This innovative grant program helps residents safeguard against flood damage in their homes and businesses.

This week, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball relaunched the County’s Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program. Initially launched in 2019, this grant program is available to property owners and businesses in high-risk flood zones across Howard County to assist with improvements to primary buildings or structural stream crossings and help remove debris from adjacent property stream channels.

“We know that for our residents and businesses to remain successful, they must also be resilient,” said County Executive Ball. “In Ellicott City and our vulnerable watersheds, this means ensuring that our businesses have the resources they need to survive severe weather and the impacts of climate change. We have seen the impacts of these investments in safeguarding those most susceptible to flooding. Through these impactful grants, more residents and business owners in high-risk flood zones can make necessary improvements to protect properties from future disasters.”

Since its launch in 2019 as part of phase one of the EC Safe and Sound flood mitigation plan, the program has awarded more than $150,000 in grants. Through this expanded grant program, Howard County will match 50 percent of floodproofing costs, up to a maximum match of $6,000 for property owners and $3,000 for businesses.

Property owners and businesses used the funding to construct floodproofing projects and adopted flood mitigation strategies for their properties and businesses. This program quickly became a vital tool to support businesses and property owners in Historic Ellicott City as they made essential safety improvements following the devastating Ellicott City floods of 2011, 2016, and 2018.

According to Howard County:

The application for the Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant will open on Friday, March 15, 2024, and will close on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Howard County Department of Public Works’ (DPW) Stormwater Management Division will hold a hybrid public meeting on Monday, March 11th from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. to help the community navigate and understand the 2024 Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant application process. The meeting will be hosted in-person in the Columbia/Ellicott City Rooms of the George Howard Building in Ellicott City and virtually via Webex.

 

The meeting will feature a presentation on the grant application process, including an explanation of the qualifications, application deadline and grant performance time frame. Following the presentation, participants will have the opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session.

To participate in the meeting virtually, the Webex webinar number is 2316 832 5979 and the password is “prevention” or 77383684 from phones and video systems; to join by phone, call 1-650-479-3207 and when asked, enter the access code: 231 83 25979.

Those unable to attend either the in-person or virtual meeting, who would like to view the meeting materials and/or have questions, should contact DPW’s Stormwater Management Division at 410-313-0522 or email stormwater@howardcountymd.gov.

Details about the 2024 Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant program are available on the Howard County website.