Schuylkill County officials are hoping to get a $250,000 federal grant to help communities prevent flooding.

The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant is through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

If the county gets the money, it’ll be used to pay for professional services to help municipalities, individual or regional, with implementation of the county’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, along with resilience planning.

The county would pay a 25% ($62,500) local match if it gets the grant.

County commissioners on Thursday gave the Office of Planning and Zoning the go-ahead to apply for the grant.

Commissioners Chairman Barron L. Hetherington used as an example of the need for flood mitigation the Swatara Creek flooding and solution.

The creek, which flows through Pine Grove, often overflows its banks, causing extensive damage to homes and businesses.

In 2011, Tropical Storm Lee dumped more than 15 inches of rain on the area.

The water affected 90 percent of nearby businesses, causing $40 million dollars in damage.

The flooding also polluted water and the businesses that had to close permanently cut 250 jobs.

FEMA developed a regional coalition of eight municipalities, business leaders, and people from federal and state agencies.

The coalition created a strategy that identified floodplain restoration reduce flooding, improve water quality and create a wildlife habitat.

In 2020, the county Conservation District finished the 10-acre restoration flood plain and forested wetland project that was paid for through $2.5 million in grants.