FEMA Cuts Will Stop Flood Mitigation Projects in Brooklyn

Several flood mitigation infrastructure projects in Brooklyn are at risk of delay or cancellation due to cuts to the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program by the Trump administration.

Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday said the state risks losing about $380 million in federal funding after the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday said it would end the BRIC program, which helps states and territories to minimize hazard risk. 

“In the last few years, New Yorkers have faced hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, wildfires and even an earthquake –– and FEMA assistance has been critical to help us rebuild," Hochul said. "Cutting funding for communities across New York is short sighted and a massive risk to public safety. Without support for resilience projects now, our communities will be far more vulnerable when disaster strikes next."

Brooklyn infrastructure projects that might be cancelled or postponed include the Breukelen Houses Stormwater Protection project, a $16 million flood mitigation project that would have built bioretention and underground drainage basins; a Stormwater Protections project for Nostrand and Sheepshead Bay Houses, a near $19 million project that would control stormwater flooding and provide backup power generation. 

The city Department of Building's Stormwater Flooding Building Codes Provision Development is also in jeopardy, the governor said. The $486 million project would have allowed the city agency to support the development of stormwater flooding building code provisions that would address safety risks and reduce damages from stormwater flooding at the building level. Once developed and adopted, these code provisions would apply to buildings at-risk of stormwater flooding across New York City.

New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said it is "far more expensive to rebuild than it is to prevent damage before it happens."

"Mitigation is the best way to save taxpayer dollars and increase resiliency," Bray said. "These projects were created with the sole purpose of helping prevent further damage from the storms that continue to impact the residents of New York State.”