Brewster applies for flood mitigation grant

BREWSTER – The city is attempting the equivalent of winning a championship game with a last second score from the far corner of the court. It has applied for a one-time $20 million Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant in competition with other municipalities across the nation.

The money is part of $2 billion of 2022 Inflation Reduction Act funds the EPA can invest in environmental and climate justice activities.

City Finance Director Misty Ruiz advised the November meeting of the city council that the grant application has been submitted for the largest chunk of funding Brewster has ever pursued. If successful it will enable the city to resolve a local problem that, writ large, is not only facing other parts of the county but also facing many parts of the nation as well: Flood zones.

Advancing technologies have enabled the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to upgrade its flood mapping responsibilities. The agency can now more accurately identify more areas at risk of a water disaster sufficient to expand existing flood plains or designate new ones.

Brewster was recently informed by the (FEMA) that a large portion of the community and surrounding area is in a floodplain. Research figures included in the grant application address potential implications for property owners in the absence of corrective action.

• Required flood insurance

Homeowners residing within FEMA's flood boundaries are required to procure flood insurance for property protection. A March 2024 NerdWallet report puts the average annual home insurance cost in Washington stands at $1,225. The added annual expense for Brewster residents is estimated at $144,550. This financial burden weighs heavily on a working-class community with a median annual household income of merely $44,298, 50 percent below the Washington state average. 

• Threat to property values

The median home value of parcels located within the delineated FEMA flood zone presently stands at $240,625. In the absence of the proposed flood mitigation project, these values are projected to potentially plummet to $220,000, an estimated decline of approximately 8.2 percent. The collective devaluation roughly 235 single family housing units located within this flood zone is estimated to be nearly $4.8 million, underscoring the need to implement preventative measures.

The city engaged the USDA National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to complete a Preliminary Investigation and Feasibility Report (PIFR) of the Swamp Creek – Columbia Watershed. The resulting plan proposes to resolve flood issues and enhance the area at the same time. Key components of the city’s grant application include: 

→ Development of a public greenway corridor along the drainage, 

→ Installation of a detention basin in the upper watershed to manage stormwater runoff 

→ Creation of an aquifer recharge system to safeguard local water resources.

“A lot of applications were submitted,” said Ruiz. “This is available for the entire U.S., but we are hopeful.”

Mike Maltais: 360-333-8483 or michael@ward.media