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PHOTOS/VIDEO: Van Hollen Views Impact of FEMA Cuts on City of Crisfield’s Flood Mitigation Efforts; Shares Update on Bipartisan Effort to Restore Funds

CVH crisfield

Friday, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined the City of Crisfield’s Mayor Darlene Taylor to visit flood-prone areas across the City and discuss efforts to improve flood mitigation in order to protect local homes and businesses. Like many communities along the Bay, Crisfield experiences routine flooding, and in an effort to address these issues, Crisfield has sought federal support through Congress and federal grants. This support has been partially derailed by the Trump Administration, leaving the Crisfield community vulnerable to flooding with no clear solution in sight.

“Crisfield is a special place with a rich history and culture tied to its location right on the Chesapeake Bay. But what makes it so unique also makes it vulnerable to frequent floods that bring this community and its economy to a standstill. Last year, we secured $36 million in federal funding from the BRIC program for Crisfield, resources that were set to help elevate roads, build higher seawalls, and more – until the Trump Administration canceled the entire program. That’s why I’m fighting alongside colleagues on both sides of the aisle in Congress to restore this program — so special places like Crisfield don’t have to live in constant fear that regular flooding will close down schools, businesses, and daily activities,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“We are so grateful that Senator Van Hollen and his team took the time to come all the way to Crisfield to see first hand how devastating the loss of the $36M in FEMA BRIC funding is to our community. They were able to see how our location and topography make us especially vulnerable to the devastating effects of more frequent and severe flooding. But also to see how important it is to preserve our unique waterfront culture and amazing natural assets. Senator Van Hollen has been a strong supporter of several major projects in Crisfield including repairing and elevating the City Dock, and creating a Business Incubator, however, his support in calling for the reinstatement of the FEMA BRIC funds literally, means the world to Crisfield,” said Mayor Taylor.

In March of 2024, Senator Van Hollen helped secure a direct investment of $2,003,532 in Congress’s FY 2024 funding bill to help raise the height of Crisfield’s City Dock to stave off rising waters in the heart of the City’s downtown, but many other coastal areas remain at risk. To further those efforts and address these threats, Senator Van Hollen helped to provide over $36 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program to fund Crisfield’s flood mitigation and resilience work. However, the City has yet to receive these funds due to the program’s cancellation under the Trump Administration in April of 2025. During the visit, which followed Senator Van Hollen’s bipartisan push urging the resumption of the BRIC program, the Senator highlighted the importance of this program to flood mitigation efforts and community development initiatives in Maryland and across the country. With an average elevation of three feet above sea level, many of the bayfront areas of Crisfield experience routine flooding, including on “blue sky” days without extreme weather events.

Created in 2018 on a bipartisan basis, the FEMA BRIC program was designed to shift the federal focus away from reactive disaster spending and toward research-supported, proactive investment in community resilience – reducing the risk of loss of life and property while reducing the need for costly disaster recovery efforts.

Video of Senator Van Hollen’s remarks following the bus tour of the City can be viewed here; Additionally, photos can be found below, and high-resolution photos and video can be downloaded HERE.