEMARegion6 or the Texas Division of Emergency Management website at https://tdem.texas.gov.