The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provided funds for the County to purchase, distribute and install National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radios to every school, hospital, and nursing care facility in the County, for a total of 860 radios. This project will ensure that adequate warning time be more available to residents in the County. The benefit of early warnings will be a reduction in both loss of life and the extent of injuries to persons in an impacted facility. Likewise, in New Hampshire, the College Brook Drainage Project utilized HMGP funding. College Brook flows through property owned by the University of New Hampshire and through residential and commercial neighborhoods in the Town of Durham, and ultimately empties into Mill Pond.
High water resulting from heavy rains and melting snow inundates the College Brook area.
The culverts under Mill Road and Mill Pond Road were overwhelmed causing backup and flooding several properties. In 1997 and 1998, FEMA Region 1 partnered with the State of New Hampshire, the Town of Durham, and local residents to improve the drainage capacity of the two culverts. Because of this project, during heavy rain events, there has been no damage to homes or businesses due to flooding. The FIRE Grant Program will assist fire departments to improve the safety and health of local volunteer and career fire department personnel, and assist with the acquisition of badly needed safety equipment. America's fire service is the primary provider of life safety services in all communities, and is our first-line of defense in many communities, especially small rural communities.