Latest news with #BuildingResilientInfrastructureandCommunities
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rhoden creates disaster preparedness task force as Trump cuts FEMA
South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden speaks to the media during a press conference on March 13, 2025, at the Capitol in Pierre. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight) Republican South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden signed an executive order this week to plan for future disasters as the Trump administration works to shift the responsibility for disaster relief to state and local entities. 'We pray that the most challenging circumstances will never arise, but we are preparing so that South Dakota can face such situations with determination, resilience, and grit,' Rhoden said in a press release. President Trump has called the Federal Emergency Management Agency a 'disaster' and suggested it might 'go away.' FEMA is led by Homeland Security Secretary and former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem. Trump signed an executive order in March titled 'Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness,' which says 'federal policy must rightly recognize that preparedness is most effectively owned and managed at the State, local, and even individual levels.' The Trump order also instructs federal agencies to reevaluate grants, contracts, and technical assistance funding programs. FEMA has since ended the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. The 2021 program aimed to direct $1 billion in funding toward infrastructure projects to help communities across the U.S. 'reduce their hazard risk' as they 'build capability and capacity.' According to a tally of federal cuts compiled and updated weekly by the governor's office, $8.9 million in South Dakota projects were set to benefit from BRIC grants. End of FEMA program affects drinking water, building code updates, tornado shelter in SD Critics say the shift in disaster relief responsibilities and funding from the federal government to state and local governments will leave poorer, rural states unprepared and unable to respond. Rhoden says the task force will 'support' the Trump administration's executive order. Rhoden dubbed the group the Governor's Resilience and Infrastructure Task Force, or GRIT. He said the task force will serve as an advisory body to 'develop policy recommendations, assess risks and vulnerabilities, and support long-term planning and investment in critical infrastructure systems across our state.' The task force will be chaired by Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen. Adjutant General Mark Morrell of the South Dakota National Guard will serve as vice chair. Venhuizen said the task force is more than a response to President Trump ending programs and planning to shift responsibilities to states. He said the concept of the task force has been under consideration since last year. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
$10 million in loans from state fund pledged to Ellicott City flood prevention projects
Ellicott City's Main Street has been hit hard by flooding in recent years, but the North Tunnel and Maryland Avenue Culvert projects are expected to divert tens of thousands of gallons of stormwater per second to prevent future floods. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters) An effort to mitigate devastating flooding in Ellicott City is moving forward with the announcement of two $5 million loans to complete projects that will divert storm-driven flash flooding away from downtown Ellicott City businesses. The $10 million in loans are the first of from a state account created in 2021. In Ellicott City, the money will go toward two projects designed to move tens of thousands of gallons of floodwater per second off Main Street. State and county officials are already looking to other projects, even as its ability to secure federal loans and disaster recovery aid remains uncertain. 'At a time when we're watching the federal government cancel supports for emergency management and telling states and local jurisdictions that if tragedy happens, you are now on your own, in Maryland, we're choosing to move differently and actually invest in our local jurisdictions, both in preparation and also in recovery,' Gov. Wes Moore said Wednesday as he toured the site. Officials said the projects could be duplicated in other areas prone to similar floods including an area of western Maryland ravaged last month by flood waters. 'It'll be used 100% here' in Maryland, said Department of Emergency Management Secretary Russ Strickland. 'It's not dependent on federal money, which, right now, obviously, we're in a very uncomfortable situation with Washington.' In January, President Donald Trump called for eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and FEMA in April said it was canceling funding for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, or BRIC, program. The move hit funding earmarked for fiscal years 2020-2023, putting roughly $1 billion in projects approved in the Chesapeake Bay watershed in jeopardy. Scores of federal lawmakers — Republicans and Democrats — have called for BRIC funding to be restored. The Ellicott City projects, meanwhile, will proceed with state money. Tunneling equipment — a 300-foot long device nicknamed 'Rocky' — is expected to begin cutting a channel a mile long and 18-feet wide through granite 150 feet below ground. It will stretch from the west end of Ellicott City and terminate at the Patapsco River, with the capacity to move 26,000 gallons of water per second from downtown Ellicott City to the river. A second project, called the Maryland Avenue Culvert, will move water from the Tiber-Hudson branch to the Patapsco River. The two projects are part of a massive effort to make the historic mill city prone to flooding more resilient. The county is coupling the projects with water retention ponds. Three ponds, with a combined capacity of over 12 million gallons, are already been built. Others remain in the design phase. Howard County Executive Calvin Ball (D) called it 'the single largest public works project' in county history. 