The proposed site plan for a safe room and multi-purpose facility in Abbotsford.
MADISON, Wis. – More than $6.4 million in Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) funds provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will allow three Wisconsin communities to soon have new safe room facilities to help protect residents. The PDM program makes grants available to state and local governments for the implementation of long-term hazard mitigation measures.
“Safe rooms are just one of many ways communities can be prepared for severe storms and tornadoes, which put the lives of everyone in their path at risk,” said Dr. Darrell L. Williams, Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) Administrator. “We are thankful to FEMA for their help in ensuring communities have better access to these types of facilities.”
The safe room projects receiving funding through this program will be built in the Clark County cities of Owen and Abbotsford, and in the village of Luck in Polk County. All three are multi-purpose facilities that will be attached to local schools and will be open to students, staff, and surrounding members of the community who do not currently have access to a shelter in their residence.
Through the PDM program, the city of Owen will receive $1.9 million, the city of Abbotsford will receive $2.2 million, and the village of Luck will receive $2.2 million. All three projects will also be supported with additional funding from the school districts and other local entities.
“We are really excited that these projects were awarded,” said State Hazard Mitigation Officer Robyn Fennig, who worked with project applicants. “Wisconsin has a strong track record of communities who are proactively addressing risk in their communities and finding ways to use these spaces as ways that enhance their community and add a lot of benefits to their residents.”
WEM’s Hazard Mitigation section works with communities across Wisconsin to identify important projects such as these, which help to improve the safety of residents by implementing strategies that protect lives and property. More information on these programs is available at https://dma.wi.gov/DMA/wem/mitigation/hazard-mitigation.
