City Gets $25M FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure/Community Grant

NEW HAVEN, CT — Meeting the media outside of Union Station Monday morning, Mayor Justin Elicker, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Gov. Ned Lamont and other officials announced New haven has received a $25 million FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant.

Earmarked for the city's Inland and Coastal Resiliency Project, the infrastructure funding will invest in the stormwater tunnel and living shoreline project that would protect Union Station and the surrounding neighborhoods.

The Flood Mitigation Assistance and BRIC programs provide funds to states, local communities, tribes, and territories for eligible mitigation activities to strengthen the nation’s ability to build a culture of preparedness. These pre-disaster programs fund projects that invest in a more resilient nation, reduce disaster suffering and avoid future disaster costs, particularly in disadvantaged communities in the face of extreme heat and more severe floods, wildfires, and hurricanes.

Why was New Haven selected for the grant?

According to FEMA's case study, New Haven’s largest storm sewershed covers over 800 acres in an area that encompasses downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods. This area has experienced repeated flooding in recent years, disturbing the city’s residents and key facilities including New Haven’s Union Station and rail yard. Union Station plays a vital role in the Northeast Corridor rail network, serving more than 1.7 million customers a year on both Metro North and Amtrak. In addition, New Haven serves as the sole regional rail connector between Boston and New York City, one of the nation’s most popular rail routes for both business and leisure.

The area’s flooding is due to a low storm sewer capacity underneath Union Station. The combination of sea level rise and increased storm frequency makes this area extremely vulnerable to repeated flooding, posing a logistical and financial risk to the region’s economic output and communal accessibility. The storm sewer capacity expansion is part of the city’s larger project which consists of additional drainage solutions and nature-based coastline protection.