Hazard mitigation funding approved for several Louisiana parishes

BATON ROUGE – The first installment in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding has been allocated for Louisiana parishes impacted by Hurricane Laura. Gov. John Bel Edwards and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) are pleased to announce $40 million dollars in HMGP funding will be available for 21 parishes in Round 1 based on FEMA Individual Assistance Program data. Additional rounds of funding will be announced in the near future for these parishes and other parishes that are declared for FEMA Public Assistance. Additional rounds of funding may also incorporate regional projects in coordination with the Louisiana Watershed Initiative (www.watershed.la.gov). The total HMGP funding for Hurricane Laura is estimated to be $130 million.

Funding through the federal HMGP can be used on projects that potentially save lives and reduce property loss. Working with our local partners, the goal is to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to life and property by lessening the impact of a disaster. Hazard mitigation is the only phase of emergency management specifically dedicated to breaking the cycle of damage, reconstruction and repeat damage.

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