Central Nova News

The City of Alexandria's Department of Transportation and Environmental Services has been granted $525,000 by the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF) through the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. This funding will be used to develop a new comprehensive Flood Resilience Plan.

This plan is the first of its kind in Alexandria and was recognized as necessary in the updated Energy and Climate Change Action Plan. It aims to bolster future efforts under the Flood Action Alexandria initiative, which seeks to mitigate flooding throughout the community. The plan will focus on hazard identification, flood mitigation, preparedness and response strategies, policies and regulations, funding approaches, and communication tactics.

Expanding on previous Neighborhood Investigations, this plan introduces a new engagement effort to gather input from residents across Alexandria regarding their experiences with flooding. Efforts will be made to include communities facing language or social barriers or those lacking technology access. Engaging with affected community members has proven effective in creating a more informed plan.

The CFPF grant program is overseen by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). It provides support for Virginia communities aiming to reduce flood impacts while empowering them to enhance preparedness and resilience. The program is funded through carbon allowance auctions via the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), with $53.9 million awarded in this round.

Virginia DCR describes flood resilience as "the capability to anticipate, prepare, respond to and recover from flood hazards to minimize damage to social well-being, health, the economy, and the environment."

The grant requires a 75/25 match; thus, Alexandria will contribute $175,000 in local matching funds for total project funding of $700,000.

Since 2021 when the program began, Alexandria has received over $6.4 million from CFPF grants amounting to more than $11.3 million dedicated towards citywide flood mitigation efforts.

Further information about this grant and related stormwater management projects can be found on the City's website.