The Township of Pequannock received notification that FEMA released the FY 2015 Flood
Mitigation Assistant grant funding to elevate 26 dwellings. A total of $4,568,863.00 was obligated
as of February 1, 2017. FEMA is developing the Grantee/Sub-grantee Agreement for execution
by FEMA and the Township. Project commencement is anticipated this spring immediately after
both parties sign the agreement.
The journey began in May 2015 when the Pequannock Flood Control Advisory Committee first
learned of the potential grant opportunity. Having researched successes in other states, the
Committee was confident the program was ideal for Pequannock. The Township contracted with
Tetra Tech Inc. to evaluate qualifying properties insured by the National Flood Insurance Program
(NFIP); and to prepare an application with the highest probability for success.
A detailed spatial inventory of qualifying structures was developed and prioritized into an
Elevation Action Plan based on the five FEMA priority scoring conditions. This is the point where
the Flood Advisory Committee went into action! Armed with various fact sheets and knowledge
of the grant requirements, the Committee went door-to-door to ensure the selected property owners
understood the individual requirements to get a portion of the grant. Of the 50 or so eligible
properties, 26 property owners volunteered to participate.
Those 26 property owners now have the opportunity to receive assistance elevating their home
above flood elevation. The grant covers a percentage of the overall cost including architectural
drawings, permitting and temporary lodging based on each property history of damage.
Residences classified as severe repetitive loss (SRL) properties will receive a 100%
reimbursement; Repetitive loss (RL) properties 90%, with any other voluntary participant
maintaining continuous NFIP coverage receiving a 75% reimbursement. In total, these 26
properties will share the 4.5 million dollars awarded Pequannock.
Looking ahead, Pequannock's application for 2016 funding was approved by New Jersey and
advanced to FEMA for final approval. The total grant anticipated for the 2016 cycle will be
$4,322,362.00 shared among 22 participants. The Flood Advisory Committee anticipates open
applications for FY 2017 will begin within the next couple months. At that time, the next highest qualifying neighborhood will be contacted for participation.