The State of Virginia was awarded $120 million from the National Resilience competition which will also support the Ohio Creek Watershed program and the Coastal Resilience Laboratory and Accelerator Center in Norfolk.
The Watershed Project will install several green infrastructure projects including rain barrels and rain gardens.
They will be combined with coastal shoreline development which will address flooding caused by storm surge and torrential rains.
This will also fund the creation of an economic development center that will focus on technological innovation, revitalization, water management, resilience measurement and other water sector business related resilience challenges.
These funds will significantly aid our work to protect the economic vitality and quality of life in areas like Hampton Roads by preparing now for the real impacts of climate change and sea level rise, according to Gov. Terry McAuliffe.
“We believe we can turn what some view as a problem into an opportunity,” said Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim. “We believe that by making water focal point, we can create an even more vibrant economy.”
