Two of FEMA’s largest and most important pre-disaster mitigation programs — Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) — have been canceled or held up by the Trump administration.
WHAT ARE BRIC AND FMA FUNDING?
BRIC was established by Congress through the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 as a way to ensure a stable funding source to support mitigation projects annually. Its first round of funding was launched in 2020, replacing a similar FEMA initiative known as the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program.
FMA funds projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood losses in communities insured by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Both programs share the cost of mitigation with the Federal government providing 75% of the cost and the local government or individual applicant providing the remaining 25%.
According to the Urban Institute, “Pre-disaster mitigation not only saves lives, but it’s also a good investment: studies by the National Institute of Building Sciences and the US Chambers of Commerce find that hazard mitigation programs can generate benefits of between $6–$13 for every dollar invested.”
FEMA’S CUTS LEAVE COMMUNITIES IN PERIL
As a result of the FEMA cuts, the Monroe County BOCC voted to discontinue the County’s FMA Grant Program. Instead, applicants are directed to apply with Elevate Florida, touted by the state to be “a first-of-its-kind, groundbreaking statewide residential mitigation program” developed by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM). Elevate Florida is designed to expedite the entire process and complete the mitigation process faster.
Except FEMA’s pre-disaster funding is not available to the Elevate Program either.
Instead, FDEM will be implementing the program utilizing two sources of funding (FMA-Swift Current and HMGP funding), which are available only after a flooding disaster has been declared, so-called post-disaster funding.
However, according to the Association of State Floodplain Managers’ (ASFPM) website, the HMGP funding has not been included in recent disaster declarations:
The federal government has developed important and effective programs to reduce flood risks and tragedies. However, since at least early spring, President Trump has failed to include Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding in disaster declarations — breaking with past precedent, including his own first term. This discretionary decision directly blocks critical post-disaster mitigation efforts like buyouts, elevations, and improved warning systems — just when survivors are most willing to act.
Hazard mitigation is not a luxury — it’s a legal intent and directive of the Stafford Act and a proven investment. According to NRDC, FEMA spends $100 to rebuild (often with no risk reduction) for every $1.72 spent on voluntary relocation, essentially using federal dollars to keep people in harm’s way, rebuilding in locations we know will flood again, putting lives at risk, and increasing costs.
The Stafford Act, officially the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, is a U.S. law that provides a system for federal disaster assistance to state and local governments when a disaster overwhelms their resources. It establishes a process for presidential declarations of emergencies or major disasters, enabling FEMA to provide financial and logistical support to affected areas. The act also emphasizes hazard mitigation planning and encourages individuals and communities to prepare for and recover from disasters.
20 STATES FILE SUIT CHALLENGING THE DISCONTINUATION OF FUNDING
The New York Times reported that the 20 states filed the lawsuit following torrential rains in the Northeast and Southwest United States.
The states suing are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
The BRIC program was established in 2018 during President Trump’s first term, replacing a similar FEMA initiative known as the Pre-Disaster Mitigation program. It has helped communities protect key infrastructure from extreme weather, including by raising roads in flood-prone areas and upgrading storm water management systems.
The AP reported “In the wake of devastating flooding in Texas and other states, it’s clear just how critical federal resources are in helping states prepare for and respond to natural disasters,” said Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell of Massachusetts, where the federal lawsuit was filed. “By abruptly and unlawfully shutting down the BRIC program, this administration is abandoning states and local communities that rely on federal funding to protect their residents and, in the event of disaster, save lives.”
Following the recent and tragic flash flooding in Texas, the ASFPM recommends reinstating the BRIC and FMA funding programs:
BRIC is essential to the nation’s strategy to move from reactive disaster spending to proactive risk reduction, and the program supports projects that involve elevating homes, building facilities that help reduce flood levels, and hardening infrastructure. FMA’s focus on repetitive loss properties improves the NFIP’s bottom line through reduced future claims due to home elevations, flood proofing and relocations, and buyouts.
According to the AP “(FEMA) said in April that the program was ‘wasteful and ineffective’ and ‘more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters.'”