'When complete, these projects will work together to reduce the quantity and the velocity of water on Main Street during major flooding events, and make Ellicott City a national, if not international, model of resiliency,' Ball said. Moore said the projects will 'save lives … but also help save the community and will also help save the state money.' 'Because, you know, what's more expensive than preparing for the next big flood? Having to recover from the next big flood — immeasurably more expensive,' he said. Moore said every dollar spent on flood mitigation saves taxpayers 'an average of $6 in return when it comes to recovery costs.' Flood-prone Ellicott City has seen three major events since 2011, including what was called a once in a 1,000-year storm in 2016, when flooding along Main Street damaged buildings and killed two people. Two years later, another storm dumped 8 inches of rain in two hours on Ellicott City. The floods resulted in plans to make the area more flood-resilient, demolition of some buildings, debris clean up after big storms, an alert system, automated gates to high-ground areas and the stormwater retention ponds and diversion systems. Initial cost estimates of $82 million in 2019 had grown to $130 million four years later due to costs of expanding the project — most notably the north tunnel project — and 'external economic factors,' including inflation. But the project also grew more expensive as officials widened the diameter by 20% and more than tripled its length to a mile. FEMA cancels $1 billion for flood prevention projects in Chesapeake Bay region Money for the project comes from a revolving loan fund created in 2021. 'Even as we were fighting for Ellicott City, we realized that this was a bigger problem than this one town and the rest of the state could learn from us,' said Sen. Katie Fry Hester (D-Howard and Montgomery), who sponsored the Resilient Maryland Revolving Loan Fund and who was at Wednesday's event. She said the Northeast has seen 'a 70% increase in extreme rainfall since the 1950s and the Chesapeake Bay could rise by five feet, by 2050. I've seen some horrible projections where we're looking at $19 billion worth of damage if we do not invest. But that is not what we're doing, because we are being proactive.' The $10 million in loans for the Ellicott City project are about half the state's revolving account. Strickland said so far there has been little competition for the money. Jurisdictions that use the money agree to pay it back over time. Strickland said a repayment agreement with Howard County has not been finalized. Del. Courtney Watson (D-Howard) said Wednesday the projects in Ellicott City could be a model for other parts of the state. 'We were lucky enough to be the first to be able to put these policies in place, to be able to figure it out, to do something that's never been done before, to solve a tedious, complex public infrastructure project and puzzle for threats that didn't exist 20 years ago,' Watson said. 'We hope to model and assist other jurisdictions who are facing the same type of problems, such as Westernport,' she said. More than 5 inches of rain fell in Allegany and Garrett Counties on May 14, triggering flash floods that overwhelmed roads, schools and homes, and damaged utilities. Areas including Westernport and Lonaconing were some of the hardest hit. Moore declared a state of emergency in the region — an early step toward seeking aid from FEMA. Strickland said initial damage estimates could be completed as early as next week. The threshold for seeking federal aid comes in at around $12 million, he said. 'I think we're going to meet that,' Strickland said. Strickland said he's 'cautiously optimistic' that federal aid will still come through, but is also looking at contingency plans. One such plan would use money from the state's disaster recovery fund as well as a catastrophic event fund. When asked if the funds could cover the potential $12 million in damages, Strickland said: 'I think it would be very close.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FEMA cuts costing central Florida millions in grant money to aid storm survival
The official start of hurricane season is days away, and central Florida counties are set to lose millions of dollars that could have been used for the most vulnerable people. One example is how the Office of Emergency Management in Seminole County requested funds to help people who depend on medical machines survive any storms. But the federal Emergency Management Agency canceled the program the center requested the grant money from. Now if the federal government doesn't cover it, it will fall on the counties or state - and taxpayers - to cover the costs those grant dollars typically would. Seminole County's Office of Emergency Management director, Alan Harris, described those affected as 'our most vulnerable populations.' Seminole County asked FEMA for $300,000 to add a generator to a shelter for those with special needs and those who depend on medical machines that need electricity. Marion County asked for $3.7 million while Sumter County asked for $3 million to improve electrical infrastructure to avoid outages during storms. But now that money won't be coming from FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program. It was canceled in April, as Republicans focus on handling the nation's deficit 'We're going to do everything we can,' said U.S. Sen Rick Scott. 'Now let's realize where our federal government is right now, OK? We are running two trillion-dollar deficits. How many of you want your interest rates to come down? We all do. How many of you want inflation to come down? It will not happen if we don't balance the budget.' U.S. Rep. Cory Mills says he will look for other ways to fund Seminole County's generator. These cuts are happening as FEMA's acting chief says h wants to place responsibility of hurricane recovery on states and local governments, including financial responsibility. 'It's about getting responsiveness. It is about getting funding there quicker,' Mills said. Sumter County's EMA director, David Casto, said the BRIC program could not be the only cuts. There are other grants that fund equipment and supplies that are still uncertain. The state and some local governments are reportedly prepared to dip into their reserves as FEMA tightens its belt even more this hurricane season. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump is freezing flood prevention funds in Maryland's most at-risk areas, like Ellicott City, documents show
