Chapter 7 › XIII.W Emergency Repair or Stabilization

Can we make temporary repairs or stabilize a landslide before permanent work?

FEMA term

Emergency repair or stabilization; slope stabilization

Short answer

Yes, temporary repairs that eliminate or lessen an immediate threat are Category B. Repairs that restore pre-disaster design and function are permanent work, even if done urgently (except power restoration).

What FEMA requires

Not eligible when another federal agency has authority over the facility: federal-aid highways (FHWA), flood control works (Corps) and watershed structures (NRCS). Tribal roads are eligible if BIA or FHWA doesn’t fund the work.
Slope stabilization: eligible for an incident-triggered landslide threatening life or improved property, limited to the least costly option within the threat area. Inspections and limited geotechnical studies are eligible to find out whether a threat exists.
Measures include emergency drainage, ground protection, partial excavation at the head of the slide, toe buttressing (gabions, rock toes, crib walls, soldier piles) and debris-flow barriers.
Operation Blue Roof for homes is federal direct assistance only.

Documentation

A description of the threat, engineering or geotechnical findings, and why the repair is temporary.

Watch out · Govstar practitioner advice

Label temporary repairs as temporary in your scope. Work that looks permanent gets moved to a permanent work project with different rules.

Govstar summarizes FEMA’s Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide in plain language and links to the official text. Govstar is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. This is general guidance, not legal advice.