AUSTIN — The Texas General Land Office (GLO), Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), and Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) encourage local entities affected by specific disasters to apply to GLO to access $25 million in grants that have been available to assist eligible entities in developing or updating FEMA-approved local hazard mitigation plans. An approved FEMA hazard mitigation plan benefits local communities by recognizing the risks and hazards that exist, identifying ways to reduce or eliminate these risks, and qualifying communities for additional grant-funded programs.

“Knowledge of existing vulnerabilities and planning to prevent risks at the local level can help minimize the loss of life and property damage due to disasters,” said Commissioner George P. Bush. “Maintaining updated hazard mitigation plans and developing long-term strategies for protecting our communities is a vital function of local and state government, but funding is often lacking. The GLO’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plans Program will help at-risk communities identify vulnerabilities and mitigate against future disaster damage to better protect Texas residents.” 

“The Texas Division of Emergency Management is committed to assisting Texas communities leverage federal dollars for projects that will make their communities safer and more resilient,” said Chief Nim Kidd. “Our close partnerships have allowed us to identify opportunities to sequence and layer funding to maximize its use, so we can lessen the financial burden on local communities.”

“We’ve seen time and time again that flooding can impact all areas of the state,” said TWDB Chairwoman Brooke Paup. “Having an updated hazard mitigation plan is essential to taking a proactive role in addressing local flood issues, and funding is available for that purpose. The TWDB urges communities to take necessary steps such as this to ensure their communities’ flood preparedness and resiliency.”

GLO, TDEM, and TWDB coordinate closely to assist local jurisdictions with accessing various grants and funding sources. The $25 million Local Hazard Mitigation Plans Program (LHMPP) implemented through GLO is intended to assist in providing funding to local jurisdictions to support their development or update a FEMA-approved local hazard mitigation plan. Local jurisdictions may be eligible for up to $100,000 in support from the GLO to develop a new Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. Communities may also be eligible for a lesser amount to update an existing plan or use as the local match for an approved FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) local hazard mitigation plan update award.

Communities must be in federally declared counties or ZIP codes from Hurricane Harvey (DR-4332), the 2015 Floods (DR-4223), or the 2016 Floods (DR-4272) to be eligible. Having a FEMA-approved local hazard mitigation plan benefits local communities in a variety of ways, including qualifying communities for additional grants. The LHMPP Application Guide provides program information including eligibility criteria and application information. Local entities can apply at https://recovery.texas.gov/mitigation/lhmpp

Communities that already have a FEMA-approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan are eligible for additional grant funding through three FEMA-funded grant programs. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which are administered by TDEM. A third, the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program, is administered by TWDB.

News media contacts: 

Brittany Eck
Director of Communications, Community Development & Revitalization
Texas General Land Office, George P. Bush, Commissioner
Brittany.Eck@GLO.Texas.gov

Teresa Farfan
Media and Communications Officer
Texas Division of Emergency Management
Teresa.Farfan@tdem.texas.gov

Lauren Munguia
Chief Communications Officer
Texas Water Development Board
Lauren.munguia@twdb.texas.gov