07-04-2025
FEMA to end BRIC program, impacting Savannah storm upgrades
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will end its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, impacting the City of Savannah's storm upgrades.
The BRIC Program was announced in 2024 as part of the Biden Administration's Justice40 initiative, meant to address decades of underinvestment in disadvantaged communities.
The City of Savannah received $30 Million from the program in 2023 for improvements to the Springfield Canal. The grant was allocated in phases.
The City is currently in Phase 1 Design/Surveying and has been obligated $2,878,405 with a local match of $1,079,420. The total cost for Springfield Canal improvements is estimated at $42 million, according to a city spokesperson.
On April 4, 2025, FEMA announced that the 'wasteful, politicized' grant program would end and that all BRIC applications from Fiscal Years 2020-2023 would be cancelled.
'The BRIC program was yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program,' said a FEMA spokesperson. 'It was more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters. Under Secretary Noem's leadership, we are committed to ensuring that Americans in crisis can get the help and resources they need.'
The City of Savannah spokesperson added that staff is reviewing the implications of the program's dissolution and have arranged meetings with Rep. Buddy Carter and Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to update them on the grant status, share the impacts related to FEMA's decision and community benefits of the project.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
