FAQs

"Hazard mitigation" means any sustainable action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to human life and property from natural hazards.

Hazard mitigation projects may be funded through local, State, and Federal funding sources.

FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) programs provide funding for eligible activities that reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from future disasters.  These include the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), the new Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program, the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant program, and the HHPD program.  

FEMA requires all federally funded projects to be cost effective, technically feasible and effective, and compliant with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and applicable Federal, State, and local laws and rules.  Additionally, for local government grant applicants to be eligible for funding, both the State and the local government applying for funding must have FEMA-approved Hazard Mitigation Plans.

Yes.  The City of Fremont, City of Newark, City of Union City, Alameda County Water District, and Union Sanitary District are eligible to apply for FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance funding.  To receive payments on any new grant-funded projects, the Tri-City Multi-jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan will need to be approved by Cal OES, FEMA, and each of the above public entities' City Council or Board of Directors.

As an exception to the above, Alameda County Water District recently completed an agency-specific update to the 2017 Union City/Newark Hazard Mitigation Plan, and is currently eligible to receive FEMA funding on all open projects.

FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Program provides supplemental grants to State, tribal, territorial, and local governments, and certain types of private non-profits to help communities respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.

After an event like a severe storm, earthquake or wildfire, communities may need help to cover the costs of debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures, and rebuilding damaged public infrastructure.  FEMA also encourages protecting these damaged facilities from future incidents by providing assistance for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery process.

Under the Robert T. Stafford Act, FEMA PA is authorized only when the Governor requests Federal assistance and the President declares a Major Disaster or Emergency.

Under the California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA), the State of California funds Public Assistance when the Governor proclaims a State of Emergency and authorizes such assistance, or when the Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services authorizes such assistance.

Yes.  The City of Fremont, City of Newark, City of Union City, Alameda County Water District, and Union Sanitary District each independently applied for CDAA and FEMA Public Assistance funding following the President's Major Disaster declaration for the storms which occurred in late December through the end of January.  Each jurisdiction is eligible for certain costs associated with emergency response operations, clearance and removal of storm-related debris from public property, and repairing damaged public infrastructure.  Hazard mitigation projects which are directly related to rebuilding storm-damaged public infrastructure may also be eligible.