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FEMA Public Assistance Section 406 hazard mitigation, often called PA mitigation, funds eligible measures that protect a disaster-damaged facility from future damage. PA mitigation should be developed during project formulation, not added at closeout. Applicants should connect the mitigation proposal to the damaged facility, the approved scope of work, the hazard that caused the damage, cost-effectiveness, technical feasibility, Environmental and Historic Preservation compliance, codes and standards, insurance, and closeout documentation.
Covers the basic purpose of Public Assistance hazard mitigation: reducing the risk of future damage to a disaster-damaged eligible facility during repair, restoration, or replacement. PA mitigation is tied to the damaged facility and eligible PA project, unlike broader Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs that may fund separate pre-disaster or post-disaster mitigation projects.
Covers the requirement that the mitigation measure relate to the damaged portion of the eligible facility and reduce future damage risk. The proposal should identify the damaged facility, damage mechanism, hazard exposure, vulnerable component, approved repair scope, and how the mitigation measure protects the facility from similar future events.
Covers development of the Hazard Mitigation Proposal, including the proposed measure, scope of work, location, quantities, drawings, cost estimate, technical basis, risk-reduction rationale, useful life, EHP considerations, and cost-effectiveness method. The proposal should be specific enough for FEMA to evaluate eligibility before construction proceeds.
Organizes FEMA’s core PA mitigation review factors: the measure must reduce the impact of future damage to the damaged portion of the facility, be cost-effective, be technically feasible and effective, and comply with applicable laws, regulations, executive orders, and Environmental and Historic Preservation requirements.
Covers the three primary cost-effectiveness paths for PA mitigation. A measure may be cost-effective if it is listed in Appendix J and does not exceed 100 percent of the eligible repair cost to which the measure applies, if it does not exceed 15 percent of the eligible repair cost to which mitigation applies, or if the applicant demonstrates cost-effectiveness using FEMA’s Benefit-Cost Analysis method.
Covers mitigation measures FEMA generally considers cost-effective when they meet PA eligibility requirements and do not exceed the applicable 100 percent repair-cost threshold. Appendix J measures include drainage improvements, culvert upgrades, erosion protection, bridge and roadway protection, MEP protection, pipe restraints, water and wastewater improvements, power system strengthening, tank anchoring, building floodproofing, roof strengthening, wind protection, safe rooms, and signage strengthening.
Distinguishes PA mitigation from work required by applicable codes, specifications, and standards. When a code or standard that meets FEMA requirements mandates a higher level of construction, that work may be incorporated into the eligible repair scope rather than evaluated as separate discretionary mitigation. Applicants should document the applicable code, standard, trigger, damaged element, and scope impact.
Covers PA mitigation measures for buildings and structures, including elevation, wet floodproofing, dry floodproofing, flood barriers, hurricane clips, stronger roof attachments, impact-resistant windows, shutters, wind-resistant doors, seismic bracing, anchoring of nonstructural components, stronger siding, defensible space, noncombustible materials, and safe rooms where eligible.
Covers mitigation for MEP systems and vulnerable equipment, including elevating or dry floodproofing electrical panels, HVAC equipment, machinery rooms, emergency generators, fuel tanks, controls, wiring, and other systems. It may also include seismic bracing, roof-mounted equipment anchoring, quick-connect capability, camlocks, transfer switches, and backup power connection improvements.
Covers mitigation for drainage structures, culverts, channels, erosion, scour, inlet and outlet protection, headwalls, wingwalls, aprons, energy dissipation, riprap, geotextiles, bioswales, rain gardens, larger structures, multiple structures, relief culverts, debris barriers, and culvert realignment where needed to improve hydraulics and reduce future damage.
Covers PA mitigation for roads, bridges, marine pier ramps, railways, shoulders, embankments, low-water crossings, bridge restraint systems, girder and deck tie-downs, abutment protection, open or floating decking, geotextile stabilization, drainage blankets, revetments, and other measures that reduce future transportation damage.
Covers mitigation for water, wastewater, sewer, electric power, and utility systems, including submersible pumps, elevated access covers, well casing protection, raw water intake protection, pipe joint restraints, flexible piping, continuous lining, shut-off valves, looped electrical service for critical facilities, surge suppression, lightning arrestors, elevated transformers, stronger poles, guy wires, and cross-bracing.
Covers measures to protect tanks and connected systems from movement, leakage, flotation, scour, impact, or failure. Examples include anchoring tanks, strengthening base connections, stiffening supports, installing shut-off valves, and using self-initiating disconnects between tanks and distribution lines to reduce future damage and releases.
Covers mitigation measures that are not automatically cost-effective under the 15 percent or Appendix J 100 percent tests. Applicants may need to demonstrate cost-effectiveness using FEMA’s Benefit-Cost Analysis approach, supported by hazard data, recurrence assumptions, avoided damages, useful life, project cost, facility function, service interruption impacts, and risk-reduction benefits.
Covers engineering documentation showing that the proposed mitigation measure is technically feasible, effective, constructible, and appropriate for the damaged facility. Support may include design drawings, calculations, hydrologic and hydraulic studies, geotechnical reports, structural analysis, manufacturer data, design standards, and professional engineering recommendations.
Covers Environmental and Historic Preservation issues that may affect PA mitigation, including floodplain review, wetlands, waterways, endangered species, historic properties, ground disturbance, Clean Water Act permits, debris or fill placement, coastal resources, hazardous materials, and project-specific conditions that must be satisfied before funding, construction, or closeout.
Covers the need to separate base repair costs, mitigation costs, code-required costs, insurance proceeds, duplication-of-benefits reductions, improved project features, and ineligible betterments. A clear cost segregation helps FEMA determine what is eligible PA repair work, what is eligible PA mitigation, and what must be reduced by insurance or other funding sources.
Distinguishes PA 406 mitigation from Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs such as HMGP, HMGP Post Fire, BRIC, and Flood Mitigation Assistance. PA mitigation is generally tied to a damaged facility and PA repair project, while HMA programs may support broader mitigation planning, project scoping, capability building, and mitigation projects through separate application and subapplication processes.
Covers the project file needed to support PA mitigation funding, including the mitigation scope of work, quantities, estimate, cost source, repair-cost comparison, BCA if needed, design assumptions, drawings, engineering support, EHP documentation, insurance treatment, and FEMA approval. The file should show how the measure reduces future risk and how the cost was calculated.
Covers documentation needed after approval, including contracts, procurement records, invoices, change orders, inspection reports, photographs, as-built drawings, proof of payment, EHP compliance evidence, completed mitigation verification, and records showing that the approved mitigation measure was installed as authorized and remains tied to the eligible PA project.
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