FEMA Awards Baylor $4.2M Flood Protection Grant

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has obligated more than $4.2 million to the State of Texas to flood proof 175 points of entry at the Baylor College of Medicine campus located at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. The installation of flood barriers, shields, floodgates and alteration of entrance elevations will reportedly prevent future floodwaters from entering campus buildings.

Michael Brown, under secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response said, “We know that mitigation efforts work. Flood protection measures save money and keep organizations running. The work at Baylor will help to prevent losses like those caused by Tropical Storm Allison.”

FEMA provides 75 percent of eligible project costs and the remaining 25 percent comes from local resources. Where feasible, recovery efforts incorporate mitigation measures to help protect against possible future flooding.

The federal funds are made available under the FEMA Public Assistance Program. The State of Texas administers the program under which eligible disaster-related costs are reimbursed to government units and certain non-profit organizations providing essential government-like services in the areas of emergency protective measures, debris removal and restoration of public facilities.