Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) Project

Visit the project website for more information and the latest project status updates at: ResilientNorfolk.com

The City of Norfolk and the US Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District began the Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) Final Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement in 2016, with the Chief of Engineer’s Report completed in February 2019. The project was authorized by congress in the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2020.

In January 2022, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced its plan for investing the $14 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to strengthen port and waterway supply chains and bolster climate resilience.

As part of the plan, the City of Norfolk will receive $399,331,000 to increase community resilience to flooding. The city will use the funding for the design and construction of storm surge barriers, levees, and stormwater pump stations to reduce storm risk as part of the Norfolk CSRM project. Additionally, the CSRM Program includes the elevation and basement fills of several privately owned properties that are at risk for flooding across the City.

“The City of Norfolk has been hard at work, leading the way on coastal resilience and adaptation. This funding will allow us to extend our downtown floodwall, ensuring the ongoing safety and prosperity of our residents and businesses,” said Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander, Ph.D. “I want to thank our congressional delegation for their unwavering support of our efforts. I also want to thank our city manager and city staff for their work to bring this project to fruition. We look forward to working with the Army Corps of Engineers to make Norfolk a more resilient city now and into the future.”

“For more than a decade, Norfolk has recognized that flooding is a threat to the economic vitality and livability of the city and must be addressed. This funding provides the opportunity to implement the projects staff have proposed to protect and mitigate the impact of flooding events on the City’s commercial core and growing residential population while also extending beyond the downtown area,” states Norfolk’s City Manager, Dr. Larry “Chip” Filer.

The existing Downtown Norfolk Floodwall protects from coastal flooding occurring in the adjacent Elizabeth River and forms the backbone for current and future protection. It was completed in 1971 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and affords the city’s downtown area a reduced flood insurance rate by accreditation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) due to the protection that it provides.

The CSRM Project has been divided into 4 individual phases: Phase 1 (further divided into Phases 1A-1D), Phase 2 in the Pretty Lake Area, Phase 3 to protect the Lafayette River Watershed, and Phase 4 protecting the Broad Creek Watershed. Simultaneously, the Nonstructural Program will be implemented to include home elevation and basement fills of several properties across the City, at risk for flooding, as well as floodproofing measures for Critical Infrastructure facilities vital to our City. The federal funding allocation and the investment of non-federal funds will allow for design plans and specifications to be created and construction on the earlier phases to commence.

Additional project information and updates can be found at the project website: ResilientNorfolk.com