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District to Receive Up to $20 Million in FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Funds


December 21, 2005
The Harris County Flood Control District has been approved to receive up to $20 million from FEMA's Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program to purchase hundreds of homes on a voluntary basis from Harris County residents who have a history of flooding.

Repetitive Loss Properties Are Priority For Funding
The District applied for grants on behalf of 251 homes throughout the county that are repetitive loss properties, insured by the National Flood Insurance Program. Repetitive loss properties are defined as those with two or more insured losses greater than $1,000 each within any 10-year period. The best candidates for the grant were homes on the NFIP's Pilot List, which tracks properties that have a history of four or five paid flood losses; or two-paid flood losses within a 10-year period that equal or exceed the current value of the insured property; or have three or more paid losses that equal or exceed the current value of the insured property.

Homeowners are currently being contacted and asked if they wish to participate. Of the 251 identified candidates, 90 are located on the NFIP's Pilot List.

The District competed for $255 million in funds nationwide to help relocate residents who wish to move to higher ground and will also contribute an additional $6.4 million, or 25 percent of the cost in matching funds, as approved by Commissioner's Court on Nov. 22. This amount does not include relocation costs, also paid by the District.

Buyout is a Viable Flood Damage Reduction Tool
Voluntary home buyout is a tool used by the District to reduce residents' flooding risks. To date, the District, at times using monies from various FEMA grants, has purchased more than 2,000 homes located hopelessly deep in a floodplain. These are homes that will never flood again.

> Learn more about the District's Home Buyout Program

Harris County Flood Control District
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