JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Jamestown was among 75 state, local, and tribal governments selected for further review under the The North Dakota Department of Emergency Services (NDDES) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

More than 75 entities submitted applications for available FEMA program funding in 2018. Approximately $18 million in North Dakota hazard mitigation projects were selected for further review under the federal agency’s Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM).

Through those programs, communities can receive a 75% cost share to implement projects that will prevent damages from natural hazards.

“I congratulate our applicants on being selected by FEMA for further review and applaud their efforts in taking proactive measures to reduce or, in some cases, eliminate hazards and risks posed by potential disasters in their communities,” said Cody Schulz, director of North Dakota Homeland Security.

According to Justin Messner, NDDES recovery and mitigation chief, FEMA’s PDM program, which had a national budget of $250 million federal share in 2018, can be used to prevent damages from any type of natural hazard. The FMA program, which had a national budget of $160 million federal share, can only be used to prevent flood damages to properties or buildings that are insured by the National Flood Insurance Program.

Some of those projects include permanent flood protection for the City of Fargo’s water treatment and wastewater treatment plants, funding for 11 local multi-hazard mitigation plans in various locations across the state, and the stabilization of six riverbank locations along the James River in Jamestown.

Since 1997, a total of $253 million in local, tribal, state and federal funding has been leveraged for mitigation projects that have reduced the impacts of flooding, severe winter weather, severe summer weather and other hazards and threats in North Dakota.

According to a study by the National Institute for Building Standards, pre-disaster mitigation saves an average of $6 for every $1 spent. Additionally, the Pew Charitable Trusts recently identified that North Dakota saves an average of $6.55 for every $1 spent on mitigation projects.

For more information about hazard mitigation, visit https://www.nd.gov/des/disaster/hazard-mitigation/.