FEMA Funds $2.1 Million Lewiston Stormwater Improvements

Competitive Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Tackles Repetitive Flood Damage BOISE—The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced Pre-Disaster Mitigation Competitive (PDM-C) grant awards of $1,593,691 to the City of Lewiston to update and improve that city’s storm water control system. According to FEMA Regional Administrator Ken Murphy, the system serves an area that includes most government buildings and offices and provides all of the outflow capacity for that portion of the city. “This project is designed to protect 91 buildings— residential, business and governmental—from episodic flooding,” said Murphy. “It should eliminate flooding of U.S. Highway 12 where it passes through this core sector, and protect critical infrastructure, including police headquarters, the county courthouse, fire station, county fire marshal’s office, and post office.” The City of Lewiston applied for the competitive grant, and upon approval by the State of Idaho's Bureau of Homeland Security (BHS), the application was forwarded for federal review. That competitive process ranks projects that have been submitted from across the nation, and Lewiston's application scored very well. The grant will pass to Lewiston through BHS which functions as the State Administrative Agency in Idaho for FEMA grants. "Lewiston has shown its dedication to preventing disasters, and this project will have a direct impact on reducing its vulnerability from flooding," said BHS Director Brig. Gen. Bill Shawver. "The teamwork at the local, county, state and federal level is what made this project come to fruition, and I tip my hat to all those who worked together to make sure Lewiston's infrastructure and citizens will be protected." FEMA’s portion represents 75 percent of the total $2,124,944 project cost. The local share of $531,253 will come from the City of Lewiston Storm Water Utility. “Funding mitigation activities reduces the risk to populations and structures, while reducing reliance on funding from actual disaster declarations,” added Murphy. “FEMA’s PDM-C Grant Program primarily supports pre-disaster mitigation planning and projects that address natural hazards.” The PDM program was created through the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 as a “pre-disaster” source of funds to mitigate against natural hazards and to complement the post-disaster Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.