Under Section 406 of the Stafford Act, FEMA has the authority to provide funding for cost-effective hazard mitigation measures for disaster-damaged facilities. FEMA refers to PA-funded hazard mitigation as PA Mitigation. To be eligible for PA Mitigation, the mitigation measures must reduce future damage to the facility, as well as be cost-effective, technically feasible and compliant with EHP requirements. Generally, PA-eligible mitigation measures are intended to protect the damaged portion(s) of the facility. If the applicant proposes mitigation measures that are distinct and separate from the damaged portion(s) of the facility, FEMA evaluates the proposal and determines eligibility on a case-by-case basis. FEMA considers how the mitigation measure protects the damaged portion(s) of the facility and whether the mitigation measure is reasonable based on the extent of the damage.
Applicants may use both PA Mitigation and HMGP assistance to implement mitigation measures at the same facility but not for the same work. Applicants cannot use assistance from one of these mitigation programs to meet the non-federal cost share of work funded under the other mitigation program. A combination of PA and HMGP assistance may be appropriate where PA Mitigation is used to provide protection to portions of a facility that were damaged by a declared disaster and HMGP assistance is used to protect undamaged portions of the facility or a nearby, undamaged facility (refer to examples in callout box).
FEMA Policy #104-009-2, Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide, Version 4 (June 1, 2020), provides further details on PA Mitigation.
Examples of HMGP and PA Mitigation
The following project examples illustrate how an applicant or subapplicant can use both HMGP and PA mitigation to maximize the protection of a facility or facilities from future damage:
- A school damaged by wind can be repaired and mitigated with shutters or impact-protective glazing using PA assistance and enhanced with an HMGP-assisted safe room.
- Damaged portions of a building in a seismic risk zone damaged by flooding can be repaired and mitigated with dry floodproofing and seismic upgrades using PA Mitigation. On a case-by-case basis, PA Mitigation funding may also be available for the undamaged portions of the facility. If the undamaged portions of the facility are not eligible for PA Mitigation, HMGP funds may be used to protect those undamaged portions of the building from flood and seismic hazards.
- While a road damaged by a landslide is being repaired and mitigated using PA, HMGP assistance can be used to bury undamaged aboveground power lines running along the road.