Virginia announces $40 million in flood preparedness grants

Third round of Community Flood Preparedness Fund grant opportunities available to address recurrent flooding, sea level rise and extreme weather.

RICHMOND — The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation today announced the opening of the third grant round for the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund.

During the next 90 days, communities across Virginia will be able to apply for $40 million in grants to address the effects of recurrent flooding, sea level rise and extreme weather. Applications are due by 4 p.m. on April 8.

The fund was established by the 2020 General Assembly session. The fund is financed by the sale of carbon emission allowances under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI. Virginia joined RGGI in January 2021.

The fund assists coastal localities with the implementation of Virginia’s Coastal Resilience Master Plan and enables localities across Virginia to increase their capacity to develop flood mitigation and prevention projects.

Information about the fund, eligibility rules, application procedures and instructions are available in the fund’s grant manual, which is posted at www.dcr.virginia.gov/cfpf.

The Community Flood Preparedness Fund continues to prioritize projects that are of community-scale, in concert with local, state and federal floodplain management standards, approved local resilience plans, and the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan.

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, in cooperation with the Virginia Resources Authority, administers the fund and grant program. DCR oversees the state’s floodplain management and dam safety programs and assists communities with requirements related to the National Flood Insurance Program.