Flood Mitigation Assistance Program
May 21, 2007
The Florida Division of Emergency Management (DEM), which serves as the State Coordinating Agency for the National Flood Insurance, Flood Mitigation Assistance, and Repetitive Flood Claims Programs, is pleased to announce the availability of funding under the Fiscal Year 2007, Flood Mitigation Assistance Program. The State of Florida anticipates being allocated $5+ million in project funds under the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Eligible applicants, local and Native American Tribal governments, must submit sub-applications to DEM by January 31, 2007, using FEMA's Electronic Grants Management System (E-Grants).
Deadline Update: The Federal Emergency Management Agency has re-opened the FYO7 FMAP application period from May 21 to May 31, 2007
Eligible applicants are also required to perform and attach to the E-Grants sub-application a Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA) for each project, including substantially damaged structures. Sub-applications which are fully eligible, technically feasible and cost-beneficial will be submitted to FEMA by February 28, 2007.
The Flood Mitigation Assistance Program compliments the Repetitive Flood Claims Program. Therefore, for information on the Fiscal Year-2007, Repetitive Flood Claims Program notice of funding availability see the following webpage http://www.floridadisaster.org/brm/RFCP.htm
Authorization
The Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (FMAP) was created pursuant to Section 1366 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 United States Code 4104c), as amended by the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-325), and the Bunning-Bereuter-Blumenauer Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-264), with the goal of reducing or eliminating claims under the National Flood Insurance Program. The Flood Mitigation Assistance Program regulations are contained in Title 44, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) , Part 78.
The purpose of the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program is to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of flood damage to buildings, manufactured homes, and other structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program, whether the structure is a repetitive loss or not. Therefore, any insured structure with one or more (emphasis supplied) losses is eligible for assistance. However, severe repetitive loss properties will receive a priority for grant assistance through an improved cost-share arrangement which may be as much as 90% Federal and 10% non-Federal.
State Role
Although the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program is federally funded, the program is administered through a partnership with the Florida Division of Emergency Management (DEM). The Division of Emergency Management has the authority and responsibility for developing and maintaining a State Mitigation Plan, reviewing Flood Mitigation Assistance Program sub-applications, recommending cost effective sub-applications to FEMA and awarding approved project grants to eligible applicants. The Division of Emergency Management is also responsible for ensuring that projects funded by the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program are completed and that all performance and financial reporting requirements are met.
The Fiscal Year- 2007 Guidance, which may be amended by the State FMAP Administrative Plan, governs how projects are submitted and selected for funding. The success in reducing future flood insurance claims depends upon the ability of our local and Native American Tribal governments to prepare, implement and maintain long-term flood mitigation projects. The Florida Division of Emergency Management will award and provide pass-through funds to fully eligible and technically feasible projects that are the most cost-effective in reducing or eliminating future claims payments from the National Flood Insurance Fund.
Applicant Eligibility
Eligible applicants must:
. Participate in the National Flood Insurance Program and be in good standing;
. Have a FEMA-approved: Flood Mitigation Plan; Community Rating System (CRS) Floodplain Management Plan; or Local Mitigation Strategy; and
. Be able to meet the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program non-federal cost share requirements.
The following applicants are eligible for FMAP:
. State Agencies;
. Local and Native American Tribal governments.
Local and Native American Tribal governments that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program and who are not on probation, have not withdrawn or have not been suspended from the NFIP are eligible to receive Flood Mitigation Assistance Program grants.
Project Eligibility
Grants are available to local and Native American Tribal governments to implement measures to reduce the risk of flood damage to National Flood Insurance Program insured structures.
The State of Florida will use project funds to implement cost-effective measures that flood retrofit insured structures that have been flooded one or more (emphasis supplied) times or substantially damaged structures. Severe repetitive loss structures will receive a priority through an improved cost-share arrangement which may be as much as 90% Federal and 10% non-Federal. Examples of eligible flood retrofit activities are:
(1) Acquisition and Demolition;
(2) Acquisition and Relocation;
(3) Elevation and Retrofit (Standard in Place Elevation or Second Story Conversion);
(4) Dry Flood-proofing of Non-Residential Structures;
(5) Beach nourishment;
(6) Minor physical flood control projects; and
(7) Other activities that bring a structure into compliance with 44 CFR 60.3.
Modified elevations (Demolition-Rebuilds) are not eligible projects during the Fiscal Year-2007, application cycle. The activities above, although eligible, must also meet the following minimum criteria in order to be considered for funding:
. Be cost-effective
A project must be cost-effective and substantially reduce the risk of future damage, hardship, loss or suffering resulting from a major disaster. This requirement is satisfied by performing an analysis to determine whether the benefits to be gained are greater, or at least equal to the cost of the project.
. Be technically feasible
The project must use flood resistant design and construction methods and flood resistant materials that are accepted by the design and construction industry, as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
. Located in or benefits an NFIP-compliant community
An eligible project must be located physically in a participating NFIP community that is not on probation, suspended or withdrawn from the NFIP, and the project must benefit such a community directly by reducing future flood damages.
