National Flood Insurance Program

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is a federal program that enables property owners in participating communities to purchase insurance as a protection against flood losses in exchange for state and community floodplain management regulations that reduce future flood damages.  When a community becomes a member of the NFIP, the Federal Government will make flood insurance available within the community as a financial protection against flood losses.  This insurance is designed to provide an insurance alternative to disaster assistance to reduce the escalating costs of repairing damage to buildings and their content cased by floods.

In addition to providing flood insurance and reducing flood damages through floodplain management regulations, the NFIP identifies and maps floodplains.

The National Flood Insurance Program, Program Description (619 KB) offers a more detailed overview and history of the program.

http://www.fema.gov/fima/nfip.shtm

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program

The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides grants to States and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration.  The purpose of the program is to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.  Funding under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is available only after a Presidential Disaster Declaration has occurred in the State.

http://www.fema.gov/fima/hmgp/

Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program

The Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program (PDM) provides assistance to States, local governments, and Indian Tribal governments in implementing cost-effective hazard mitigation activities that complement a comprehensive mitigation program.  The PDM program will provide funds for hazard mitigation planning and the implementation of mitigation projects prior to a disaster event.  PDM grants are awarded on a competitive basis and without reference to state allocations, quotas, or other formula-based allocation of funds.  Projects eligible under this program can include but are not limited to:

• Voluntary acquisition of real property
• Relocation of public or private structures
• Elevation of existing public or private structures to avoid flooding
• Construction of tornado safe rooms that meet FEMA construction criteria
• Storm water management projects to reduce or eliminate long-term risk from flood hazards
• Localized flood control projects, such as bank stabilization and floodwall systems that are designed specifically to protect critical facilities

http://www.fema.gov/fima/pdm.shtm

Flood Mitigation Assistance Program

The Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (FMA) was created with the goal of reducing or eliminating claims under the National Flood Insurance Program.  Funding for the program is provided through the National Flood Insurance Fund.  The FMA program provides assistance to States and communities in implementing measures to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of flood damage to buildings, manufactured homes, and other structures insurable under the NFIP.  Only communities that participate in the NFIP are eligible to apply for funds under the FMA program.  http://www.fema.gov/fima/fma.shtm

FMA Brochure (1.9MB PDF, 5KB TXT)