WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) today announced $36,210,467 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding to protect the City of Crisfield from flooding. This federal investment in the Southern Crisfield Flood Mitigation Project will reduce the impacts of flooding through strategies that include storm water management, tide gate, wetland and road improvements.

The funds are provided through FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program, which the lawmakers fought to significantly boost funding for within the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. For fiscal year 2023, the BRIC program was funded at $1 billion.

“Coastal communities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis and are most susceptible to flooding,” said Senator Cardin. “Prevention is key when working to protect communities from disastrous flooding. This federal funding is advancing projects that will help protect Maryland’s Eastern Shore from the worst impacts of climate change and provide Crisfield with the tools it needs to become a more climate resilient community.

“Like so many coastal areas in Maryland, Crisfield has experienced extreme flooding over the past several years. That’s why we fought to pass the infrastructure modernization law and boost federal funding to support our communities’ resiliency and protect homes and businesses from flooding. This federal investment will help Crisfield bolster its infrastructure to guard against increasingly frequent and dangerous flooding,” said Senator Van Hollen.

Through BRIC Direct Technical Assistance, FEMA provides holistic hazard mitigation planning and project support at the earliest stages to communities, tribal nations and territories requesting assistance. The BRIC program aims to categorically shift the federal focus away from reactive disaster spending and toward research-supported, proactive investment in community resilience.

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