U.S. Rep. Ocasio Cortez has announced federal authorization for up to $351 million in flood mitigation projects across Queens and the Bronx.
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has announced that she has helped secure up to $351 million in federal authorizations to combat flooding in Queens and the Bronx as part of legislation recently passed by the House of Representatives.
Provisions included within the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) – passed by the House on Wednesday – authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out projects and studies worth up to $351 million to improve water and wastewater infrastructure across the two boroughs, including flood control and stormwater infrastructure projects in the 14th Congressional District.
Ocasio-Cortez and the New York Congressional Delegation have also successfully included authorizations for oyster restoration projects in the East River, Bronx River and Flushing Bay as part of the legislation. The WRDA further authorizes the establishment of an Office of Technical Assistance and Community Outreach to help underserved communities better navigate complex federal channels.
The legislation authorizes $261 million for projects in Queens and $90 million for projects in the Bronx.
The authorization represents a significant increase from the $190 million outlined in the WRDA of 2024 to combat flooding in Queens, which was secured by Ocasio-Cortez and U.S. Rep. Grace Meng alongside U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer.
Ocasio-Cortez said the legislation would help areas of Queens and the Bronx that were devastated by Hurricane Ida in 2021, adding that climate change has presented a huge challenge to both boroughs ever since.
“In 2021, Hurricane Ida devastated New York City, taking the lives of 13 community members in flash floods and causing extensive damage to homes in The Bronx and Queens. Since then, the climate crisis has increased the prevalence and intensity of severe weather events,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement. “This funding will allow us to strengthen our existing flood infrastructure, protect our community from future weather events, and help our community better engage with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.”
However, the WRDA approved by the House does not guarantee funding for resiliency projects in Queens and the Bronx in itself.
It must first be reconciled with the Senate version of the WRDA before being signed into law by President Donald Trump.
If provisions in the WRDA become law, authorized projects must still receive federal appropriations from Congress before the Army Corps of Engineers can carry out work in Queens and the Bronx. The $351 million included in the WRDA represents the maximum that Congress would appropriate for authorized projects.
Ocasio-Cortez said the authorization is particularly important in Queens and the Bronx, citing a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration claiming that sea levels could rise by seven feet along the Atlantic coastline by the end of the century.