Bill of the Day: Investing in Flood Resilience and Preparedness
Rural Flooding in Virginia. Image Credit: Jay Ford
What Can We Do to Fight Flood Risk in Virginia?
Flooding is the costliest natural hazard in the Commonwealth and nation. By 2080, nearly one million Virginians will be at risk to flooding, with damages reaching up to $5.7 billion each year. Southern and Central Appalachia are recovering from Tropical Storm Helene, which caused between $416 to $630 million in damage to Virginia’s agriculture, forestry, and natural resource industries. As sea level rise and extreme weather events become more frequent, Virginians will face growing risks, with under-resourced communities being most vulnerable.
The most cost-effective way to prepare for these impacts is to invest in flood preparedness and resilience measures. Virginia has made progress in addressing flood risks, such as creating its first Coastal Resilience Master Plan and establishing the Office of Commonwealth Resilience. Yet, localities lack reliable funding to address increasing flood risks. And state agencies lack the capacity to administer additional funding. We need a reliably resourced, coordinated, and comprehensive approach to flood preparedness and resilience to protect Virginia’s people, places, economy, and natural resources.
You can take a deeper dive into ensuring long-term flood resilience for all Virginians in Our Common Agenda. To learn more, read our “Ensuring Long-Term Flood Resilience” policy paper.
Flood Resilience Bills to Support in the General Assembly
Legislators have introduced several bills that will reduce community-scale flood risk across the Commonwealth:
(Delegate Amy Laufer) Increases accessibility to dam safety improvement funds. Companion to SB 857.
(Delegate Shelly Simonds) Establishes a task force to develop strategies for wetland protection and restoration.
(Delegate Paul Krizek) Allows tribes to apply for the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF).
(Delegate Michael Feggans) Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to study localities’ funding methods for CSRM studies.
(Delegate Kelly Convirs-Fowlers) Reestablishes the Joint Committee on Recurrent Flooding.
(Senator Timmy French) Increases accessibility to dam safety improvement funds. Companion to HB 2000.
(Delegate Phil Hernandez, Delegate Dave Marsden) Requires the Office of Commonwealth Resilience to conduct coastal storm risk management (CSRM) studies. Findings and recommendations report due to the Governor and General Assembly by December 31, 2026.
(Delegate Phil Hernandez) Establishes a statewide grant fund for localities to develop and maintain living shorelines.
(Delegate Phil Hernandez) Requires Virginia homeowners to disclose information about a property’s flood risk with prospective buyers.
(Delegate Keith Hodges) Establishes a statewide grant fund for localities to develop and maintain living shorelines.
Take Action
Several critical bills to address flood resilience have crossed over and are well on their way to becoming law. Thank you to our many partners who are actively working to protect Virginia’s families and businesses from recurrent flooding, including Wetlands Watch, Environmental Defense Fund, and Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Follow flood resilience bills’ progress and learn more about ongoing efforts year-round on our Flood & Climate Resiliency issue page.