CRISFIELD, MD - The City of Crisfield has announced more than $36 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding for their Southern Crisfield Flood Mitigation Project.
According to City officials, the flood mitigation project is aimed at reducing tide and flood water entering the City as well as quickly getting it out quickly in the event of storms. The project will assist in protecting the south side of Crisfield to the 3.5 foot level of flooding.
“The notification of our Southern Crisfield Flood Mitigation project award is nothing short of phenomenal!!” said Crisfield Mayor Darlene Taylor “I am still processing this wonderful accomplishment. Believing this was possible and having it come to fruition is simply amazing. This is when the real work begins…”
"This project takes all the existing infrastructure from Chesapeake Avenue south and it essentially creates a sea wall around the town," says the City's Grant Administrator Jennifer Merritt.
The application for FEMA funds came from the city’s work with FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Direct Technical Assistance (DTA). Studies by The Nature Conservancy with partners George Mason University, the University of Maryland's Environmental Finance Center, and the EPA Office of Research and Development also informed the project, officials say.
According to Crisfield administrators, the project is currently in the concept phase, which includes a tidal flood protection barrier, an internal drainage system, and tide gates to protect against flooding in the Somerset County city. Officials say the public will have ample opportunity to provide their input on the projects prior to construction beginning, which is currently slated for 2026.
This comes as welcome news to longtime Crisfield residents like Sterling Clough. "It's been a long time coming. We've been on the bottom end of everything. I mean when I was a kid there was a lot to do around here. I think you see more water now than when I was growing up," he said.
Crisfield officials say they will also be applying for funding for the Northern Crisfield Flood Mitigation Project in the Fall.
More information on the project and other flood mitigation projects in Crisfield is available at this link.
