16-04-2025
FEMA funding cancellation leaves Virginia projects in jeopardy, including Portsmouth dam
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, as well as Representative Bobby Scott, are calling on the Department of Homeland Security to reverse the cancelation of a FEMA program designed to protect against natural disasters.
According to a release, the DHS announced the cancelation of FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure Communities (BRIC) program, calling the program wasteful and politicized.
The Commonwealth was slated to receive several million in funding from BRIC for various projects throughout the state, including $12 million for improvements to the Richmond Water Treatment Facility and $24 million to enhance the Lake Meade Dam in Portsmouth.
Since BRIC's establishment in 2018 through the Disaster Recovery Act, over $5 billion has been allocated for mitigation projects within the United States to reduce risks caused by natural disasters and to prevent future disasters. A list of funded projects can be found on FEMA's website here.
Applicants were notified of the cancelation of funds earlier in the month — $133 million of which already allocated for the fiscal year. Many communities in Virginia are now left scrambling, left wondering what to do with projects already underway.
'The potential revocation of existing BRIC awards is an unanticipated shock to Virginia localities that have budgeted, planned, and in some cases begun work on these crucial projects,' the lawmakers wrote. 'The city of Portsmouth received a $24.21 million BRIC award in FY2022 to protect the community's drinking water supply by enhancing the Lake Meade Dam. The dam, which serves as a critical reservoir for drinking water and supplies residential, commercial, and industrial users in the Hampton Roads area, is at risk of instability and potential overtopping during heavy precipitation events. The project involves strengthening the dam, upgrading spillways, and improving flood protection, all of which serves to protect the more than 80 occupied residential properties and almost 30 businesses within the dam break inundation zone.'
Virginia Beach stated the cuts to funding should not impact the city, however. The resort city released a statement on Friday, saying that the funds had been moved to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
The funding from this grant has been obligated from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) on schedule. While, FEMA has requested information regarding the completion date of the project, we anticipate that the funding will remain available for this critical flood protection project to move into the construction phase later this year.
City of Virginia Beach
To read the full letter sent to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, click here.
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