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Hazard Mitigation Grants fund projects to build more resilient communities

FEMA and the state of North Carolina have approved funding of more than $1.4 million for 24 generators, which will help North Carolina communities become more resilient in the face of future storms and disasters.

Through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), 24 generators will be purchased and installed where they are needed to support critical public infrastructure. In two locations, transfer switches will be installed, and one generator will be relocated.

The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program program provides grants for state and local governments to elevate, buy out or reconstruct homes and to strengthen public infrastructure to make communities better able to withstand future storms and disasters.

Hazard Mitigation is a cost-sharing program. FEMA provides at least 75% of costs, and the remaining 25% is covered by the state. FEMA’s share for these projects is more than $1.07 million and the state share is nearly $359,000. The federal share is paid directly to the state, which disburses funds to local governments.

Generators will be provided for these locations:

West Bladen High School	Bladenboro	500kW generator	Emergency shelter location
East Bladen High School	Elizabethtown	Automatic transfer switch	Emergency shelter location
Town Hall / Emergency Operations Center	Calabash	Two 22kW generators	To ensure continuity of operations for town EOC
Public Works Building	Calabash	Relocate 20kW generator	Relocate current generator from town hall
Town Wastewater Plant	Creswell	40kW generator	To provide backup power
NC Emergency Management Eastern Branch Office	Kinston	125kW generator	To provide continuity of operations for Regional Coordination Center- East
Greene County Well #5	Maury	150kW generator	To provide uninterrupted power for water supply
Greene County Well #7	Snow Hill	150 kW generator	To provide uninterrupted power for water supply
Lenoir County EMS Station 7	Deep Run	45kW generator	To provide ongoing emergency medical services
Town Wastewater Plant	Plymouth	150kW generator	To provide backup power
Town Pump Station	Plymouth	45kW generator	To provide backup power
Hoffman Pumping Station	Rockingham	150kW generator	To ensure ongoing delivery of water
County pump station	Ellerbe	200kW generator	To ensure ongoing delivery of water
Water treatment plant	Roseboro	80kW generator	To provide backup power supply
Water treatment plant	Salemburg	80kW generator and automatic transfer switch	To provide uninterrupted power
Town Hall – Fire Department	Sandyfield	48kW generator	To provide backup power
Town Hall – Law Enforcement	Snow Hill	80kW generator	To ensure continuity of operations
Mt. Airy Rescue Squad	Mt. Airy	36kW and 22kW generators	To provide uninterrupted power for emergency medical operations
Tyrrell County EMS Base	Columbia	50kW generator	To provide backup power
Pines Elementary School	Plymouth	175kW generator	Emergency shelter location
Old radio station transmitter site	Plymouth	22kW generator	To provide backup power to radio transmitter
New radio site	Plymouth	22kW generator	Provide backup power to radio station providing emergency information to elderly population
Fire Department	Whiteville	125kW generator	To provide backup power
City Hall	Whiteville	230kW generator	To provide backup power to City Hall complex

After each disaster event, an amount equal to 20% of the combined total provided in FEMA Individual Assistance and Public Assistance is set aside for Hazard Mitigation projects. The projects can be anywhere in the state.

For Hurricane Matthew, $90 million in federal and state funds are being invested in Hazard Mitigation projects. Last spring and summer, projects totaling $88.1 million were awarded to dozens of local governments to elevate, buyout or reconstruct 680 residential properties subject to repetitive flooding.