LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Friday, August 6 that the Federal Management Agency, (FEMA) approved a $51.7 million federal grant from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to invest in infrastructure 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.”
The funds are set to be used for projects such as erosion stabilization, flood control, and stormwater improvement to better prepare for future extreme weather events. The governors office citing that over the past three years, the total national cost of weather and climate events exceeded $450 billion dollars, and average of $150 billion per year.
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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