Sens. Van Hollen, Cardin, Sarbanes Announce $3 Million in Federal Funding to Support Annapolis City Dock Flood Mitigation Project

WASHINGTON, April 20 -- Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, issued the following news release on April 19, 2021:

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman John Sarbanes (all D-Md.) today announced $3 million in federal funding to strengthen flood prevention and stormwater infrastructure in Annapolis.

"The climate crisis poses an imminent threat to our environment and our economy," said Senator Van Hollen, a member of the Appropriations Committee. "Coastal communities like Annapolis depend on effective stormwater management to protect their homes and businesses from flooding and natural disasters, and these funds will help strengthen its infrastructure to ensure just that. We will continue working in Congress to secure additional resources to help bolster the resiliency of Maryland's communities and tackle the climate crisis."

"Flooding in Annapolis has become more commonplace and that costs the city and its residents. It has never been more important to bolster our capital city's water and stormwater infrastructure to mitigate flooding and keep our residents and businesses safe, particularly as climate change increases the threats to our coastal communities " said Senator Cardin, Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. "Team Maryland will continue to secure federal resources and partnerships to strengthen Maryland's infrastructure as we work to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and build back better."

"Climate change has significantly increased the frequency of nuisance flooding and storm surge in the Annapolis City Dock area - costing the city, its residents and its businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars every single year," said Congressman Sarbanes. "This important federal investment in Annapolis' stormwater management and flood prevention systems will help mitigate the impact of flooding on local residents and businesses and boost the city's climate resiliency."

"The flood mitigation project on Compromise Street is a critical component of the City's resilience strategy," said Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley. "Climate change and sea-level rise have created serious challenges for coastal cities like Annapolis. FEMA and our elected officials in Washington are our partners in this fight. We are grateful for the confidence in our strategy that this financial investment shows."

The award comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is authorized under Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Act. Funding will be used to reconfigure the storm drain system at the Annapolis City Dock Area and install a new pump with a backup generator to mitigate flooding.