Flood mitigation spending surges as communities prepare for future storms

Flood mitigation and stormwater infrastructure projects continue to emerge as one of the strongest segments of the public infrastructure marketplace. The trend is being driven by increasingly costly flood events, aging drainage systems, more intense rainfall patterns, and growing concerns about long-term resiliency. According to the Congressional Budget Office, flooding has caused an average of approximately $46 billion in damage annually over the past decade, and those losses are projected to increase significantly in coming decades as flood risks continue to expand. FEMA and other federal agencies have responded by directing unprecedented levels of funding toward resilience and hazard mitigation initiatives. The high cost of repair has resulted in proactive investment nationwide.  

Earlier this year, FEMA announced more than $250 million in flood mitigation funding for projects across 20 states and opened a new $1 billion Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) funding opportunity focused on major infrastructure improvements that reduce future disaster impacts. As a result, local governments are launching projects that combine traditional flood-control measures with stormwater system upgrades, green infrastructure, property acquisition programs, pump stations, detention facilities, and shoreline protection improvements. The following projects highlight several significant opportunities that are moving toward procurement launches.  

As communities face increasing challenges from flooding, stormwater management, and climate-related weather events, public officials continue to advance infrastructure upgrades designed to protect residents, strengthen resilience, and safeguard critical assets. Examples of upcoming projects throughout the U.S. follow. 

A $47.2 million flood mitigation project has been announced for Boardman Township, Ohio. The initiative is designed to reduce chronic flooding throughout the Cranberry Run Watershed. The objective is to protect neighborhoods, transportation corridors, and other community assets that have been repeatedly affected by stormwater events. The project will mitigate flood risks, improve stormwater conveyance, stabilize waterways, and decrease the financial burden associated with recurring flood damage. Project components will include construction of a major relief storm sewer system, upgrades to drainage infrastructure, improvements to storm sewer networks, and acquisition of flood-prone properties located within vulnerable areas of the watershed. Additional project elements are expected to include demolition of selected apartment complexes to increase stormwater storage capacity, creation of green space, and culvert improvements. The project is currently in the engineering and pre-design stage. Procurement documents will be released once those activities are completed.  

City leaders in Bismarck, North Dakota, are planning an estimated $100 million project related to the city’s flood control system. The initiative is designed to protect critical infrastructure from future flooding. The project stems from an edict from FEMA that the existing closure structure no longer meets federal standards and that approximately 950 structures within the floodplain must be protected through system improvements. The preferred alternative includes construction of a new closure structure and pump station along the South Bismarck drainage ditch. These improvements will connect a system of earthen levees and floodwalls designed to reduce flood risk while maintaining interior stormwater drainage during flood events. Additional work includes expanding sections of the drainage ditch, constructing a detention pond for temporary stormwater storage, replacing roadway crossings at key locations, and removing existing box culverts in favor of bridges that will improve hydraulic capacity and allow floodwaters to move more efficiently through the system. The project is currently in preliminary design and is approximately 30% complete. Final design, permitting, and environmental review are expected to continue through 2027, with construction anticipated between 2027 and 2029.  

Water officials in Miami-Dade County, Florida, are planning a $50 million flood resiliency project to strengthen protections across the C-7 Basin, also known as the Little River Basin. The South Florida Water Management District will oversee the C-7 Basin Resiliency Project as part of its Sea Level Rise and Flood Resiliency Plan. The project is supported through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Officials have stated that the improvements are intended to address flood vulnerabilities associated with high tides, storm surge, and sea-level rise while also supporting water quality improvements. The project is currently in Phase II of earlier flood resilience planning efforts. This phase has included basin-wide assessments of flood protection infrastructure, evaluation of mitigation and adaptation alternatives, and development of recommendations based on regional priorities. Phase III will focus on construction of the S-27 Coastal Structure and the surrounding drainage system. Planned enhancements include a corrosion-resistant spillway, a tie-back flood barrier, a new forward pump station, living shoreline improvements, and a stormwater detention area.  Phase III construction solicitations will be released in late 2026.  

Officials in Dubuque, Iowa, are advancing a relocation project that will include upgraded sewer resilience and flood mitigation infrastructure. The project carries an estimated cost of approximately $20 million. Its objective is to strengthen critical wastewater infrastructure that currently occupies a vulnerable river-adjacent alignment. The project will replace and relocate an existing sanitary sewer interceptor line that runs parallel to, and in some locations beneath, the Mississippi River. Planned work includes installation of a new interceptor line, rerouting sanitary sewer flows away from the existing pipe, and reducing long-term environmental and operational risks associated with the current river crossing and riverfront alignment. The new line will also support future sewer separation efforts in Dubuque’s South Sub-Basin, helping the city advance broader flood mitigation and water quality improvement goals tied to its long-term infrastructure program. The project is currently in the design phase. Based on the current design schedule and related city infrastructure sequencing, construction is expected to begin in late 2027 or early 2028, pending completion of design, permitting, funding coordination, and procurement activities.  

City officials in Alexandria, Virginia, are implementing a $50 million flood mitigation project to increase stormwater capacity and reduce recurring flooding in one of the city’s most vulnerable residential areas. The project is funded through the city’s stormwater program and supported by the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund. City leaders are prioritizing investment as part of Alexandria’s broader effort to address aging drainage infrastructure, more intense rainfall events, and other climate-related flooding challenges that have affected local neighborhoods. Project plans call for combining two high-priority stormwater capacity projects into a single large-scale drainage improvement initiative. The work will include construction of a new parallel relief sewer to move stormwater more efficiently, a new outfall to discharge flows into Four Mile Run, and green infrastructure elements that will provide water quality benefits throughout the watershed. The project is intended to increase conveyance capacity, reduce localized flooding caused by heavy storms, and improve the city’s ability to manage runoff in an area where existing infrastructure is no longer adequate for current rainfall patterns. Currently, in the final stages of design, procurement for construction is expected to begin in late 2026, with construction tentatively scheduled for 2027.  

These projects reflect an escalating commitment to flood resilience and the modernization of stormwater infrastructure. With billions of dollars continuing to flow into water-related infrastructure improvements, firms that monitor early-stage opportunities and engage with project sponsors during planning and design phases will be well-positioned to compete for upcoming contracts.  

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