CITY OF KAMIAH, HAZARD MITIGATION EFFORTS PRESS RELEASE
8/6/2024
CITY OF KAMIAH, HAZARD MITIGATION EFFORTS
PRESS RELEASE
City applies for FEMA grants to reduce wildfire and flooding risk.
Natural hazard mitigation efforts take off in Kamiah, Idaho
[KAMIAH, ID], [08/05/2024] - To lower Kamiah’s risk to natural hazards, the city has applied for more than $1.3 million in grant funding from FEMA. The funds would help residents protect their properties from wildfire. They would also help the city design solutions for flood prone areas. As of July 2024, FEMA has selected both grant applications to advance to the final round of reviews.
President Biden signed a presidential disaster declaration in June. This came after a series of storms between April 14 and 15. The storms caused over $6.6 million in damage across three counties (Idaho, Lewis and Shoshone). Damage included:
- Parts of highways 162 and 64 were closed due to rockslides and flooding. Highway 64 is still closed between mileposts 23 and 30. Construction is expected to start in the fall.
- Lawyer Creek in Kamiah saw a 2-foot rise in two hours. This is a new flooding record for the creek. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers teamed up with the city on a project at Lawyer Creek. This effort led to a pre-engineering design for an improved levee system.
- Foundation damage to homes and flooding in businesses.
Kamiah applied for a grant of $951,538 to reduce risk to wildfire. This grant would help homeowners create secure space around their properties. Residents would use funds to update their homes with fire-resistant construction materials.
The city also applied for $425,586 to fund a flood study. This study would identify the flood prone areas of Kamiah. It would also help create ways to mitigate flood risk with local partners.
The city grants manager is working with state and federal partners. The grants will support solutions that increase public safety and protect public and private property.
Kamiah will focus on natural solutions to reduce risk. The goal is to boost resiliency, but still preserve the character and beauty of the city. The city grants manager will continue to work diligently to obtain more grant funding to help reduce local hazards as risks arise.
Quote from Mike Tornatore; “Working together to build a resilient, safe, and healthy community.”
If you would like to access these and other mitigation programs, keep an eye out on the city website at www.cityofkamiah.org.
To learn more about the city of Kamiah’s mitigation efforts, please reach out to:
Mike Tornatore
City of Kamiah Deputy Clerk
Phone: (208) 926-1486
Email: mtornatore@cityofkamiah.org