Funding Delays Impact Flood Protection
Recent severe weather in Washington has underscored the importance of proactive flood prevention measures, but federal funding delays are hindering these efforts. The Trump administration has postponed or attempted to cut support for key projects, leaving many initiatives in limbo.
Legal Battles Over Funding
Earlier this year, the administration sought to cancel approximately $182 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency grants for natural hazard mitigation in Washington, leading to a court challenge. According to Tim Cook, the state's hazard mitigation officer, an additional $31 million in disaster prevention grants have been awaiting approval from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for months due to a policy she implemented this summer.
"This event — and the one coming whenever in the future — reinforces the importance of investing in the pre-disaster mitigation efforts to reduce damages. If folks on the ground weren’t believers before about the need to do pre-disaster mitigation, they certainly are now," Cook said. He noted that each dollar invested in such programs saves six, based on National Institute of Building Sciences data.
BRIC Program Controversy
In April, the Trump administration announced plans to terminate FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, labeling it "wasteful" and "politicized." Washington and over 20 other states filed a lawsuit to contest the cancellation, winning a summary judgment last week, though funds remain undelivered.
This program had allocated $182 million for 27 ongoing projects in Washington, many focused on flood mitigation. For instance, in Hoquiam and Aberdeen, funding would have supported levees, floodwalls, and raised roadways. Local governments had already invested over $31 million in preparatory work, anticipating nearly $98 million in federal support.
Brian Shay, Hoquiam's city administrator, expressed concern: "We’ve been economically challenged for so long. People have been really counting on this, and so there’s been a lot of worry and confusion." The project could save residents about $5 million annually in construction and insurance costs.
Local Project Delays
Funding issues have also stalled a Pierce County plan to relocate residents from a flood-prone mobile home park. During recent storms, floodwaters reached some structures there, according to Amanda Smith, a county spokesperson. "The project remains a priority," Smith said, but added completion by 2027 is unlikely due to funding delays.
In Orting, about 30 miles south of Seattle, BRIC funding for a setback levee was canceled. Mayor Joshua Penner reported that the existing levee nearly overflowed this month. "Had it been just a couple percent worse, we would have seen catastrophic damage," Penner said, predicting the levee will fail soon. Construction of the new levee faces additional hurdles with no set start date.
Uncertain Future
Despite the legal victory, it's unclear when projects will receive funding or if appeals will follow. Mike Faulk, a spokesperson for the Washington attorney general's office, stated, "We don’t know what their next step is, if they’re going to try to appeal or block the order. They haven’t signaled anything about when or if they’ll turn the money back on."
Meanwhile, the $31 million in grants await Noem's signature, with one grant supporting an $18.8 million program to acquire or elevate repeatedly flooded properties. Cook explained, "We were at the very last steps of getting that awarded when the new DHS review requirement came into play," noting the grant has been stalled since June.
In areas like Everson and Sumas, homes have flooded multiple times. Curt Hart, a Department of Ecology spokesperson, said buyout processes take at least a year, so the project wouldn't have affected recent storms. However, he emphasized, "It’s important for us to keep these kinds of projects going and moving as much as we can," as atmospheric river storms are expected to cause more flooding.
