Mississippi capital to receive $35.6M in federal water funds
A major metropolitan area in the heart of the Mississippi Delta is being awarded $35.6 million from the federal government to help fund storm-water infrastructure improvements, including a new sewer line.
The federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program, the National Flood Recovery Administration, will provide $35.6 million in federal funds to the City of Biloxi, Mississippi, to help improve drainage in the area, officials said.
The project will bring the city’s sewer line from its current location along the Gulf Coast to the west side of its city limits, according to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials. The project will build a new storm drain network and install new sewer and water mains in the area.
The work is expected to begin in the fall.
The National Flood Insurance Program is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and is designed to pay out more than $160 billion to communities that are heavily impacted by catastrophic weather. This is the highest amount ever awarded in a single year by the program, according to the agency.
“The NFA is committed to working with communities within the Delta to help protect their homes and property from devastating flooding,” said U.S. Assistant Administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency Bill Allain in Washington. “Today we are announcing a significant boost in funding for these communities to help address flood risks and promote flood-control measures.”
The government’s efforts to fund flood mitigation will include a combination of funds dedicated to long-term flood damage restoration, such as the $26 million awarded to the City of Mobile, Alabama in July.
“We applaud the Federal Emergency Management Agency for this significant award,” said Mississippi Emergency Management Division Director Gary Crain. “This grant will help make Biloxi more hurricane-resistant during high-impact floods.”
The NFA was established after Superstorm Sandy devastated the New York City metropolitan area in 2012. The federal program allows the public to recover from losses caused by storms. Flood recovery funds are administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and must be spent within a five-year span after recovery.
“The NFA’s investments in the Mississippi Delta are essential to helping these communities recover from this year’s floods,” said U.S. Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi. “I urge the Administration to make sure the entire region receives the financial help it needs for flood protection and recovery.”