DENVER – FEMA has approved more than $1 million in Hazard Mitigation funding to build a tornado safe room at Lake Farley Park in the city of Milbank.
This grant will fund eligible construction costs to develop Milbank’s first tornado safe room available to all city residents and park visitors. The safe room provides an area where park visitors can quickly take shelter during a tornado or severe storm event and reduce risks to safety. With capacity for 70 people, the safe room will be approximately 1,445 square feet and can house shelterees for up to two hours. Construction will be developed in compliance with all required codes and regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act’s Standard for Accessible Design.
FEMA is providing 90 percent of the safe room project costs, a total of $1,096,200.00. Funding was provided through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The state is responsible for the remaining 10 percent of the project costs.
FEMA’s HMGP provides funding to state, local, tribal and territorial governments so they can develop hazard mitigation plans and rebuild in a way that reduces future disaster losses in their communities. The program’s initiative supports communities in reducing disaster losses and creating more resilience against disaster-related hazards.
Additional information about FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program can be found at https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/hazard-mitigation.