WASHINGTON – On August 4, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $25,144,014 in federal funding for Virginia Beach to protect critical infrastructure from the impacts of consistent flooding and rising sea levels. The project will fund several upgrades – including stormwater pump stations – to support coastal resilience across the city and along Shore Drive.
“Rising sea levels threaten lives and livelihoods, and also risk the continued strength of our roads and bridges,” the senators said. “We’re glad to see $25 million headed straight to Virginia Beach to further shore up resilience efforts across Hampton Roads, protecting residents from the danger of severe weather, the threat of property damage, and the frustration of flooded roads.”
This grant will protect vital infrastructure in Virginia Beach and along Shore Drive that is being impacted by rising sea levels, higher tidal systems, and stormwater runoff that results in regular roadway floods during normal rain events. This project will include two large stormwater pump stations, an automated tide gate, two significant outfall discharges, collection systems, a rain garden, and canal deepening and widening to alleviate flooding in the community. This project will protect up to a 100-year base flood elevation, mitigate flooding on transportation infrastructure and on 11 Repetitive Loss properties, and provide drainage to 614 buildings.
Sens. Warner and Kaine have consistently fought for more resilience measures across Hampton Roads. As part of the bipartisan infrastructure law (BIL), Sens. Warner and Kaine secured $1.5 million for the Virginia Beach and Vicinity Coastal Storm Risk Management Study. Also through the BIL, they secured nearly $399 million for the Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management Project, which will reduce and manage flooding in Norfolk through a system of surge barriers, tidal gates, floodwalls, levees, pump stations, and non-structural measures. In June, Sens. Warner and Kaine visited Norfolk for the signing of the Project Partnership Agreement, which kicked off the formal partnership between the City of Norfolk and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, allowing the project to commence.
This funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. The BRIC program provides funding for proactive upgrades to areas at greater risk of damage from hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires.
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