LANSING, Mich. (WWJ) -- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has announced FEMA has approved a $51.7 million federal grant from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) "to invest in infrastructure that is resilient against climate change, creating jobs and putting Michigan first."
The governor made the announcement late Friday afternoon, as parts of metro Detroit continue to recover from flooding caused by heavy rains and failing infrastructure earlier this summer.
Whitmer's office says over the past three years, the total national cost of weather and climate events exceeded $450 billion -- an average of $150 billion per year.
"I am grateful to have an ally in the Biden Administration that is working diligently to ensure that we have the resources to upgrade our state's infrastructure to ensure that our communities are protected from the effects of unprecedented storms," Whitmer said in a press release.
Whitmer says the grant will help in building infrastructure that is more resilient against the changing climate, as the state has "already seen roads, bridges and communities deeply damaged by extreme weather conditions."
HMGP funds can be used on a variety of projects including erosion stabilization, flood control, stormwater improvement and more "to better prepare for future extreme weather events," according to Whitmer's office.
Her administration did not immediately disclose exactly what types of projects the grant money will be used on, but said "making infrastructure more climate-resistant has a strong return on investment," noting for every $1 invested, $6 can be saved.
FEMA's HMGP provides funding to state, local, tribal and territorial governments so they can reduce or eliminate long-term risk from hazards, Whitmer's office said. Under the program, a federal grant would cover 75 percent of the cost of an eligible climate-change resistant mitigation projects to reduce the risk of loss of life and property from future disasters. The remaining 25 percent would be covered by local or state matching funds.
Last month in the wake of widespread flooding, Whitmer secured a Presidential Disaster Declaration to help residents and businesses in Wayne and Washtenaw Counties recover. She also announced a plan to use $10 million in state general funds to provide emergency relief to those impacted by the storms.
MDOT has also put forward a proposal to purchase $50 million worth of backup generators to ensure that pump stations can continue to operate if there's a power outage during a storm.
