NORFOLK, Va. — Author's note: The video above is on file from April 2021.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday that 19 projects statewide will get $7.8 million in grants to address the impacts of flooding, sea-level rise and extreme weather.
The Office of the Governor said eligible projects include planning and capacity building activities, flood prevention and protection studies and improvements to strengthen flood resilience.
Projects will be given higher priority if they plan to use nature-based solutions, like restoring reefs and marshes or planting trees to absorb water and reduce the risk of flooding.
“Virginians have experienced the devastating effects of flooding over and over again,” Northam said in a news release. “Without strong investments in resiliency, we will continue to see more of the same."
The grants are the first round to be awarded through the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund that helps communities build resilience to the impacts of climate change. The Virginia General Assembly and Northam established the fund last year.
Several of the 19 projects that are receiving the grants are located in the Hampton Roads region. Those are:
- Eastern Branch restoration, $3,000,000
- Norfolk Coastal storm risk management analysis, $900,000
- Portsmouth's resilience strategy, $527,949
- Lake Whitehurst watershed study, $500,000
- Resilient Hampton: Downtown Hampton, Phoebus and Buckroe Beach, $158,681
- Honor Park, $147,994
- Mill Point living shoreline, $126,498
- Southern Chesapeake watershed 5, $91,404
- Chesapeake resilience plan, $74,997
- Suffolk capacity building and planning, $68,024
The funding is part of Northam's efforts to address the effects of climate change in the Commonwealth. Last week, he joined Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to sign a new climate change directive to help clean and restore the Chesapeake Bay watershed.