Mitigation Management

SEMA’s Mitigation Management Section works with local communities to reduce or avoid the adverse impacts that disasters have on Missourians. Mitigation means eliminating, avoiding or reducing potential hazards by regulating development in flood-prone areas, mitigating county or community bridges with higher and wider spans to withstand flooding, and working to protect Missourians from continuing hazards. Other community mitigation projects range from voluntary flood buyouts to building community tornado safe rooms; replacing county- and community-owned culverts and low water crossings; stabilizing stream banks; and burying public electric utilities.

Because Mitigation Management works with grants that assist local government agencies and train their employees, much of the information following is about specialized training, worksheets, and guidance documents, not aimed at the general public. Stream Bank Stabilization: a visual before and after

Stream Bank Stabilization

The section also maintains the “Enhanced” State Hazard Mitigation Plan, required for all mitigation grants, non-emergency categories of Public Assistance grants and Fire Management Assistance grants. The section administers five federal mitigation grant programs, and has helped Missouri counties and communities write mitigation plans so that they can apply for these grants.

Because Mitigation Management works with grants that assist local government agencies and helps train their employees, much of the information following is about specialized training, worksheets, and guidance documents that are not aimed at the general public.

Mitigation Information for Eligible Subapplicants

Unified Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Grants

There are five Mitigation grants (see detailed information further down the page).

Note: Due to linkage to a federal disaster declaration, please contact SEMA’s Mitigation Section to determine if funds are available under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Also, unlike the non-disaster grant programs, HMGP applications currently are not available on eGrants and must be completed and submitted on paper. Visual description of a low water crossing before and after mitigation

Eligible Subapplicants

For the most part, applications must be submitted by an "eligible" city, county, special district, public school, university, or community college to be considered for funding. In some cases, counties or communities may apply for a mitigation grant on behalf of a private school, university, or two-year college. Due to various requirements, applications from individuals cannot be accepted; however, an eligible subapplicant may apply for funding to mitigate private structures in cases of flood buyouts.

All interested subapplicants must apply to the Applicant (Missouri State Emergency Management Agency). The table below identifies, in general, eligible subapplicants. For specific details regarding eligible subapplicants, refer to 44 CFR Part 206.434(a) for HMGP and 44 CFR Part 79.6(a) for FMA and SRL. For HMGP and PDM, see 44 CFR Part 206.2(16) for a definition of local governments.

  HMGP PDM FMA RFC SRL
State Agencies X X X X X
Tribal Governments X X X X X
Local Governments X X X X X
Public Schools, Special Districts X X X X X
Private Non-Profit Organizations X        
Note1: There are no federally recognized Tribal Governments in Missouri at this time.
Note2: Not all private non-profit organizations qualify.

Eligible Activities

Eligible Activities HMGP PDM FMA RFC SRL
Mitigation Projects X X X X X
Property Acquisition and Structure Demolition X X X X X
Property Acquisition and Structure Relocation X X X X X
Structure Elevation X X X X X
Mitigation Reconstruction         X
Dry Floodproofing of Historic Residential Structures X X X X X
Dry Floodproofing of Non-residential Structures X X X X  
Minor Localized Flood Reduction Projects X X X X X
Structural Retrofitting of Existing Buildings X X      
Non-structural Retrofitting of Existing Buildings and Facilities X X      
Safe Room Construction X X      
Infrastructure Retrofit X X      
Soil Stabilization X X      
Wildfire Mitigation X X      
Post-Disaster Code Enforcement X        
5% Initiative Projects X        
Hazard Mitigation Planning X X X    
Management Costs X X X X X
Source: FY2011 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Unified Guidance

Eligibility Planning Requirements

Two FEMA approved hazard mitigation plans (State Plan and Local Plan) are required to establish mitigation grant eligibility. Planning information is offered below.

Notice of Interest (NOI) Forms

Please note that an NOI form is not a project or plan application. Also note that completing an NOI does not guarantee funding. The sole purpose of the NOI is to inform SEMA Mitigation that an eligible subapplicant is interested in pursuing a mitigation project or planning grant to gage interest in specific grants that may receive funding.

Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA) Requirements (revised June 2009)

FEMA requires that mitigation project applications be accompanied by a Benefit Cost Analysis (developed on FEMA software) that demonstrates a future savings of at least one dollar for every dollar expended on any mitigation project.

Note: Use of FEMA’s Benefit Cost Analysis Revised (BCAR) software is mandatory for all non-disaster mitigation project grant applications and any HMGP projects funded from disasters declared after June 1, 2009. The software can be downloaded at www.bchelpline.com

eGrants Electronic Grant Application (for PDM, FMA, RFC, AND SRL)

FEMA’s eGrants is an online portal for accessing the mitigation applications used to seek funding for PDM, FMA, RFC and SRL mitigation grants. The eGrants applications are available at https://portal.fema.gov. To access this portal, the subapplicant’s CEO must sign (original signature) and send by mail to SEMA a completed Authorization Matrix (see below) that identifies the staff members, by name, who will access eGrants on behalf of the subapplicant. The Authorization Matrix must identify the authority given to each staff member listed. The subapplicant’s staff identified to receive Sign/Submit authority on the Authorization Matrix must also have the authority to financially bind the subapplicant’s jurisdiction to providing the required non-federal mitigation grant match and comply with all the requirements included in the grant guidance and grant agreement. Please note that SEMA cannot grant Sign/Submit authority until the Authorization Matrix, with an original signature, is received by mail. Sign/Submit authority cannot be given to contractors, grant writers, or others who do not meet the requirements included in the proceeding statements. Please note that SEMA recommends that sub-applicants identify at least two people to hold Sign/Submit authority in case the primary individual is not available when the application must be submitted in eGrants.

Each eligible staff member who needs to access eGrants to work on and submit an application must create a user profile with username and password before SEMA will have the ability to grant the authorities within eGrants (See Creating An eGrants User Profile in Missouri).

Most Recent Mitigation Grant Guidance

General Information for All Mitigation Projects

Other Helpful Information

Archive for Previous Fiscal Year Grant Guidance (References for Open Grants)