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St. Mary's County approves DES to submit four FEMA flood-mitigation subapplications
Summary
County commissioners authorized the Department of Emergency Services to act as sub-applicant for four homeowners seeking FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance (three home elevations and one shoreline revetment). The projects are 75% FEMA-funded and potentially 25% homeowner obligation; staff warned the process can take about two years.
On April 1 the St. Mary's County commissioners authorized the Department of Emergency Services (DES) to submit four Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) subapplications for federal fiscal year 2024 on behalf of homeowners seeking mitigation work.
DES Emergency Manager Amy Bledsoe told the board the four requests include three home elevations and one shoreline rock revetment. "These are no cost to the county," she said, adding that the program is typically 75% funded by FEMA and requires a 25% homeowner match. Bledsoe described the overall FMA process as lengthy: "This process? It's like a two year process," she said, noting applications can be denied at multiple review stages by the Maryland emergency management office (MDEM) or FEMA.
Commissioners asked about eligibility and the cost-benefit analysis used by MDEM/FEMA, which considers past insurance claims, erosion rates, effects on infrastructure and other social and economic factors. Bledsoe and staff said elevation projects often show stronger cost-benefit results when prior claim history is present, while revetments are evaluated with erosion rate and infrastructure impacts in mind.
The board approved DES serving as sub-applicant and authorized the commission president to sign related documents through final project approval. Staff cautioned that federal funding remains subject to MDEM and FEMA review and that actual federal allocations are uncertain until later in the review process. DES said it will guide property owners through the application steps and manage follow-up reporting if projects advance.
