April 30, 2019
Media Contacts:
Scott Peterson, Director of Communications, Office of Public Information, 202-277-9412
Shaina Hernandez, Senior Advisor to the County Executive, 410-313-4200
Over $150,000 awarded to Ellicott City residents and business owners for safety projects
ELLICOTT CITY – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball has approved 36 grant recipients for flood mitigation projects through his Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan. The grant program was designed to enhance public safety by assisting residents with flood mitigation projects for their structures. The grants cover 50 percent of the cost, up to $5,000, and examples of projects include flood doors, sealant, drainage systems, and more. In total, the county awarded $153,075 in grant money.
“We are committed to supporting business and property owners as they continue to recover from the 2016 and 2018 floods,” said Ball. “This program empowers Ellicott City residents to complete necessary safety updates they might not otherwise be able to afford. We will continue to make our city safer and stronger by working together.”
“The flood grant program is helping many property owners to make repairs that will lessen damage caused by flooding. Many properties had no flood insurance, or their deductibles were so high the out-of-pocket costs were in the thousands before insurance kicked in,” said Ellicott City resident and grant recipient Ron Peters. “I greatly appreciate the efforts by the County Executive in making this grant program available.”
The County held two public meetings in February 2019 to inform property owners about the program and answer questions. In total, 40 applications for the grant were submitted by the March 29th deadline and 36 were found to meet the necessary criteria.
To meet the grant requirements, structures had to:
- Lie within the Plum Tree, Little Plum Tree, Tiber-Hudson and New Cut watersheds.
- Be a primary residential or commercial structure in flood zones A, AE or Shaded X on the FEMA flood insurance rate maps.
- Have a flood water inundation of less than six feet. Inundation is the depth of the 100-year flood water at or inside the structure. This depth must be determined by a certified FEMA Flood Elevation Certificate.
Additional inquiries about the program can be directed by email to [email protected] or by telephone to Shaina Hernandez at 410-313-4200.