Applications for Hurricane Isaias Hazard Mitigation Grant Program due by Feb. 12

The deadline for homeowners impacted by Hurricane Isaias in 15 eligible counties to apply for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) will close at 5 p.m. on Feb. 12.

Tropical Storm Isaias moved west of the Outer Banks on Aug. 3, sparing Ocracoke and the Outer Banks with only some wind-driven rain and a few gusts of wind. Isaias made landfall at Ocean Isle Beach and moved through North Carolina overnight with the center of the storm roughly following the Interstate 95 corridor, dumping large amounts of rain north and west of the center.

An online homeowner information request form has been set up for those interested in receiving more information.

Residents in Beaufort, Bertie, Brunswick, Carteret, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Hertford, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender and Pitt counties, which were included in the Federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Isaias, are eligible to apply.

The process for applying for HMGP funds begins at the local government level. Homeowners apply to their county, city or town, and the state assists those local governments with the formal FEMA application.

The most common projects funded by the program are home acquisitions and elevations. In an acquisition (sometimes called buyout), the local government buys the damaged home at pre-disaster value and converts the property to green-space. For elevations, the home is raised above the flood level to prevent future damage.

HMGP is a FEMA-funded program administered by the NC Department of Public Safety’s Division of Emergency Management. The partnership is designed to assist with the recovery and implementation of long-term hazard mitigation measures following a major disaster declaration such as Hurricane Isaias.

Learn more about the NC DPS: Hurricane Isaias Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, including examples of eligible projects.  Additional information about the HMGP is available on FEMA’s website.