VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Flooding is top of mind on rainy days and new federal funding could help address the problem in Virginia Beach.
On Friday, Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced $25 million to fight the problem. The money will go toward several projects designed to protect the city from sea level rise, higher tides, and stormwater runoff.
The project will fund several upgrades, such as stormwater pump stations, to support coastal resilience across the city and along Shore Drive in particular.
"Rising sea levels threaten lives and livelihoods, and also risk the continued strength of our roads and bridges," the senators said in a news release. "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."
The funding was awarded through FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. BRIC provides funding for proactive upgrades to areas at greater risk of damage from hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires.