More than $20M awarded to Commonwealth for disaster relief from flooding and COVID-19

The Commonwealth has been awarded $20,053,105 in disaster relief funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The funding provides relief to localities affected by the February 2021 severe winter storm and the impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Administered by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management on behalf of FEMA, the funding is received under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) under two federal disaster declarations (FEMA-DR-4602-VA) and (FEMA-DR-4512-VA). The funding is 90 percent from federal funds and 10 percent state funds.

“VDEM continues to strongly support local governments in meeting their risk reduction goals through FEMA hazard mitigation assistance grants,” State Coordinator of Emergency Management Shawn Talmadge said. “It is imperative that we leverage these opportunities to continue building a more resilient commonwealth.”

Funding has been allocated to structural projects to bolster resilience and reduce the risk to Virginia communities through multiple mitigation planning efforts.

Projects include $131,060 for regional hazard mitigation plan update for the Northern Shenandoah PDC and $80,000 for regional hazard mitigation plan update for Roanoke Valley-Alleghany PDC.