FEMA Awards Eugene Water and Electric Board More than $1.1 Million

FEMA Awards Eugene Water and Electric Board More than $1.1 Million to Harden Utilities Against Disaster

SALEM, Ore. – Under the state-administered federally funded Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) will receive more than $1.1 million in federal grant money to strengthen electrical distribution lines against future wildfires. This project will benefit thousands of customers in the EWEB service area.

FEMA’s HMGP has approved $1,138,607 to help fund the reframing and rewiring of overhead lines to a slim line format and move segments of the electrical distribution system underground. These improvements will harden EWEB utilities against future wildfires disasters and help prevent loss of life and property.

Funding for this HMGP project is authorized under Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Act, the 1988 law that governs FEMA’s disaster-related activities.

FEMA’s HMGP is an important source of federal disaster assistance. HMGP funds may become available following the president’s declaration of a major disaster, and help strengthen communities by improving buildings, facilities and infrastructure that people use every day. A 2018 report from the National Institute of Building Sciences found that one dollar spent on hazard mitigation will save more than six dollars of recovery and rebuilding costs.

Generally, HMGP may provide a state, tribe, or territory with additional grants up to 15% of the total disaster grants awarded by FEMA for a federally declared disaster. HMGP reimburses the state up to 75% of eligible costs for mitigation projects. The remaining amount comes from other sources such as state and local assets and a combination of cash and in-kind sources.