BALTIMORE — Mark Hemmis still can't bear to watch a YouTube compilation of harrowing 911 emergency calls from Ellicott City residents as brown water rushed down Main Street carrying cars and debris during the deadly 2016 flooding. 'I can't get more than 90 seconds into it. It's unbelievably hard to listen to,' said Hemmis, whose restaurant had to relocate up the street to accommodate flood prevention efforts. In 2018, the historic downtown endured another catastrophic storm. Now, nine years later, two pieces of the city's ambitious flood mitigation plan — stormwater retention ponds funded by $10 million in low-interest loans — are being paused by the Trump administration's Federal Emergency Management Agency as it assesses the value of such disaster prevention projects. According to documents obtained by The Baltimore Sun, FEMA is also canceling as much as $150 million in additional funding designed to reduce flood potential and damage in some of Maryland's most at-risk areas, including South Baltimore and the cities of Cambridge and Crisfield on the Eastern Shore. In Crisfield, a flood-prone, Chesapeake Bay community in which most residents are supporters of President Donald Trump, the loss of multi-year grants totaling as much as $72 million 'is really disheartening. It means everything,' said Mayor Darlene Taylor. 'We've had businesses ruined. Some of the homes don't have insurance.' In picturesque Ellicott City, the pausing of low-interest loans for the large retention ponds is seen by residents as another barrier to overcome in a resilient town that experienced two devastating floods within 22 months. 'I don't know enough about national politics to know what DOGE's plans are,' said Hemmis, referring to the Department of Government Efficiency, a cost-cutting organization headed by billionaire Elon Musk. Hemmis purchased an old brick property in 2020 and moved his restaurant there, now called Phoenix Upper Main. The site of his former restaurant is now a park. Hemmis remains committed to Ellicott City. 'The (Howard County) Safe and Sound program will move forward. The tunnel is underway,' he said. A mile-long tunnel, targeted for completion in 2027, is designed to move 26,000 gallons of water per second from the city's West End to the Patapsco River, diverting it away from Main Street. The tunnel is funded in part by a $75 million low-interest loan that was secured through a federal program in 2022, before Trump began his second term. Trump 'seems to have a weird fascination with anything that has the words 'climate' or 'environmental justice' attached,' said U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth, a Democrat whose district includes Ellicott City. 'We're seeing increased flooding again across this country. Rising tides don't recognize who is president. They don't care which is a red district or a blue district.' Many of the now-scrapped projects were either funded or in the application or review phase of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program administered by FEMA. FEMA, headed by Trump appointee Kristi Noem, canceled the program last month, calling it 'yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program. It was more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters.' Any program grant money not already distributed — amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars — 'will be immediately returned either to the Disaster Relief Fund or the U.S. Treasury,' FEMA's announcement said. The BRIC program was created by FEMA during the Republican Trump's first term. It became vulnerable because it was associated with climate change mitigation —a politically volatile issue within Trump's administration —while Democrat Joe Biden was in office. Affected projects include the Middle Branch Resiliency Initiative, designed to reduce flooding in the area around MedStar Harbor Hospital in South Baltimore. About $5.2 million was previously awarded as Phase 1, 'but the remaining $26 million for Phase 2 had not yet been awarded' under the now-canceled program, said an April memorandum of the Maryland Department of Emergency Management that was obtained by The Sun. Other affected areas include Crisfield, which for years called itself 'the Seafood Capital of the World.' Its downtown is regularly inundated by water. Main Street businesses must close during heavy floods. Crisfield was seeking two flood mitigation grants from FEMA of about $36 million apiece. One was applied for by the state Department of Emergency Management but was not awarded. The other is listed in the agency's memorandum among those that can't be applied for 'due to the cancellation of the BRIC program.' A $16 million project to protect against major storms in Cambridge, a Dorchester County waterfront community, was also derailed for the same reason, the agency said. Crisfield's plan is 'basically to build a sea wall around our community,' Taylor said. For two years, she said, the city held biweekly meetings with FEMA contractors and others to work out technical details of the plan. 'It was really key to our survivability,' she said. 