. Conform with the State's Administrative Plan
Each applicant must have an approved Flood Mitigation Plan, or a Community Rating System Floodplain Management Plan, or a Local Mitigation Strategy. Conformance with these plans ensures that the proposed measure is in keeping with statewide mitigation strategies. In some cases, the proposed project may be identified within the existing plan.
. Comply with environmental laws, regulations and executive orders
Comply with Executive Order 11988 (Title 44, CFR , Part 9 - Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands), Environmental Considerations and the National Environmental Policy Act [NEPA] (Title 44, CFR , Part 10).
. Be in conformance with the minimum floodplain management regulations of the National Flood Insurance Program (Title 44, CFR , Sections 59 and 60.3) and the local government's Community Rating System Program, if applicable.
Application Process
Owners and occupants of repetitively flooded or substantially damaged structures, residential or non-residential, should consult with their local or Native American Tribal governments about them submitting a sub-application on their behalf. All sub-applications must be submitted by eligible applicants and they cannot be accepted directly from individuals, families or businesses. A sub-application for each project must be submitted to the Florida Division of Emergency Management by January 31, 2007.
Deadline Update: The Division pursuant to the Federal Emergency Management Agency announcement has re-opened the FYO7 application period from May 21 to May 31, 2007.
After review and revision, fully eligible sub-applications will be submitted by the Division of Emergency Management to FEMA-Region IV by February 28, 2007. Additionally, the Division of Emergency Management requires that all sub-applications be submitted using the E-Grants System, and the local and Native American Tribal governments will perform and attach to the E-Grant applications a Benefit Cost Analysis for each project.
Each local and Native American Tribal government will be required to register the following representatives in E-Grant:
- Register a representative(s) to create and edit project sub-applications; and
- Register a representative(s) to sign and submit the project sub-application. This representative may be the chief elected official or chief administrative official of the local or Native American Tribal government, or his/her designee. Documentation must be sent to the Florida Division of Emergency Management identifying this individual.
- The Subgrant Applicant Quick Reference Guide is available at http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1816
- After reviewing the Application Process, click here to register for the E-Grants System:
- https://portal.fema.gov .
Registration Instructions
- Click on "New User ?" link to register
- Follow screen instructions after clicking on New User and Submit. These require you to type the funny looking characters appearing on the screen.
- Personal Information is entered on the next several screens; Special note: create a user name that is at least 7 characters and not more than 14 characters in length without any spaces, and all in lower case. Click on Submit when requested at the end of each page.
- A new window will appear with the message Click here to request new privileges
- Click on Mitigation egrants. The next screen will ask for an "ACCESS ID". Enter S12 (Capital S) and submit.
- The next screen confirms that registration is successful and you will see a message "Your request is being processed". This means that your request has been placed in the Egrant system approval queue. You will be notified via email once the DEM staff has taken action on your request.
- The Subgrantee sends an email to DEM in care of Charles.Speights@EM.MyFlorida.com
with the names and access rights (view/print, create/edit and sign/submit) of all users to be registered from the local government.
Benefit Cost Analysis
There are two options for completing the benefit cost analysis:
(1) The traditional FEMA-approved software-based BCA Flood Modules to determine the cost effectiveness of a project must be used. Sub-applicants must use a FEMA approved methodology to perform a BCA. Only project sub-applications that demonstrate cost-effectiveness through a benefit cost ratio of 1.0 or greater will be considered for FMAP funding. The FEMA approved BCA Toolkit, which includes the Flood Modules, may be downloaded at no cost. The BCA Helpline may be contacted by telephone (866.222.3580) or via e-mail ( bchelpline@dhs.gov ), or
(2) The Pilot Alternative Determination methodology developed by FEMA which can be used in lieu of a traditional BCA for certain properties insured under the NFIP. Information on the alternative approach to determine cost-effectiveness is available to Sub-applicants by contacting the state staff member who services their local government area.
Publications and Forms used in the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program:
Fiscal Year-2007, FMA Program Notification Memo (PDF and Text)
Fiscal Year-2007, FMA Program Overview (PDF)
Fiscal Year-2007, FMA Program Changes from 2006 (PDF)
Fiscal Year-2007, FMA Program Guidance
Repetitive Loss County Summary-Florida as of 8/31/06 (PDF)
Retrofitting and Flood Mitigation in Florida (PDF)
FMA & RFC State Staff Territorial Assignments (PDF)
Mitigation - Benefit Cost Analysis Toolkit (260 MB WinZip Download)
Download Instructions:
1. Create a folder on your desktop called "Toolkit"
2. Click on the above link and select the download option.
3. Choose your desktop as the download location.
4. Right click on the downloaded WinZip file on your desktop.
5. Choose extratc to "Toolkit" folder on your desktop.
6. Open your "Toolkit" folder and double-click the file called "autorun.exe"
All documents should be submitted to the Florida Division of Emergency Management at the following address:
State of Florida
Division of Emergency Management
Bureau of Recovery and Mitigation
2555 Shumard Oak Boulevard
Tallahassee , Florida 32399-2500
Updated:
November 13, 2007 10:29
