The City of Crisfield expresses deep disappointment and grave concern over the recent decision to terminate the FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program and the Direct Technical Assistance (DTA) initiative. These announcements represent not only a staggering loss to communities nationwide but a particularly acute blow to Crisfield, Maryland—a city that had been selected as one of the nation’s leading examples of flood resilience innovation.
Crisfield’s $36 million Southern Flood Mitigation Project was the highest-scoring project nationwide in the FY2023 BRIC National Competition. This two-year collaborative multiagency project, developed in close coordination with FEMA’s DTA team and their exceptional subcontractors at CDM Smith, was designed to protect the entire southern portion of Crisfield from tidal flooding, storm surge, and rising seas.
The project was not simply well-designed—it was cost-effective. FEMA’s benefit-cost analysis process, required for all BRIC submissions, confirmed that every federal dollar invested would yield significant returns in avoided disaster losses. According to FEMA, mitigation projects nationwide save an average of $6 for every $1 spent.
Crisfield’s residents know all too well the cost of inaction—flooding during Hurricane Sandy, Tropical Storm Ophelia, and repeated high tide events has damaged homes, overwhelmed sewers, closed schools, and cut off emergency services. These threats are only increasing.
“The Southern Crisfield project was a turning point for our community in terms of long-term sustainability and economic mobility,” said Mayor Darlene Taylor. “The BRIC program provided essential support for small, rural, towns like ours to address chronic flooding challenges. Withdrawing this funding increases our vulnerability to future flood events and puts our community at continued risk.”
The Southern Crisfield Flood Mitigation Project is designed to provide initial protection from a 3.5 feet storm surge and tie directly into the recently submitted Northern Crisfield Flood Mitigation Project, which would elevate and surround the city with a continuous tidal barrier to 5.0 ft above sea level.
Crisfield calls on federal leaders to reconsider this decision and re-commit to a future in which even the most vulnerable and underserved communities can access world-class support to survive the next storm—and the next century.
