Citizens can obtain information on flood protection assistance from the Dickinson Community Development Department. Flood protection assistance may include site-specific flood and flood related data, data on historical flooding in and around a neighborhood, and sources for financial assistance.

Migration Grants

The state of Texas administers several mitigation grants that offer financial assistance to property owners wanting to mitigate their flood-prone structures. The following is a list of mitigation grants available through the State of Texas and/or FEMA:

• Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA)
• Flood Protection Planning Program (FPP)
• Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)
• Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant (PDM)
• Repetitive Flood Claims (RFC)
• Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL)

Repetitive Loss

Federal funds can be used for acquisition, elevation, retrofitting, flood control projects, or other forms of property protection. In the RFC grant program, projects are limited to structures that have suffered repetitive losses. Repetitive loss means flood related damage sustained by a structure on two separate occasions during a 10-year period for which the cost of repairs at the time of each such flood event, on the average, equals or exceeds 25% of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.

To qualify as a severe repetitive loss, a residential property that is covered under a National Flood Insurance Program flood insurance policy must fit one of the following two categories:

• For the first category, at least four NFIP claim payments (including building and contents) over $5,000 each, and the cumulative amount of such claims payments exceeds $20,000
• For the second category, at least two separate claims payments (building payments only) have been made with the cumulative amount of the building portion of such claims exceeding the market value of the building

Mitigation Options

Repetitive Losses and Severe Repetitive Losses can be a drain on the National Flood Insurance Program. Citizens are encouraged to pursue mitigation options that will permanently reduce or eliminate future flooding damage on their homes. For more information on other resources for financial assistance following a disaster, check out Disaster Assistance: A Guide to Recovery Programs.

Flood Insurance Vs. Disaster Assistance

The best plan is to prepare for a disaster rather than recover from one, which is why flood insurance is usually a better bet than federal disaster assistance. It is important to know all the facts ahead of time. Even if a citizen receives federal disaster assistance, it may be a requirement to carry flood insurance for the life of the structure. The details are explained in Flood Insurance Requirements for Recipients of Federal Disaster Assistance.