Gov. Whitmer Announces State of Michigan granted $51.7 million to Mitigate Future Disasters
LANSING, Mich. — Governor Whitmer today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved a $51.7 million federal grant from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to invest in infrastructure that is resilient against climate change, creating jobs and putting Michigan first.
“I am grateful to have an ally in the Biden Administration that is working diligently to ensure that we have the resources to upgrade our state’s infrastructure to ensure that our communities are protected from the effects of unprecedented storms,” said Governor Whitmer. “This grant will make a difference in building infrastructure that is resilient against changing climate. We have already seen roads, bridges and communities deeply damaged by extreme weather conditions. This investment will allow Michigan to enhance mitigation efforts for our communities, create jobs, and put Michigan first.”
Over the past three years, the total national cost of weather and climate events exceeded $450 billion—an average of $150 billion per year.
Governor Whitmer has taken action responding to extreme weather events. Last month, Governor Whitmer secured a Presidential Disaster Declaration to help residents and businesses in Wayne and Washtenaw counties affected by flooding. The governor also announced a plan to use $10 million in state general funds to provide emergency relief to households impacted by the heavy rainfall and flooding in southeast Michigan on June 25 and 26. And the Michigan Department of Transportation has put forward a proposal to purchase $50 million worth of backup generators to ensure that pump stations can continue to operate if there’s a power outage during a storm.
HMGP funds can be used for projects including, but not limited to, erosion stabilization, flood control, and stormwater improvement to better prepare for future extreme weather events. Making infrastructure more climate-resilient has a strong return on investment, for every dollar invested, six dollars can be saved.
FEMA’s HMGP provides funding to state, local, tribal and territorial governments so they can reduce or eliminate long-term risk from hazards. Under the program, a federal grant would cover 75 percent of the cost of an eligible climate-change resistant mitigation projects to reduce the risk of loss of life and property from future disasters. The remaining 25 percent would be covered by local or state matching funds.
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Michigan granted $51.7 million to Mitigate Future Disasters
