A public information meeting for Mathews residents interested in applying for grants to elevate houses in special flood hazard areas will be held at 6:30 p.m. next Thursday, Sept. 22, in the historic courthouse on Court Street, Mathews.

The Mathews County Board of Supervisors is preparing to submit an application to request up to $1.5 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant funds from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, according to a press release from the county’s planning and zoning department.

The funds are provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and will help pay to elevate houses that have been identified as being at risk for future damage from storm-related activities.

At the meeting, county officials will discuss the grant requirements and will begin the process of taking applications for participation in the program.

Applicants do not need to have had direct damage from a storm event to participate in this grant program, said the release.

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