FEMA Awards $9.9M to Greater Chicago for Flood Reduction Project in Addison Creek Watershed
CHICAGO – RealEstateRama – FEMA and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency announced today that $9.9M in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding was provided to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago to reduce flooding in the Addison Creek watershed. The grant will help fund a project to lower, widen and stabilize the existing Addison Creek channel to allow for a higher flow of water to pass through during a flooding event. This enlarged water conveyance will decrease overbank flooding and lower the risk of residential and industrial property damage adjacent to the channel in six Cook County communities: Bellwood, Westchester, Broadview, Melrose Park, Stone Park and Northlake. Additionally, several bridges throughout the channel will be either removed or improved to reduce debris -caused restrictions on floodwater flow.
“FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate the risk of future disaster losses,” said FEMA Region 5 Regional Administrator Tom Sivak. “The improvements to the Addison Creek channel will be an important step toward reducing damage and lessening the impact on individuals and the community when future flooding occurs in this area.”
“The outstanding partnerships with FEMA through HMGP funding will help reduce the flood hazards in the Addison Creek Watershed and keep everyone safe,” said Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “This program will strengthen Addison Creek and greatly reduce the flood dangers and hazards in the six communities in Cook County Illinois.“
HMGP provides funding to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures following a presidentially declared disaster. For this project, FEMA will contribute $9,983,116 of the eligible $60,139,256 project cost. To learn more about HMGP or FEMA’s other Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs, visit www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.
