Public Notice

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Application

Shelby County Liquefaction Hazard Planning Project

Notice Date: [June 11, 2026]

The Center for Disaster Recovery and Resiliency (CDRR) is seeking funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to develop a Liquefaction Hazard Planning Project for Shelby County, Tennessee.

The purpose of this project is to develop countywide liquefaction and seismic hazard maps for Shelby County, Tennessee, using the latest scientific data, hazard models, and loss-estimation tools. The project will enhance local and regional capabilities for earthquake risk assessment, emergency preparedness, hazard mitigation planning, and community resilience. The effort will be conducted through a partnership among the Center for Disaster Recovery and Resiliency (CDRR), Shelby County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (SCEMHSA), Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), and technical partners.

Shelby County is located within the area affected by the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ), one of the most active seismic regions in the eastern United States. The 1811–1812 earthquake sequence generated some of the largest earthquakes in U.S. history and produced widespread liquefaction throughout the Mississippi Embayment. Because Memphis and Shelby County contain critical transportation, utility, commercial, industrial, and residential infrastructure, understanding liquefaction and seismic hazards is essential for reducing future disaster losses.

This project will use the update existing hazard maps using the 2023 U.S. Geological Survey National Seismic Hazard Models, develop improved local geology models, evaluate site amplification effects, estimate liquefaction susceptibility, and perform Hazus-based loss estimation analyses. The project will also improve inventories of critical facilities and infrastructure and integrate data into Tennessee’s Critical2TN database.

The project is a planning and risk assessment initiative only. No construction activities, property acquisition, ground disturbance, or changes to land use are proposed as part of this project.

The complete planning tool will improve local capabilities for emergency management, flood-risk identification, mitigation planning, and informed decision-making related to future liquefaction hazards.

FEMA funding is being requested through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The proposed project will undergo review in accordance with applicable federal environmental and historic preservation requirements.

Public Comment Period

Shelby County encourages public review and comment regarding the proposed project. Written comments will be accepted for a period of fifteen (15) days from the date of publication of this notice.

Comments may be submitted by email or mail to:

Center for Disaster Recovery and Resiliency (CDRR)

Attn: Dr. Shahram Pezeshk
3815 Central Ave.
Engineering Science Building, Room 108A
Memphis, Tennessee 38152

Email: spezeshk@memphis.edu

Comments must be received no later than [June 26, 2026].

All comments received during the public comment period will be considered as part of the project development and grant application process.

For additional information regarding this proposed project, please contact CDRR at 901-678-4727 or spezeshk@memphis.edu.