Hyde County homeowners can apply for FEMA grants to raise flood-prone homes
As a result of Tropical Storm Helene, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has opened a grant opportunity for Hyde County homeowners to elevate their houses above base flood elevation through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides funding to local and state governments so they can develop hazard mitigation plans and rebuild in a manner that reduces future disaster losses within their communities.
This funding—which only becomes available after a presidentially declared disaster occurs—allows structures to be elevated above the known flood level, preventing or reducing the risk of future flood losses.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible properties include houses below base flood elevation and located in Special Flood Hazard Areas or on a repetitive loss list. FEMA considers a property to be a repetitive loss if it has had two or more flood insurance claims of over $1,000 paid by the National Flood Insurance Program in any 10-year period since 1978.
For more information about flood zones in Hyde County, please click here.
All property owners in Hyde County who meet these criteria are eligible; however, due to the limited funding available, Hyde County will prioritize primary residence homeowner applications.
The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program covers 100 percent of elevation costs. Applicants should be aware that the typical timeline from submitting an application to receiving the award is approximately 3-5 years, and home elevation cannot occur until after the grant has been awarded.
Once awarded, the state will select a qualified contractor to elevate the home, a process that takes approximately 60-90 days to complete for each property.
Previous Applicants
Property owners who submitted applications due to Florence and/or Dorian damage that have not yet been contacted and notified that they have been approved for elevation under those storms should re-apply during this process.
Dorian applications will not be automatically included for consideration and will need to be applied for under this process.
How to Apply
If you believe your property is eligible, please follow the instructions below to indicate interest in the program. Homeowners may withdraw their application at any time but must follow these three steps to apply:
- Complete the 5-minute Grant Information Request.
- After receiving an email from a North Carolina Emergency Management Hazard Mitigation team member, the homeowner must complete and return the application as instructed in the email.
- Receive Hyde County approval for inclusion in the FEMA application.
Homeowner Application Tips
When you sign the homeowner’s application, please ensure all owners shown on the property deed have signed the application. FEMA will not approve the application unless all parties listed on the deed have signed.
Along with the homeowner application, applicants will need to collect and include the following items for consideration:
Flood insurance information (if available), including past claims.
Photos of the property (front, back, each side, and one street view) Click here to view photo instructions.
In the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, homeowners cannot directly apply for a grant. However, a local community may apply for funding on these individuals’ behalf. Hyde County is the eligible applicant for this program.
After the initial homeowner application intake process is completed, North Carolina Emergency Management will work with Hyde County to complete the application on behalf of homeowners.
To ensure inclusion in Hyde County’s application, local homeowners should submit an application as soon as possible.
