Gulfport Gets $5 Million for Flood Project

Release Date: January 7, 2003 Release number: R4-03-02

Raleigh, NC -- Joe M. Allbaugh, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), announced today the approval of a $5.2 million grant to buy and demolish 81 homes in a frequently flooded area of Gulfport, Miss. Approved by both FEMA and the state of Mississippi, the grant will prevent property damage from future floods.

"We know this grant will bring peace of mind to Mississippi families who have been repeatedly flooded," Allbaugh said. "This type of pre-disaster risk reduction is also extremely cost effective. The nation's taxpayers will never again have to pay recovery costs due to flood damage in this area."

Allbaugh also complimented the city of Gulfport for its willingness to work closely with FEMA and the state's Emergency Management Agency on the review process that preceded the grant approval.

The 20-acre project is the second buyout in the section of Gulfport known as Brickyard Bayou, which has flooded 12 times over the past 23 years. In a previous FEMA grant, 109 homes in the neighborhood were acquired and will be demolished.

These building acquisition projects, usually called "buyouts," are part of a national FEMA initiative to end the cycle of repetitive disaster losses. The buyouts remove buildings from frequently flooded areas and leave open land that can be used for public recreation. Typically, FEMA funds 75 percent of the grant with the balance coming from state or local sources.

FEMA will pay $3.8 million toward the Gulfport project, with the city contributing $1.3 million.