FEMA awards city of Savannah with $30M grant to address drainage

The city of Savannah has been awarded a $30M Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The goal of the grant is to help the city address drainage issues around the Springfield Canal in the Historic Carver Village and Cloverdale neighborhoods.

The city has received $2.7 million for phase one, which will cover surveying and engineering costs.

After review of phase one deliverables, city leaders said FEMA will release another $27.3 million towards construction work associated with future projects located within the Springfield Canal basin.

The scheduled timeline of the phased improvements will occur over the next five years.

A city spokesperson said the total improvements for the Springfield Canal will cost $42 million, with 75% of the funding coming from the Federal BRIC grant. A 25% match from the city will fund the remaining $12 million.

“This is an historic moment for the city of Savannah as we continue to tackle issues of flooding in the Carver Village and Cloverdale neighborhoods,” said Savannah Mayor Van Johnson. “We have done a lot over the years to address historic flooding around the Springfield Canal, but with this federal assistance, we will be able to initiate mitigation of flooding issues that will benefit these neighborhoods and the entire Westside of Savannah for generations to come.”

A city spokesperson said Savannah will work with partners at FEMA and Georgia Emergency Management Agency, along with community organizations, on the execution of the planned proposal.

“We are grateful to our partners in the Federal and State governments for seeing the importance of addressing flooding issues along the Springfield Canal,” City Manager Jay Melder said. “This grant will help us improve the lives of so many residents in these historic neighborhoods and is part of a continued effort to get back to the basics of good government. It is imperative we work toward common sense solutions and partnerships that serve the entire city and especially those neighborhoods that have long been underserved.”

Proposed improvements will convey stormwater runoff from existing ground to the Springfield Canal to minimize flooding potential in the communities around the canal.