Before FEMA cancelled BRIC last April, a county applying for flood mitigation had already spent real money getting to that point. Engineering assessments, hazard plans, staff hours dedicated to a federal application process that takes months. When FEMA halted roughly $3.6 billion across nearly 700 projects, all of that investment was stranded.
A federal judge ruled the cancellation unlawful in December 2025. When FEMA still hadn't complied by February, states filed an enforcement motion describing municipalities "scrambling to fill funding gaps." A March order gave the agency 21 days.
What reopened on March 25 was $1 billion in new applications, not the $3.6 billion frozen. And the restored program is structurally different. FEMA eliminated funding for hazard-mitigation planning and the technical assistance that helped under-resourced communities build capacity to apply in the first place. The new program prioritizes "ready to implement" projects, which tilts toward jurisdictions that already have engineering staff and administrative infrastructure.
For a small county without a dedicated grant writer, the program technically exists. Getting through the application is another matter.
April 2025 FEMA cancels BRIC, halting ~$3.6B across nearly 700 projects
July 2025 Twenty-two states and D.C. file suit
Aug. 2025 Federal court blocks FEMA from reallocating funds
Dec. 2025 Judge rules cancellation unlawful, orders reversal
Feb. 2026 States file enforcement motion; FEMA still hasn't complied
March 6, 2026 Judge issues 21-day deadline
March 25, 2026 FEMA reopens BRIC with $1B for FY2024–25. Applications due July 23, 2026
What the restored program cut: Hazard-mitigation planning grants and technical assistance for smaller communities
What it added: Per-recipient caps. Priority for shovel-ready projects
Still unresolved: Status of previously awarded FY2020–23 grants remains under court supervision. Separately, Trump has not approved any state's request for hazard mitigation add-on funding for over a year
The math: Every $1 in disaster preparation saves $13 in damage and cleanup