'Businesses are reluctant to come here because the flooding is so frequent and so severe.' U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, a Maryland Democrat, raised the Crisfield examples during a May 1 committee hearing, calling them 'very, very heartbreaking.' Communities 'spend years planning, and these not only make them safer through flood mitigation but it also contributes significantly to their economies,' the senator said. Asked for comment about the Maryland projects, FEMA sent The Sun a general statement similar to the one released by the agency when it cancelled the BRIC program. 'Under Secretary Noem's leadership, we are committed to ensuring that Americans in crisis can get the help and resources they need,' it said. Flood-prone Ellicott City is in a valley near the Patapsco River. Heavy rains in 2011, 2016 and 2018 caused major flooding in the historic district, killing three people and leaving behind massive destruction. The two retention ponds are part of a multi-year flood prevention effort costing well over $100 million. The plan includes five total ponds, a culvert project, and the tunnel. Howard County officials received approval in December for two $5 million, low-interest loans secured through the state before Trump took office in January. But closing on the loans — which are separate from the BRIC program — is on hold pending FEMA review and approval, according to Safa Hira, director of communications for Howard County Government. 'We are disappointed that the $10 million to support the NC-3 and T-1 Pond projects is currently being held and reviewed by FEMA, said Felix Facchine, deputy chief of staff to Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, a Democrat. 'While this funding is under review, we remain committed to advancing all components of the Safe and Sound Plan to safeguard Ellicott City from future flash floods.' Neither Hemmis nor Carrie Foley, the restaurant's general manager, blamed Trump or anybody else for the funding delay. 'I hope that resolves itself, but honestly, I know there are so many other things that are going on,' Foley said. 'I have faith that things will work out. This town has been here long before us, it'll be here long after. I think that's important.' ------------
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida Democrat: FEMA ‘is going to fail this summer'
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) warned Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is ill prepared for hurricane season and 'is going to fail this summer.' In remarks at a House Rules Committee hearing Wednesday, Moskowitz said the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) steep budget cuts and grant pauses have made FEMA inefficient and risk sending hurricane-prone states into bankruptcy if they don't get approval for federal aid when the next storm hits. 'Remember that 'DOGE'? Remember the E at the end of DOGE? The word 'efficiency'?' Moskowitz asked in his remarks. 'Nothing at FEMA has been made more efficient.' 'In fact, I would tell you that the secretary of Homeland Security has turned FEMA into the Newark Airport, OK? It is going to fail this summer,' Moskowitz continued, referring to the staffing and logistical issues at the New Jersey international airport. 'And so look, there's no doubt that FEMA needed reform, but what they've done at Homeland is they've taken something that needed help and they broke it further,' Moskowitz said. He noted that some of the most at-risk states are areas represented by Republican leadership — such as Louisiana, where Speaker Mike Johnson (R) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R) are from. 'Louisiana goes bankrupt without FEMA, when there's a hurricane that comes in from the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of America, comes right into Louisiana, they're bankrupt,' Moskowitz said, noting the same is true for Alabama and Mississippi, especially when tornadoes strike. 'Those states go bankrupt without FEMA. And yet, I don't see my Republican colleagues calling out the administration on how we're going to save FEMA and reform it,' he added. In recent months, the White House has taken numerous steps to strip funds from FEMA, which has long been a target for some Republicans. FEMA ended its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, intended to help communities prepare for natural disasters, labeling it 'wasteful and ineffective.' The agency canceled applications from 2020 and 2023 and reabsorbed unclaimed funds. FEMA has also frozen nearly $10 billion in disaster aid for nonprofits pending review. Moskowitz, who served as Florida's director of Emergency Management before joining Congress, noted funding freezes have led to delays in payments to vendors and states, disrupting disaster-prevention efforts. Moskowitz accused Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem of failing to warn the president of the impact of some of the cuts that the department is making. 'There's dramatic improvement that needs to be done at FEMA. But I'm deeply concerned at what's happened at Homeland, and I don't think the president is aware of the current condition that the secretary has put him [in] and the men and women that work there and the states that are going to go to FEMA and rely on them to help them in their time of need,' Moskowitz said. 'And those resources are going to come slower.' He pointed to his background in emergency management. 'Let me remind you: I did this for a living, for a Republican governor. I worked for Ron DeSantis for two and a half years, took my political hat off, so I'm not giving you partisan coverage. I'm giving you the current state of affairs in an agency that has been absolutely destroyed.' A DHS spokesperson fired back at Moskowitz and defended actions at FEMA, saying the agency 'is fully activated in preparation for Hurricane Season.' 'Under Secretary Noem and Acting Administrator Richardson, FEMA is shifting from bloated, DC-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens,' they said in a statement. 'The old processes are being replaced because they failed Americans in real emergencies for decades.' Updated at noon EDT. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
