Pre-Disaster Flood Resilience Grant Webinar Slides

2023 Act 265 amended Wisconsin Statute 323 to include the Pre- Disaster Flood Resilience Grant (PDFRG) program.

• Administered by Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM)
• Provides grants for the purpose of:
• Identifying flood vulnerabilities
• Identifying options to improve flood resilience
• Restoring hydrology in order to reduce flood risk and damages in flood-prone communities
• $2 million in 2025-2027 biennium

Local governmental unit:

• Federally recognized American Indian tribe or band
• City, village, town
• County
• Regional planning commission

On behalf of a local governmental unit:

• Nonprofit
• Private consulting organization

Multiple local governmental units can be included in one application.

Must meet one of the following:

• Project area must have been the site of a federal disaster declaration for flooding in the previous 10 years.
• Project area must have been the site of a governor-issued state of emergency for flooding in the previous 10 years.
• Application is for a local governmental unit that has a WEM-approved hazard mitigation plan identifying localized exposure to flood risk.

Minimum 25% local match

• Cash match – cannot come from another state grant source
• In-kind match, e.g., labor, equipment, materials, etc.

• Minimum 60% of total funds
• Gather information on vulnerabilities and identification of flood resilience priorities on a watershed, catchment, or stream reach scale.
• Understand flood flows and erosion hazards and vulnerabilities; identify opportunities to increase flood resilience including restoration of wetland, stream, and floodplain hydrology.
• Develop culvert inventories using the Great Lakes Stream Crossing Inventory, or similar method that considers structural risk factors, aquatic organism passage, and upstream hydrologic conditions.
• Conduct hydrologic and hydraulic studies that help develop hydrologic models.
• Maximum award $300,000 state share

• Maximum of 40% of total funds
• Implement hydrologic restoration projects identified through an assessment grant or comparable assessment process.
• Project types (multiple project types are allowable):
• Regulatory coordination
• Engineering & design
• Construction
• Post-construction monitoring

Project activities (multiple activities are allowable/encouraged):

• Reconnect streams and floodplains
• Reestablish healthy channel form and condition
• Mitigate erosion hazards
• Remove or reduce wetland drainage
• Restore or improve natural flow and movement of water or sediment
• Reestablish vegetation to support site stability and help manage flow and infiltration

Maximum award $250,000 state share

Assessment Grants ($1,247,005):

• 16 applications ($2,094,912)
• 8 grants funded:
• 2 RPCs
• 2 counties
• 2 towns
• 1 city, 1 village

Implementation Grants ($750,000):

• 7 applications ($1,750,000)
• 3 grants funded:
• 2 counties
• 1 city

Basic information – entity, contact, etc.

Required certifications – written documentation:

• From local governmental unit’s main decision-authorizing body authorizing participation in the grant project.
• From local governmental unit’s body responsible for expending the local governmental unit’s funds committing to the match and any costs in excess of the estimated budget.
• From applicant committing to fulfilling all program requirements and following state and local codes, standards, and regulations.

Description of the problem

• Describe degraded hydrology and include documentation of past flood or erosion damages or future expected damages.
• Refer to hazard mitigation plans and other risk assessments or studies

Scope of work and outcomes

• Include detailed description of the project, deliverables, project outcomes, any available designs.
• For implementation projects: If the project will alter the floodplain, include a plan for completing FEMA’s CLOMR/LOMR map revision process.

Project location

• Maps, photographs, coordinates, legal descriptions
• Hydrologic unit codes, watershed boundaries
• Flood insurance rate map

Application Submitted

LOMR and CLOMR
(Includes the approval of all data submitted)
90 days

LOMR-F and CLOMR-F
60 days

Budget (costs incurred prior to grant award are not eligible)

• Documentation of costs must be included. Do not use lump sums.
• Contingencies are limited to 5%.
• Include costs for completing FEMA’s CLOMR/LOMR process for map revisions.
• Cost effectiveness – formal benefit cost analysis or narrative
• Work schedule – milestones for up to 24 months

For implementation projects only:

• Assessment process and alternatives analysis
• Commitment to ongoing maintenance, if applicable

• The Problem – 14 points
• Scope of Work – 30 points
• Project Location – 4 points
• Budget – 4 points
• Cost Effectiveness – 6 points
• Work Schedule – 2 points

• 2-year performance period.
• Submission of eligible expense documentation and proof of payment to receive reimbursement.
• Quarterly reporting.
• Final report summarizing project goals, activities, data, and other observations. The reports will be posted on WEM’s website.
• Deliverables identified in the application.
• Data generated from any activity may not be deemed proprietary and must be provided to entities that develop local hazard mitigation plans.

• Now: Information about grant posted to https://wem.wi.gov/mitigation-grant-opportunities/
• Sept. 15-Oct. 10, 2025: Application distributed.
• Oct. 10, 2025: Notice of intent to apply due to WEM via email.
• Dec. 12, 2025: Applications due to WEM via email. Confirmation of receipt will be sent within 48 hours.
• Jan. 12-16, 2026: Anticipated grant awards.

DMAWEMHazardMitigation@widma.gov