LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced that Robinson Township in Ottawa County has received two grants totaling more than $5 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help provide relief for flood damage in the area.

The Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grants, totaling $5,082,971, will pay for the purchase and demolition of homes damaged by last year’s flooding. The homes are located primarily located on Van Lopik Avenue and Limberlost Lane.

“Township residents have been hard-hit by flooding in recent years, and providing them with relief was a high priority,” said Granholm. “This money will help families and the community move forward in the wake of devastating flood damage.”

During the next few months, EMD staffers will work with FEMA and other agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Michigan Historical Preservation Office, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on completing environmental and historic preservation compliance reviews before the funds are disbursed. These grant approvals follow years of efforts by the Emergency Management Division on behalf of Robinson Township. Last winter, EMD helped the township qualify for a Small Business Administration Disaster Declaration, guided the township through the PDM grant application process, and spearheaded development of the township’s disaster mitigation plan. Completion of the plan was necessary for the township to qualify for the grant funding.

In 1999, EMD applied to FEMA on behalf of the DEQ for $40,000 from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. FEMA approved the grant, which was used by DEQ to obtain digital elevation data for a floodplain/floodway map of Robinson Township.