Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Friday $100 million dollars has been allocated to DeSoto and 32 other parishes through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The HMGP funding will be used to support recovery and mitigation projects in the parishes related to Hurricane Zeta, the severe winter weather event in 2021, the May 2021 flooding event, and Hurricane Ida.
DeSoto Parish was allocated $398,424 in this grant. The release from the Governor’s Office did not specify how the money would be spent.
Working with our local partners, the goal is to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to life and property by lessening the impact of a disaster. Examples of mitigation work include residential elevation, reconstruction or acquisition of flood prone structures and converting land to green space, localized drainage improvements, safe room construction, wind retrofit of structures and emergency power for critical facilities. Hazard mitigation is the only phase of emergency management specifically dedicated to breaking the cycle of damage, reconstruction and repeat damage.
“I am proud of our work with our state, local and federal partners in securing this funding,” said Gov. Edwards. “It is critically important that we look for ways to speed up recovery from these four recent events while using HMGP funds to minimize the impacts of future events.”
GOHSEP Director Casey Tingle said, “We are making progress with recovery in areas impacted by these disasters, but mitigation is equally important for our state. HMGP funding will be used to improve our critical infrastructure and make it more resilient. I appreciate the hard work of our GOHSEP staff, FEMA Region 6 and our local partners in making this possible.”
The total HMGP funding by parish:
DeSoto Parish ($398,424)
Note: The totals above include the first installment of HMGP funding allocated for Louisiana parishes impacted by Hurricane Ida. Additional round(s) of funding for Hurricane Ida will be announced at a later date.
