Stamford Gets State Funds To Upgrade Hurricane Barrier, Pump Stations

STAMFORD, CT — Stamford has received a $2.73 million Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to upgrade the city’s hurricane protection barrier and pump stations.

U.S. Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) and Mayor Caroline Simmons toured the city's hurricane barrier on Tuesday and touted the federal funding.

"With climate change driving increasingly frequent and intense storms towards Connecticut, it is more important than ever for our coastal communities to have the proper infrastructure to mitigate damage," Himes said in a statement to Patch. "This $2.73 million in federal funding will go directly to upgrading Stamford’s aging stormwater pump stations and the hurricane protection barrier so that the thousands of people who live along Stamford’s coastline can sleep peacefully knowing that when the next hurricane or tropical storm strikes, their city’s infrastructure is strong enough to protect their homes and businesses."

Stamford's hurricane barrier was built in the mid-to-late 1960s for $14.5 million, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Previously, the city suffered heavy losses from storm tidal flooding, including $6 million in damage from a hurricane in September 1938, and $3.4 million in damage from Hurricane Carol in 1954, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers's website says.

Today, the barrier protects about 600 acres, Simmons noted. Stamford’s coastal neighborhoods are home to more than 15,000 residents

"This critical funding will provide emergency power generators for the pump stations and upgrade the aging pumps and electrical equipment to comply with current building codes, enhancing our protection and resiliency against storms," Simmons said in a statement to Patch.