FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs help property owners relocate, have homes elevated, or have homes rebuilt to code with an elevated foundation. These grant programs are now available in New Hanover County due to Hurricane Florence.
New Hanover County is facilitating the homeowner application process to the State of North Carolina and FEMA for the following programs:
The acquisition, or buyout of a home uses FEMA funds to purchase the structure and land from a willing homeowner. The homeowner is offered a pre-disaster fair market value as determined by a certified appraiser, and the home is then demolished and the land is deeded to local government with an open space restriction. View the Property Acquisition Fact Sheet.
It’s important to understand that applying for acquisition does not guarantee approval by the State and FEMA.
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Applications for “Expedited” Acquisition have been approved by FEMA, and New Hanover County has been awarded funding to complete the buyout.
Applications for “Non-Expedited” Acquisition have been reviewed by NC Emergency Management and approved to move to the FEMA review.
Elevating a home is the physical raising of an existing structure to an elevation at the Base Flood Elevation or higher if required by FEMA or the local ordinance. The project pays for engineering to determine if the home is feasible to raise, then elevates and retrofits the foundation. View the Elevation Fact Sheet.
Applications for Elevation have been reviewed by NC Emergency Management and approved to move to the FEMA review.
In addition to disaster-related grant programs, FEMA also offers annual grant programs for Pre-Disaster Mitigation and Flood Mitigation Assistance. These programs help property owners and community groups, like neighborhood associations, execute community flood and damage mitigation projects. The 2018 application cycle deadline for these annual programs was December 19, 2018.
Pre-Disaster Mitigation projects might include non-flood project types like wind retrofits, stand-alone generators, stormwater management, Floodplain and Stream Restoration and other projects that increase resilience and reduce long-term risk to life and property.
Flood Mitigation Assistance projects may include large-scale community based approaches that reduce the drain on the National Flood Insurance Program insured properties, with a strong emphasis on Severe Repetitive Loss and Repetitive Loss properties.
