NORFOLK, Va. — After an October coastal storm system pushed water into neighborhoods across Hampton Roads, Norfolk leaders are renewing their warning to state lawmakers: coastal flooding is a risk and slow-moving protection projects could stall without a stronger funding partnership from the commonwealth.
The renewed push follows last week’s meeting of the Joint Subcommittee on Recurrent Flooding in Richmond, where Norfolk Chief Resilience Officer Kyle Spencer and State Sen. Angelia Williams Graves (D-21st District) outlined the region’s flood risks and the financial gap they say is blocking billions of federal dollars.
Spencer told lawmakers Norfolk is now experiencing some of the fastest rates of sea level rise on the East Coast. He said flooding during the October storm — along with repeated tidal events that hit on perfectly clear days — shows how routine and unpredictable the threat has become. Norfolk is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the $2.6 billion Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) project, also known as Resilient Norfolk. The multidecade plan includes floodwalls, levees, surge barriers, tide gates, pump stations, nature-based defenses, and a home-elevation program intended to protect thousands of residents and key infrastructure.
The city has already secured $400 million in federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, along with about $60 million in state grants and previous appropriations. That funding covers only a fraction of what is required. Norfolk and the Commonwealth must jointly cover 35 percent of the project’s cost, or roughly $910 million, in order to receive the full federal share. Spencer told lawmakers that so far the state has provided only about 2 percent of its portion. Without a stronger state match, he said, the city cannot unlock the next rounds of federal funding or begin major construction phases.
“If we do nothing… we will have catastrophic flooding in our city,” Spencer said, emphasizing that the threat is no longer hypothetical.
Sen. Williams Graves said she has experienced similar flooding in her own neighborhood, describing a recent tide-driven event that left her street under water even though no rain was falling. She told the panel that coastal cities cannot continue seeking one-time appropriations each session for projects of this scale. She said the current approach forces local governments to “knock at the door” year after year, delaying progress on multi-billion-dollar programs designed to protect homes, businesses, and vital military corridors.
“Delaying this investment in flood mitigation will only increase our long-term financial exposure and put all of our communities at greater risk,” Graves said. “These investments are not only about infrastructure — they are about protecting homes, safeguarding lives, and strengthening the long-term economic stability of coastal Virginia.”
Graves is preparing legislation to create a permanent Commonwealth Flood Mitigation Local Nonfederal Match Fund, which would help cities cover their cost share for federally authorized flood-protection projects. She is also proposing to delay repayment obligations on Community Flood Preparedness Fund loans until projects are substantially complete, arguing that cities need flexibility as they move through years of engineering, environmental review, and early construction.
Norfolk’s presentation also highlighted the broader stakes.
The CSRM project protects significant economic drivers, including port terminals, the downtown business district, and access routes to Naval Station Norfolk. A 2023 update of the city’s feasibility study estimated billions in real estate at risk and projected that construction would generate more than $3.7 billion in economic output statewide.
Local leaders say they will continue meeting with lawmakers ahead of the 2026 General Assembly session.
