Durbin, Quigley, Duckworth Reintroduce Bicameral Legislation To Map Urban Flooding & Help FEMA Better Assess Risks

Durbin, Quigley, Duckworth Reintroduce Bicameral Legislation To Map Urban Flooding & Help FEMA Better Assess Risks

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL-05) today reintroduced the bicameral Flood Mapping Modernization and Homeowner Empowerment Pilot Program Act. The bill would establish a pilot grant program through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to allow cities to develop better methods for mapping, understanding, and mitigating urban flooding while sharing findings with the federal government.

"It's undeniable that the climate crisis is bringing more severe flooding to Illinois. Given this, we must ensure that Illinoisans have the resources to protect their lives and homes from flood damage," said Durbin. "Our Flood Mapping Modernization and Homeowner Empowerment Pilot Program Act is designed to support urban communities in preparing for flood risks while providing our government with the necessary data to develop better preventative solutions."

"In communities across the country, including Chicagoland, urban flooding has a unique ability to wreak havoc in our communities, leaving Americans feeling helpless in the aftermath. Flooding can cause extensive property damage and impose a massive financial burden on homeowners. Even just a few inches of rain can be dangerous when combined with an out of date and inadequate understanding of the type and location of floods we face," said Quigley. "I'm proud to reintroduce bipartisan legislation to give cities and towns the resources and tools they'll need to proactively address flooding challenges. With the rise in extreme weather events and growing impacts of climate change, I'm hopeful my colleagues will be compelled to recognize the urgent need for this legislation."

"Every year communities in Illinois and across the country struggle to plan for and recover from urban flooding, which climate change is exacerbating," said Duckworth. "It's critical we ensure our cities and towns have the resources they need to prepare for flooding, and this legislation and the pilot program it establishes will do just that. I'm proud to reintroduce our bill to help better understand flood risks, protect home and small business owners and help prevent and mitigate damage caused by urban flooding."

As states experience more frequent urbanization, many communities have seen a rise in flooding activity, exacerbated by heavy rainfall, melting snow, and aging infrastructure. Many of these urban areas are often outside of regulatory floodplains, leaving residents unprepared when a disaster hits.

Under the Flood Mapping Modernization and Homeowner Empowerment Pilot Program Act, 12 total cities, varying in size from 50,000 to 800,000 or more residents, would be able to apply for the pilot program, which would select three participant cities per year for four years. The bill would authorize $2 million for Fiscal Year 2027 and $5 million for Fiscal Year 2028 through Fiscal Year 2030 for grants to be made available to states and local government authorities in recognized urban areas. Grant recipients would have 18 months to conduct their projects upon receiving a grant.

The program would also require lessons-learned reports from both the grant recipients and FEMA over the duration of the program. Project data and reports would be made publicly available to improve urban flood mitigation.

Illinois is home to one of the largest inland systems of rivers, lakes, and streams in the U.S., increasing the state's flooding risk. Floods are the most common natural disaster in Illinois, accounting for more than 90 percent of the state's declared disasters.

Bill text is available here.

-30-