FEMA’s Swift Current Program Attempts to Speed Up Disaster Recovery Assistance
FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance Division is attempting to speed up disaster relief with its Swift Current program. The goal is to shorten the disaster/repair cycle for repetitively flooded or substantially damaged properties.
According to a FEMA press release, “Swift Current strives to better align the delivery of flood mitigation funding with the disaster survivor experience. Swift Current seeks to speed up the availability of flood mitigation funding to disaster survivors.”
Rather than rely on annual grant cycles, Swift Current makes money available immediately from a pool of $3.5 billion under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This is the second of several rounds of assistance.
The application period for this round opened on Nov. 15, 2023 and will close on Jan. 15, 2025. The funding opportunity is available on Grants.gov.
Eligibility Criteria
For Fiscal Year 2023, Swift Current Flood Mitigation Assistance will offer $300 million after flood disasters for eligible individual flood mitigation projects. Eligible projects include:
- Repetitively flooded or substantially damaged properties…
- Insured by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)…
- Following a flood-related disaster event.
Local government agencies must apply for grants first; individuals will be considered sub-applicants and must apply through the local government agency.
You or your local government relief agency can use grants to:
- Acquire property, demolish structures and relocate residents
- Elevate structures
- Dry flood-proof historic residential structures or non-residential structures
- Retrofit existing structures and facilities
- Mitigate reconstruction
Applicants will meet eligibility criteria if they have received a major disaster declaration for a flood-related disaster event between June 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024. Flood-related disaster events include coastal storms, hurricanes, remnants of hurricanes, and floods. Additionally, one of the following criteria must be met:
- The state has at least $1 million in prior National Flood Insurance Program claims from June 1, 2022 to disasters declared before May 31, 2024.
- The state has 500 or more National Flood Insurance Program claims in a declared flood-related disaster event from June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2024.
75% – 100% Federal Cost Share
Swift Current funds for individual flood-mitigation projects fall into several different categories:
- Repetitive Loss
- Severe Repetitive Loss
- Substantially Damaged
- Socially Vulnerable
See below. The federal match varies depending on the category.
For a higher resolution PDF, see FEMA PDF here.
Application Information
All eligible applicants must submit their FY 2023 Swift Current grant applications to FEMA via Mitigation eGrants. Upon Swift Current activation, the application deadline date will be provided to the applicant. All applications must be received by the deadline.
Local governments should consult with their state, tribal, or territorial agency to confirm deadline to submit subapplications for consideration.
For more information about the program and how to apply, visit FEMA’s Swift Current Page.
This program is sorely needed and highly welcome. I know people whose homes have not yet been repaired from Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/24/23 with thanks to Congressman Dan Crenshaw
2278 Days since Hurricane Harvey
