South Tidewater News

The City of Norfolk has received notification that Governor Glenn Youngkin's budget proposal for the upcoming year will include $73.85 million in support of the city's Coastal Storm Risk Management Project (CSRM). This funding demonstrates the Commonwealth's strong commitment to reducing the risk of coastal flooding and damage caused by severe storms in Norfolk.

"We recognize the challenges of living alongside these waters, yet we are proactively stepping up to face those challenges head on," said Dr. Kenneth C. Alexander, Mayor of the City of Norfolk. "I am grateful to Governor Youngkin and his administration for their dedication to this cause."

The CSRM is a collaborative effort between the City of Norfolk and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is a 10-year-long development plan that aims to implement natural storm mitigation techniques, structural barriers, and property-specific, nonstructural improvements across multiple areas within the city. Measures such as levees, living shorelines, pump stations, and sea walls will be utilized to safeguard Norfolk's residents and infrastructure from flooding for years to come.

Norfolk's geographical location, bordered by the Chesapeake Bay and Elizabeth River, makes it particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise. With one of the highest rates of relative sea-level rise among Atlantic coastal communities, the city is taking proactive steps to address this issue.

The CSRM was authorized in January 2022 under President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided $400 million in federal support to kickstart the project. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, along with Representative Bobby Scott, played a crucial role in securing this funding. In addition to federal support, the CSRM received over $24.6 million from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's Community Flood Preparedness Fund earlier this year.

Virginia Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Travis Voyles emphasized the importance of including the CSRM in the 2024 budget, highlighting the role of conservation and protecting natural resources in job creation and economic growth within the Commonwealth.

The CSRM is expected to cost $2.6 billion, with 35 percent of the total funding coming from a combination of state and local sources. City leaders in Norfolk will continue to work closely with members of the General Assembly representing municipalities throughout Hampton Roads to garner support for these critical infrastructure improvements in the region.

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

Click this link to access more information: https://www.norfolk.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=7389