At least 900 homes are in the FEMA designated flood plain or flood fringe in NE Huntsville.  After Hurricane Katrina, FEMA needed less risk and required people to purchase private insurance while making money available to cities to improve storm water management.  Last year, 15 Million was awarded.

Huntsville city engineers are currently updating the cost estimate too build the infrastructure that was designed in 2013 when the housing market was at its lowest. We know that the project cost now exceeds the grant award of 15 million.  New funding sources will be required to move this project forward, either with additional grant funds or city capital funds.  We will be discussing these options over the next few weeks with FEMA and the Administration to decide how to proceed. We recommend that anyone who pays flood insurance do two things, both things:

1.  Go the CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS to tell the Mayor that you want City money, Economic Development monies, to be dedicated now, not wait for FEMA and

2. Write to Kathy.martin@huntsvilleal.gov to let her know you want city funds, the money in Economic Development budget, to pay for the work.