FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant for Natural Hazard Risk Reduction

The Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Grant Program makes federal funds available to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to plan for and implement sustainable cost-effective measures designed to reduce the risk to individuals and property from future natural hazards, while also reducing reliance on federal funding from future natural disasters. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 PDM Grant Program will provide $233,043,782 in funding to projects identified in the FY23 DHS Appropriations Act’s Joint Explanatory Statement (JES) for Division F in the table starting on page S8570 entitled “Homeland Security Incorporation of Community Project Funding Items/Congressionally Directed Spending Items.”

The PDM Grant Program aligns with the general goal of promoting resilience and adaptation in light of current risks and the 2020-2024 DHS Strategic Plan through pursuing Goal 5: Strengthen Preparedness and Resilience. Specifically, Objective 5.1: Build a National Culture of Preparedness has several sub-objectives that the PDM Grant Program supports. PDM serves primarily to bolster Sub-Objective 5.1.1: Incentivize investments that reduce risk and increase pre-disaster mitigation, including expanding the use of insurance to manage risk through funding mitigation projects, particularly ones that reduce risk to Community Lifelines and infrastructure. Additionally, project scoping activities that PDM funds also contribute to other sub-objectives. For example, planning, partnerships, and project scoping efforts help improve awareness initiatives to encourage public action to increase preparedness (Sub-Objective 5.1.2), use lessons from past disasters and exercises to inform community investment decisions and anticipate challenges that may emerge during future disasters (Sub-Objective 5.1.3), and coordinate and guide continuity of operations activities through partnerships with government and non-government stakeholders (Sub-Objective 5.1.5).

The 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan outlines three bold, ambitious goals in order to position FEMA to address the increasing range and complexity of disasters, support the diversity of communities we serve, and complement the nation’s growing expectations of the emergency management community. The PDM Grant Program supports Goal 2: Lead Whole of Community in Climate Resilience and Goal 3: Promote and Sustain a Ready FEMA and a Prepared Nation.