Georgia Storm Damage Mitigation Program

How it works

The Georgia Storm Damage Mitigation Program is a statewide grant program administered by the Insurance Commissioner to reduce the financial impact of property insurance claims by lowering repair costs through mitigation work on residential property. The law says the program is subject to available funds and does not create an entitlement or obligate the state to pay for inspections or retrofits.

What the money covers

Grants may be used for specific mitigation work on residential property, including:

• roof deck attachments
• secondary water barriers
• roof coverings
• bracing gable ends
• reinforcement of roof-to-wall connections
• opening protections
• exterior doors, including garage doors
• tie downs
• fixing problems associated with weakened trusses, studs, and other structural components
• inspection and repair or replacement of manufactured home piers, anchors, and tie-down straps
• other mitigation techniques recommended by the Commissioner or program administrator under rules

The program is aimed at making homes less vulnerable to hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, windstorms, or flooding damage.

Amounts and matching

The law sets these maximum grant amounts:

• Resilient mitigation award for roof retrofits: up to $6,000 for matching grants or $7,500 for nonmatching grants
• Sustainable mitigation award for roof retrofits or window/opening-protection retrofits: up to $4,000 for matching grants or $5,000 for nonmatching grants

The statute also says grants may be awarded as matching or nonmatching grants, depending on program rules.

How to apply

The official statute does not provide a homeowner application portal on this page. It directs the Commissioner to adopt rules and regulations to implement the program.

Timing and funding

Implementation depends on sufficient funds from annual appropriations and other authorized funding sources. The program is financed through premium taxes collected from the underwriting association, one-tenth of 1 percent of annual state insurance premium taxes, and may also receive federal, private, public, and donated funds.