Infrastructure

Ephrata Secures $112,500 Grant for Floodplain Plan

Thursday, September 10, 2026

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The City of Ephrata has accepted an $112,500 Strategic Infrastructure Program grant to develop a FEMA-approved Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan, marking the first step in a multi-year effort to remove 533 acres of downtown property from a federal floodplain designation. The grant, awarded through the Grant County Economic Development Council, will fund preparation of a plan that must be reviewed by the Washington Emergency Management Division and FEMA. Once approved, Ephrata would become eligible for FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. City Project Engineer Dave Bren stated the plan could eventually remove approximately 175 acres from the floodplain within two to three years, potentially eliminating flood insurance requirements for residents and businesses that currently pay up to $1,700 annually for coverage.

📄 Source: Local Government — https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2026/sep/10/ephrata-takes-first-step-toward-removing-downtown-from-floodplain/

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The City of Ephrata has accepted an $112,500 Strategic Infrastructure Program grant“The Ephrata City Council recently accepted a $112,500 Strategic Infrastructure Program grant through the Grant County Economic Development Council to fund development of a FEMA-approved Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan.”
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The grant is to develop a FEMA-approved Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan“The Ephrata City Council recently accepted a $112,500 Strategic Infrastructure Program grant through the Grant County Economic Development Council to fund development of a FEMA-approved Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan.”
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The grant was awarded through the Grant County Economic Development Council“The Ephrata City Council recently accepted a $112,500 Strategic Infrastructure Program grant through the Grant County Economic Development Council to fund development of a FEMA-approved Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan.”
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The grant will fund preparation of a plan that must be reviewed by the Washington Emergency Management Division“The newly awarded grant will fund preparation of the Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan, which must be reviewed by the Washington Emergency Management Division and FEMA before receiving final approval.”
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The plan must be reviewed by FEMA“The newly awarded grant will fund preparation of the Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan, which must be reviewed by the Washington Emergency Management Division and FEMA before receiving final approval.”
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Once approved, Ephrata would become eligible for FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program“Once approved, the city would become eligible for FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, or BRIC, grant program and other federal mitigation funding opportunities.”
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City Project Engineer Dave Bren stated the plan could eventually remove approximately 175 acres from the floodplain“Bren said the city also plans to begin work on a separate Letter of Map Amendment, or LOMA, process that could remove approximately 175 acres from the floodplain within the next two to three years.”
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The plan could potentially remove 175 acres from the floodplain within two to three years“Bren said the city also plans to begin work on a separate Letter of Map Amendment, or LOMA, process that could remove approximately 175 acres from the floodplain within the next two to three years.”
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Residents and businesses that currently pay up to $1,700 annually for flood insurance coverage could potentially eliminate flood insurance requirements“Bren said one city employee currently pays about $1,700 annually for flood insurance because their home falls within the designated flood zone. "If we're successful with this, it would have a direct impact for anyone who has a current loan on their house," he said. Removing properties from the floodplain could save homeowners and businesses money by eliminating federal flood insurance requirements.”