Cardin, Van Hollen: $1.6M to strengthen flood protections in Cambridge

U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) last week announced $1.6 million to bolster flooding mitigation efforts in the City of Cambridge in Dorchester County.

The federal funds will support the design and permitting of a flood barrier along the shoreline of the Choptank River with a nature-based living shoreline to weaken wave strength, prevent erosion, enhance ecological development, and improve water quality.

“Flooding and shoreline erosion threaten homes and businesses in our waterfront communities like Cambridge. These funds will invest in the critical infrastructure and reinforcements necessary to better protect Cambridge from flooding while restoring our treasured rivers and wetlands,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“Higher sea levels and stronger storms that can cause severe damage to our coastal communities have become a new normal,” said Senator Cardin. “Aging, failing infrastructure, particularly on our shoreline, puts everyone at risk. This federal funding will support nature-based solutions for flood mitigation so our coastal communities are better prepared to weather increasingly intense storms.”

FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund provides millions of dollars each year to response and recovery efforts across the country associated with domestic major disasters and emergencies that overwhelm state resources.