Crisfield gets funding for counterattack on sea-level rise, flooding

By Jeremy Cox
Chesapeake Bay Journal

A small town threatened by sea level rise on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is getting a big boost from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in its fight against flooding.

Crisfield is receiving $36 million from FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, the agency announced July 15. The funding is slated for the construction of the first of two phases of a massive public works effort to protect the city of 2,500 residents from tidal flooding and storm surges.

The first phase, dubbed the Southern Crisfield Flood Mitigation Project, is designed to provide up to 3.5 feet of flood protection. Once the second phase  — the “Northern Crisfield” half of the project — is completed, both areas will be protected up to the 5-foot level, officials say.

Plans call for constructing a tidal flood-protection barrier that will surround the project area. The project also will add new storm sewers, swales, improved ditches, pump stations, storage facilities and wetlands. Along the perimeter, tide gates will be installed to prevent water from entering the drainage system.

Crisfield Mayor Darlene Taylor called the funding “nothing short of phenomenal.”

“I am still processing this wonderful accomplishment,” Taylor said. “Believing this was possible and having it come to fruition is simply amazing. This is when the real work begins.”

As the Bay Journal reported in March, Crisfield’s plight in the face of climate change is widely seen as a bellwether for rural coastal communities in the Chesapeake Bay region and beyond. Given their modest budgets and available staffing, smaller towns often face greater difficulty accessing climate resources compared to their more-populous counterparts.

Construction isn’t expected to begin until at least 2026. Crisfield officials say they plan to apply for grants for the northern half of the project in the fall.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service said the town could expect minor flooding this weekend as Tropical Storm Debby works its way up the coast. The weather service issued a coastal flooding advisory from 3 a.m. Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday, with up to foot or two of flooding possible in low-lying areas.