Citizens can obtain information on flood protection assistance from the Seabrook Building Department. Flood protection assistance may include site-specific flood and flood related data, data on historical flooding in the neighborhood, and sources for financial assistance.

The state of Texas administers several mitigation grants that offer financial assistance to property owners wanting to mitigate their flood prone structures. The following is a list of mitigation grants available through the State and/or FEMA: Visit the State of Texas Flood Grant page or FEMA for additional grant information.

• Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)
• Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant (PDM)
• Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA)
• Repetitive Flood Claims (RFC)
• Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL)
• Flood Protection Planning Program (FPP)

Federal funds can be used for acquisition, elevation, retrofitting, flood control projects, or other forms of property protection. In the RFC grant program, projects are limited to structures that have suffered repetitive losses. “Repetitive loss” means flood related damage sustained by a structure on two separate occasions during a 10-year period for which the cost of repairs at the time of each such flood event, on the average, equals or exceeds 25% of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.

To qualify as a severe repetitive loss, a residential property that is covered under a National Flood Insurance Program flood insurance policy must fit one of the following two categories:

• At least four NFIP claim payments (including building and contents) over $5,000 each, and the cumulative amount of such claims payments exceeds $20,000; OR
• For which at least two separate claims payments (building payments only) have been made with the cumulative amount of the building portion of such claims exceeding the market value of the building

Repetitive losses and severe repetitive losses can be a drain on the National Flood Insurance Program. Citizens are encouraged to pursue mitigation options that will permanently reduce or eliminate future flooding damage on their homes. The FEMA website offers helpful information on the application development and process. For more information on other resources for financial assistance following a disaster, check out Disaster Assistance: A Guide to Recovery Programs.

The best plan is to prepare for a disaster rather than recover from one, which is why flood insurance is usually a better bet than federal disaster assistance. It is important to know all the facts ahead of time. Check out What You Need to Know about Federal Disaster Assistance and National Flood Insurance to compare the two types. Even if a citizen receives federal disaster assistance, it may be a requirement to carry flood insurance for the life of the structure. The details are explained in this document: Flood Insurance Requirements for Recipients of Federal Disaster Assistance.