As a resident in the Roanoke Valley that attends graduate school in the New River Valley, I quickly realized that there is a flooding problem in Southwest VA when I moved here. Staunton, Salem, Roanoke, etc. receive large amounts of rain without the proper draining systems to support the rise in rivers and lakes surrounding the area. This past summer, some homes received over 15 inches of rain with residents in the community comparing the flood damages to the 1985 flood. I am in favor of these guidelines focusing on mitigation, infrastructure repairs, and studies supporting the flood problems across VA.

I am concerned about a couple of things in the draft guidelines and access to information for citizens. I am concerned about not knowing the exact fund numbers after reading this draft and how will citizens calculate this every year (45% of RGGI carbon allowances)? I had to research the numbers and calculate the fund myself however citizens should easily be able to access those fund balances when commenting on draft guidelines and better understanding the new policy.

After the above note, I am concerned about the regulation committing "minimum amount grants" to localities. I am strongly in favor of localities receiving grant funds for flooding and coastal erosion because this is a serious issue however how will the DCR maintain these grant fund minimums in times of crisis? What if there are more applicants than anticipated - will the regulations change or will everyone receive large amounts of grant funds? I am interested in reviewing the budget more in depth once this develops. Thank you.

As a new resident in Montgomery County, VA, very quickly it became clear not only the frequency of rain in the area, but the long stretches of road just down the street from me that experience major flooding. I think this proposal for flood prevention and protection is very necessary across the state, especially after my own individual research into the most affected areas.Flood mitigation initiatives can help create local jobs, which is a smart investment especially during COVID-19 and the loss of many non-essential jobs. This proposal would create job availability in construction, demolition, etc. Research from the National Institute of Building Sciences states that, “Every $1 invested in projects that reduce risk before a natural disaster strikes can, on average, save $6 in future costs.” With this being said, my trouble with the guidelines lies within the Statutory Requirements for the Fund. To start, I think that it be made clear to constituents an actual dollar amount as opposed to a percentage so that the Commonwealth have a better understanding of the proposal. Secondly, I back the no less than 25% distribution to “low income” areas, however I would be interested in seeing a more detailed version of a priority list. Due the pandemic and limited resources, I think it is vital to protect small businesses, so I think consideration should be made to heavy-trafficked business areas with recurrent flooding as well. For example, the street near my home that is affected by flooding is a bit isolated from the center of town and is mostly small businesses and farms whose land takes a toll quite often.