South Tidewater News

NORFOLK, VA (June 12, 2023) –The City of Norfolk and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) signed a Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) to move the City’s Resilient Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) Project forward. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides this $399 million in funding for the project to increase coastal resilience for the City of Norfolk. The Norfolk CSRM Project will help the City of Norfolk to reduce its flood risk, which is increasing due to climate change.

This signing formalizes the partnership between the City of Norfolk and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and allows Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding of $399 million to be accessed for the project. The United States Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was signed into law on November 15, 2021. A key cornerstone of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is to build our economy from bottom up and middle out, rebuild our infrastructure, and build more resilience to climate change. Resilient Norfolk is the first coastal storm risk management project funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“Norfolk is a military powerhouse, and it’s home to key economic assets like the Port of Virginia, which supports commerce and trade across the country. As we continue to face the growing threat of sea level rise and severe weather events, we must do everything we can to increase the city’s long-term resilience,”said Sen. Mark R. Warner. “As one of the authors of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I’m thrilled to celebrate the signing of this Project Partnership Agreement, which will formalize an important local-federal partnership and provide $399 million in federal infrastructure funding for the Resilient Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management Project.”

A PPA is an agreement between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a local project sponsor for construction of a water resources project. The PPA for this project describes the project andestablishes the responsibilities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Norfolk in the cost sharing and execution of work.

The Resilient Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management Project will address climate change, provide resilience, and promote equity and safety. The historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law focuses on repairing and rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure. This project is critical for the future of the City.

“Some of climate change’s most severe impacts on Virginia so far are sea level rise and increasingly destructive coastal storms in Hampton Roads,”said Sen. Tim Kaine. “After years of working toward this agreement, I’m pleased that this down payment on the resources we need to help protect Norfolk through the Coastal Storm Risk Management Project is finally being delivered. I will continue to do all I can to secure additional resources to protect Virginia’s coastal communities, and to ensure that Virginia is a leader in the innovative technologies we need to tackle climate change.”

For the fifth straight year, Norfolk ranked number one for sea level rise on the East Coast (according to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science sea-level report card), increasing the City’s risk for flooding and damage due to hurricanes, nor’easters and other significant storms.

“City Council recently voted in favor of the Coastal Storm Risk Management Project Partnership Agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers, which was an important step in the right direction to mitigate flooding and damage from coastal storms,”said Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander. “We look forward to this collaborative partnership as we work together on a strategic plan for building structural, property-specific, natural and nature-based features in our neighborhoods to increase our community resilience to flooding.”

The Norfolk CSRM Project will help reduce the flood risk from coastal storms. The project includes storm-surge barriers, nearly eight miles of floodwalls, nearly one mile of levees, 11 tide gates, and 10 pump stations, along with a series of nonstructural features that include home elevations, basement fills, and commercial floodproofing. Resilient Norfolk begins a decade-long partnership between the City of Norfolk and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address coastal flood risk. While the feasibility study identified potential solutions, each phase of the project still needs to be designed and constructed. This includes the alignment of potential floodwalls, other structural measures and natural and nature-based features.

“The City of Norfolk and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have a long history together. We are excited to continue our partnership with the City to fortify their resilience to flooding and preserve this beautiful coastal community,”said Michael Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. “I’m thrilled to take part in this important day made possible by the historic investment in infrastructure by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.”

For more information on the Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management Project, visit ResilientNorfolk.com.

About the City of Norfolk

Norfolk, Virginia is a dynamic, authentic, urban waterfront community. Founded in 1682, Norfolk is a city of over 230,000 residents and more than 100 diverse neighborhoods. It is the cultural, educational, business and medical center of Hampton Roads, hosts the world's largest naval base, the region's international airport and is one of the busiest international ports on the East Coast of the United States. For more information, visit norfolk.gov.

About the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers established the Norfolk U.S. Engineer’s Office in Norfolk in 1879 to manage major improvements to Norfolk Harbor and the Nansemond and Elizabeth rivers. Established as Norfolk District in 1908, today’s staff of Army officers and about 380 civilians work together at the headquarters and numerous field offices throughout Virginia to fulfill the district’s dual military and civil works mission of engineering, construction and water resource management.

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