Tybee Island, Ga. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is continuing his work to protect Tybee Island from sea level rise and coastal flooding.
Sen. Ossoff today announced a new $380,000 Federal grant to help protect residents and homes from flooding on Tybee Island. The Federal grant funding will be matched with $320,000 in local funds.
The Federal funding, through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)’s National Coastal Resilience Fund, will help the City design and permit a horizontal levee and living shoreline along 1,200 feet of marsh, replacing a culvert that is impeding water flow and causing erosion across the marsh, benefiting 185 acres of tidal salt marsh.
In 2019, Tybee Island secured a $125,000 Federal grant through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) for the initial design of these key projects, which was matched at the time with $175,000 in local funds.
Between 2016 and 2021, flooding events on Tybee Island increased by 30 percent, threatening the city and its residents.
“I express my gratitude to local leaders and advocates on Tybee Island for bringing local resources to bear to match Federal dollars and who have been such consistent advocates for Tybee Island, particularly when it comes to protecting Tybee Island from storms and flooding,” Sen. Ossoff said. “These funds will help build and maintain critical coastal infrastructure necessary to protect Tybee Island residents and businesses from storms.”
“The support provided by NFWF is critical to Tybee’s ability to improve our coastal community’s resilience, reducing the risk of rising seas and coastal flooding that we are experiencing, while also preserving the natural environment and wildlife habitat, which we hold so dear,” said Shirley Sessions, Mayor of Tybee Island.”
Sen. Ossoff continues to champion efforts to protect Coastal Georgia communities from the effects of sea-level rise and flooding.
In May, Sen. Ossoff delivered new resources through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to construct a new hurricane and tornado safe room on Tybee Island, providing a safe area for emergency personnel who must remain on the Island during hurricanes and other disaster situations.
Last year, Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan legislation to protect Tybee Island from storm surge, beach erosion, and coastal flooding was signed into law. This law extended the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ authority to partner with Tybee Island for another 12 years.
Also last year, Sen. Ossoff delivered $5 million for Georgia Tech’s Coastal Equity and Resilience (CEAR) Hub to expand their network of low-cost water level sensors along the entire coast to collect vital and potentially life-saving data on sea-level rise.
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