FEMA Public Notice

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Notice

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has received a subgrant application for Chatham County. Pursuant to Executive Order 11988 and 44 CFR Part 9.12, final notice is hereby given of FEMA’s intent to provide funding for this project under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).

An initial disaster‐wide Public Notice was published Friday, November 9, 2025, for DR-4830 Hurricane Helene. Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), federal actions must be reviewed and evaluated for feasible alternatives and for social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety considerations. - Executive Order (EO) 11988 and EO 11990 require FEMA to consider alternatives and provide a public notice of any proposed actions in or affecting floodplains or wetlands. This notice may also fulfill requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

This notice serves as a project‐specific final notice for FEMA’s funding action located within a Special Flood Hazard Area or Wetlands Area. FEMA has determined the only practicable alternative is to fund the repairs of the road located within the Special Flood Hazard Area prior to the event. Funding for the proposed project will be conditional upon compliance with all applicable federal, tribal, state and local laws, regulations, floodplain standards, permit requirements and conditions. This action complies with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements.

Responsible Entity:
FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
Applicant:
Chatham County
Project Title(s):
HMGP DR-4830 – Home Elevations

Location of Proposed Work and Floodplain Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) Panels:

Site Name GPS Coordinates In Wetlands DFIRM Panel
321 Walthour Road 32.018351,-80.962668 Unknown 1305C0190G
119 Penrose Drive 32.042732,-80.994014 Unknown 1305C0190G

All Panels effective 8/16/2018. Sites are located within regulatory floodways. Sites are located within or adjacent to wetlands.

Proposed Work and Purpose: The proposed work consists of elevating existing residential structures to or above the required Base Flood Elevation (BFE) in accordance with applicable FEMA regulations and local floodplain management requirements. The project includes lifting the home, extending the foundation as needed, reconnecting utilities, adding stairs, decks, modifying access features as needed, and completing all associated site restoration.

The purpose is to reduce the risk of future flood damage, improve safety of the occupants and bring the structure into compliance with current floodplain regulations. Elevating the home will reduce future repair cost due to flooding and may lower insurance premiums while protecting the long-term value of the property. Home elevation provides a solution that minimizes the impacts of future flood events and supports community resilience by reducing disaster-related losses.

Project Alternatives:

  1. Relocation of facilities outside of the floodplain – N/A
  2. No action alternative – Continued negative impacts may be experienced.

Comments: This will serve as the final public notice regarding the above‐described action funded by the FEMA HMGP program. Interested persons may submit comments, questions, or request a map of this specific project by writing to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region 4, 3005 Chamblee Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, or by emailing R4EHP@fema.dhs.gov. Comments should be sent in writing with the subject line “HMGP 4830 Home Elevation” at the above addresses within 15 days of the date of this notice

THIS NOTICE MAY BE REMOVED FROM PUBLIC VIEW ON THE 15th DAY FROM ORIGINAL DATE OF POSTING

NOTICE WAS POSTED ON THE 6th DAY OF July 2026