Today, FEMA Region 10 Administrator Wille G. Nunn joined Washington Emergency Management Division Director Robert Ezelle and local leaders in Aberdeen, WA, to announce Washington projects selected as part of President Biden’s historic $1.16 billion climate and disaster resilience investment and the availability of an additional $3.095 billion in funding opportunities for communities in Fiscal Year 2022. The event took place near the location of the planned $50 million North Shore Levee project which was selected and would provide critical flood protection for residents and businesses across Aberdeen and Hoquiam.
“As we speak, we are seeing the impacts of climate change as fires rage across the country, and unprecedented floods have claimed dozens of lives. Here in Region 10, we also can’t forget that every day is earthquake season with a deadly earthquake able to strike without warning,” said Regional Administrator Nunn. “The projects selected as well as the additional funding being made available empower local communities to develop innovative solutions that address the unique risks their communities face and promote a more secure, resilient and prosperous future for their residents. We’re proud to work side-by-side with our local leaders to help them take advantage of these funding opportunities.” A full video of today’s press conference can be found here.
Funding for projects selected in Washington state form part of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. BRIC provides communities with the opportunity to proactively invest in hazard mitigation projects to reduce the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards and avoid future disaster costs. Projects in Washington range from infrastructure investments that better ensure access to clean water and emergency communications in the event of an earthquake to initiatives to better prepare growing communities and economic hubs from flooding or seismic risks.
The following projects were selected in Washington:
- City of Shoreline, North 175th Street Soil Stabilization Project – $8,869,500.00
- King County Water District 90, 2021 Relocate Wells & WTP, Complete intertie for Emergency Water – $2,166,295.50
- City of Aberdeen, North Shore Levee – $50,000,000.00
- City of Auburn, City of Auburn Reservoir 2 Seismic Control Valve project – $1,087,500.00
- Seattle Police Department, City of Seattle Good Shepherd Center South Annex Seismic Retrofit – $380,517.58
Last year, President Biden announced an increase in BRIC funding from $500 million to $1 billion with Fiscal Year 2022 funding set to double again to more than $2 billion. Today, the administration announced that a total of $3.095 billion in new funding opportunities would be available for communities as part of the BRIC program and the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program, which provides funding to states, local communities, federally recognized tribes, and territories to reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance program. Funding was also included for technical assistance for local communities to build capacity and capability to be able to undertake these projects.
The current round of applications received far more applicants than funding available, representing the intense demand for climate resilience and disaster mitigation funding. Projects selected will undergo further review before receiving funds. Summaries and additional information on subapplicants can be found on FEMA.gov.