The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced the approval of $317 million in postdisaster funding for public assistance and hazard mitigation grant program projects in Florida. The money will assist states and local communities in recovering from disasters to rebuild more resilient, safer communities and to protect infrastructure from future events.

Nearly $167 million of the funding is for projects that will prevent, eliminate, or reduce future disaster-related damage. This money is being distributed through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to state, local or territorial governments, and tribal nations to take proactive mitigation measures, such as acquiring hazard-prone homes and businesses, adopting and enforcing building codes and standards, protecting against floods through elevations and drainage improvement projects, building safe rooms, and upgrading utilities and infrastructure.

Examples of projects reimbursed through the program include:

• More than $73 million to Florida for cost-effective residential mitigation projects statewide, including elevating homes, property acquisitions, demolitions, and reconstruction of eligible homes.
• Nearly $53 million to St. Vincent’s Medical Center Riverside to strengthen the roof, walls, and other parts of the building against hurricane-force winds and flooding in Jacksonville.
• More than $11 million to protect wastewater infrastructure by providing backup power and improvements that reduce risks from flooding and high winds, including the cities of Tampa and Lakeland.
• More than $6 million to provide generators and emergency power systems, structural and infrastructure protective measures, and wind protection to fire stations, including the cities of St. Petersburg, North Port, and Tampa.

Coordination from FEMA is directly with the state on all hazard mitigation projects. This aligns with FEMA’s principles of ensuring that disaster recovery and mitigation is state-led and federally supported.

The funding approved also includes nearly $150 million under FEMA’s public assistance program awarded across Florida. Examples include:

• More than $5 million to Collier County for emergency pumping and temporary power to maintain wastewater operations.
• Nearly $4 million to Cape Coral for citywide debris removal, including waterway canals.

• Nearly $3.5 million to Lee County to repair hurricane-damaged parks and recreational facilities, such as Lakes Regional Park and Royal Palm Park, and repairs to buildings and equipment at county parks.
• Nearly $3.5 million to JEA (formerly Jacksonville Electric Authority) for repairs to storm-damaged electrical transmission and distribution system to restore reliable power to the community.
• Nearly $3 million to Flagler County for construction of an emergency berm using sand to protect improved property from flooding and storm damage.
• More than $2.5 million to Levy County for debris removal, including the removal of vegetative, construction, and demolition debris from public roads and rights of way.
• More than $1.3 million to Charlotte County for repairs to Bayshore Live Oak Park, including storm-damaged fishing piers, walkways, seawalls, and other recreational facilities.

These projects are the latest examples of billions of dollars in disaster recovery provided by FEMA to support state and local communities as they work to rebuild from natural disasters like hurricanes, severe storms, tornadoes, and wildfires while making them more resilient to future disasters.