Fort Wayne gets $862,946 from FEMA for flood-prone projects

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – The city of Fort Wayne has been awarded $862,946 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to purchase and demolish 18 flood-prone structures.

The total cost of the project is $1.15 million. FEMA will pay 75 percent, while the city and the Maumee River Basin Commission will pay the other 25 percent.

Mayor Tom Henry said the grant is part of a decade-long effort to protect residents and property from floods. He says the projects have included storm pipes, earthen berms, flood walls, the creation of more green space to handle flood water and the purchase of more than 100 homes that were prone to flooding.

Following demolition, the properties will be maintained as permanent open spaces.