FEMA resumes disaster mitigation program following judge's order on lawsuit brought by Democratic-led states
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday opened applications for a major resilience grant program that the agency canceled last year, less than three weeks after a federal judge ordered FEMA to make the funding available. In:
The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday opened applications for a major resilience grant program that the agency canceled last year, less than three weeks after a federal judge ordered FEMA to make the funding available.
FEMA will make $1 billion available for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, which helps states, local governments, territories and tribes take on preparedness projects to harden against natural hazards like fires, floods, earthquakes and hurricanes.
"When done correctly, mitigation activities save lives and reduce the cost of future disasters," Karen S. Evans, FEMA's acting leader, said in a statement announcing the resumption.
The Trump administration has slashed disaster preparedness dollars across multiple FEMA programs. It's been one year since President Trump approved any state or tribe's request for hazard mitigation funding, a typical add on to major disaster declarations.
Still, a FEMA document outlining the grant opportunity signals the administration might now be embracing aspects of mitigation to safeguard against disasters, stating that "BRIC aims to shift the focus of federal investments away from reactive post-disaster spending towards proactive infrastructure-focused hazard mitigation."
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