Annapolis Mayor Michael Pantelides announces the city will receive a grant totaling $106,612.50 to update the Annapolis Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan and enhance the “Weather it Together” program. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant was presented to the city by the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).
“We welcome every opportunity to find new ways to better prepare our residents and to safeguard our city,” Mayor Pantelides said. “This grant is one more example of how our various departments can work together to ensure that our residents and businesses have additional resources when it comes to minimizing damage in our city.”
The city’s Office of Emergency Management, which developed and oversees the Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, and the Department of Planning & Zoning’s Historic Preservation Division, which oversees the city’s “Weather it Together” program, will both benefit from the grant.
The grant will include a Cultural Resources addendum to the Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan and will include a vulnerability assessment and mitigation strategies for the protection of cultural resources in the Annapolis Historic District and the Eastport Conservation District. The plan will also address other disaster threats including earthquakes, fire, storm, hurricanes, and other storm-related emergencies.
The plan will build on the research completed to date regarding threats of sea level rise and tidal flooding. It will also provide property owners the necessary information and treatment strategies that will increase the historic district’s resiliency in the face of natural disasters.
“Mitigation planning is a critical part of emergency preparedness in our community,” Director of Emergency Management Kevin J. Simmons said. “If we can reduce the impact of future weather events through better planning, we can save our historic structures and keep Annapolis resilient.”
“This is a model for the historic districts nationwide and we can’t thank Director Strickland and his staff enough for recognizing our work as worthy of FEMA support,” Historic Preservation Division Chief, Lisa Craig said.
The grant requires a 25% match from the city, totaling $35,537.50.
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