Hazard mitigation describes sustained actions taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risks to people and property caused by natural hazards. Hazard mitigation actions improve a community’s resilience to natural disasters by taking measures to reduce risk and to minimize impacts of severe weather events. According to the National Institute of Building Sciences findings (2019)*, every $1 spent on mitigation funding can save $6 in future disaster costs.
The HMGP grants provide funds to assist state agencies, local governments, federally-recognized tribes, and certain non-profit organizations to implement long-term, all-hazards related mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration. The FMA grants provide funds to assist state agencies, local governments and federally-recognized tribes in carrying out measures that reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of flood damage to buildings, manufactured homes, and other structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program. The PDM grants (to be fully sunsetted upon the closeout of current PDM legacy grant cycles) provide funds to states, territories, federally-recognized tribes, communities, and universities for hazard mitigation planning and effectuating mitigation projects before a disaster.
A new FEMA mitigation grant, launched in early August 2020, the BRIC grant (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) will support states, local communities, tribes and territories, as they undertake hazard mitigation projects reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards. BRIC is a new FEMA pre-disaster hazard mitigation program that replaces the existing Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program. The BRIC program guiding principles are supporting communities through capability- and capacity-building; encouraging and enabling innovation; promoting partnerships; enabling large projects; maintaining flexibility; and providing consistency.
