An ambitious initiative to construct levees around the coastal cities of Aberdeen and Hoquiam to shield residents from possible flooding has come to a standstill following the Trump administration’s termination of a federal grant program.
These cities have been planning improvements aimed at flood protection since a severe storm wreaked havoc a decade ago, leading to significant flooding and landslides.
Plans included the establishment of one of the state’s largest pump stations along with extensive levee constructions to mitigate flooding in vulnerable areas between the Wishkah and Hoquiam rivers.
While the pump station has already been completed, the cities recently reported a critical setback as $85 million in federal funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was withdrawn.
This withdrawal coincides with the expiration of FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program, a decision that may affect nearly $195 million earmarked for 27 projects statewide, as indicated by the Washington Military Department.
Notable projects at risk include a tsunami evacuation structure in Westport, initiatives addressing sea level rise in the lower Duwamish Valley, and updating hazard mitigation plans for areas including King and Snohomish counties.
Gov. Bob Ferguson expressed his concerns regarding the FEMA program’s cancellation, describing it in a written statement as another reckless and harmful cut from the Trump administration.
In Seattle, officials have noted that the city received three grants from this FEMA program since the fiscal year 2020, yet the repercussions of the program’s cancellation on their specific funding remain unclear.
Moreover, without the funding secured for Snohomish County, the mountain town of Darrington would face challenges in developing its hazard mitigation plan, as Mayor Dan Rankin explained in a recent interview.
This plan’s absence could render Darrington ineligible for additional resources essential for preparing for or recovering from natural disasters, highlighting the broader implications for numerous small, rural communities amidst increasing natural calamities such as fires, flooding, and debris flows.
Rankin pointed out the added difficulties that absence of proper documentation brings to recovery efforts, making them less effective.
The concern over the halted FEMA grant program was echoed by the state Department of Ecology, which articulated its alarms in a recent letter to Washington’s congressional delegation.
Marissa Smith, acting special assistant to the director for federal affairs at Ecology, stated, “Removing these federal resources undermines years of planning and enormous sums of cumulative investment by local, state, and federal agencies in projects that protect lives and economies.”
Smith further emphasized that investment in risk reduction projects significantly lessens the damages resulting from natural hazards and extreme weather events such as flooding.
She mentioned that adequate funding for such projects minimizes reliance on federal disaster response and recovery funding while alleviating burdens on the national flood insurance program.
Despite attempts to seek clarification, there was no immediate response from White House representatives regarding the program’s termination.
In a recent announcement, FEMA labeled the grant program as “wasteful and ineffective,” identifying approximately $882 million to be rescinded nationwide.
Interestingly, the program was first instituted in 2018 during President Donald Trump’s administration, as noted in a letter from Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan to Cameron Hamilton, the acting FEMA administrator.
Bresnahan characterized the initiative as a “hand-up, not a hand-out” for communities that have faced severe weather events.
In its latest advisory, FEMA indicated that projects that have not commenced construction will be disapproved and will end, with phased projects likely ending at pre-determined stopping points.
Specifically, the levees along the Grays Harbor area are projected to safeguard over 5,100 properties, including more than 1,300 businesses and over 3,000 jobs positioned within the flood zone, according to the cities of Hoquiam and Aberdeen.
City officials anticipate that these levees would not only mitigate flooding dangers but also reduce flood insurance costs, previously estimated at over $2 million annually in 2014, and foster potential developments in the area.
Additionally, the Low Income Housing Institute in Seattle had plans to construct a five-story affordable housing complex in Hoquiam, but they withdrew after inability to secure federally backed loans due to the project’s location within the flood zone, according to Hoquiam City Administrator Brian Shay.
“These are critical projects from a flooding and economic development standpoint for our cities and our residents, and we just — we’ve got to find a way to get them built,” Shay stated.
Despite the developments, city officials remain hopeful that the funding may be reinstated, whether under the same or a different program heading.
Vickie Raines, Grays Harbor Commissioner and chair of the Chehalis Basin Board, stressed the project’s bipartisan nature, noting, “It’s not a Democratic project or a Republican project — it’s a people project and a property project.”
She expressed her bewilderment regarding the program’s discontinuation, stating, “I just don’t understand why the program was eliminated.”
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