Sens. Markey, Warren, Rep. McGovern, State and Local Officials Celebrate $6 Million for Leominster Flooding Mitigation

Funding provided through FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is in addition to more than $6 million distributed after President Biden's Major Disaster Declaration

Boston (July 18, 2024) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), along with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Congressman Jim McGovern, and state and local officials, today announced nearly $6 million for the City of Leominster from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)'s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The funding will support a project to reduce flood risks in the city through the redesign of the channel of Monoosnoc Brook in downtown Leominster. Monoosnoc Brook was one of several waterways in Leominster that flooded during the devastating storms in September 2023. The $6 million grant will fund the City's Leominster-Monoosnoc Brook Resilient Redesign & Retrofit Project. This project will reshape the Monoosnoc Brook and redesign its surrounding infrastructure to increase resiliency and mitigate flood risk.

"Downtown Leominster's infrastructure requires the same resilience displayed by the city's residents after last year's flooding," said Senator Markey. "I am proud to have fought for this funding on their behalf to mitigate the risk of flooding and prevent future disasters. I thank FEMA and Mayor Mazzarella for their commitment to this vital work."

"I'm grateful that we've been able to secure urgently needed funding for Leominster residents to rebuild after severe storms and flooding tore through the community," said Senator Warren. "Part of tackling the climate crisis head on is investing in resilient infrastructure so that communities are prepared to weather worsening storms and floods."

"After last year's catastrophic flooding, we've been working around the clock to help Leominster recover-successfully appealing's FEMA's denial of a major disaster declaration and bringing in millions of dollars to help residents rebuild,"?said Congressman McGovern.?"But we also know that we can't go back to business as usual. Because of human-driven climate change, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events is going to keep increasing -and we need to be prepared. This hazard mitigation grant will help prevent extreme flooding in the future and make sure Leominster can adapt to the realities of a changing climate."

"Last year, I saw firsthand the devastation caused to the Leominster community by flooding along Monoosnoc Brook," said Governor Maura Healey. "We were proud to secure state and federal disaster relief for the City, but we know that we urgently need to take steps to prevent future flooding, especially as extreme weather becomes more common due to climate change. We're grateful to the Biden-Harris administration for this hazard mitigation grant that will be instrumental in reducing flood risk in the area."

"Monoosnoc Brook runs through the heart of our downtown business community," said Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella. "Since the partial collapse of one of its walls in 2017, the repair and upgrade to the entire brook corridor has been a top priority for us. These funds will not only help to protect critical infrastructure and the environment, but will help continue to make downtown Leominster a destination."

"We are pleased to assist the city of Leominster in making their infrastructure more resilient," said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. "FEMA remains committed to strengthen communities against future weather events. We look forward to our continued partnerships with our federal, state and local stakeholders in making New England safer."

"The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency has worked closely with the City of Leominster to develop the grant application and benefit-cost analysis for this project, and we are thrilled that FEMA is on track to approve funding for this important work," said MEMA Director Dawn Brantley. "Hazard mitigation creates safer, more resilient communities, reduces loss of life and property, and reduces the cost of recovery to individuals, cities and towns, and the state."

"I'm incredibly grateful to our federal delegation for delivering these critical dollars," said State Senator John Cronin. "Since last September's historic flood, it's been all hands on deck to make Leominster whole. This partnership of local, state, and federal officials has met the moment."

"The nearly $6M grant to the City of Leominster to support the Leominster-Monoosnoc Brook Resilient Redesign & Retrofit Project from FEMA is coming at a critical moment while the City continues to rebuild from the September 2023 flood," said State Representative Natalie Higgins. "I am grateful for our Congressional Delegation and the Biden-Harris Administration for prioritizing our City for this funding."

This funding comes in addition to the $6 million in Individual Assistance funding that FEMA has distributed to residents and businesses impacted by the flooding on September 11-12, 2023. Following this flooding, the Congressional delegation advocated to President Biden and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell asking them to approve Governor Healey's request for a major disaster declaration for Massachusetts. After FEMA denied the initial request, in March the delegation wrote to the President and FEMA and successfully urged them to approve the Governor's appeal.

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