April 16, 2020

Massachusetts Lawmakers Announce Over $1 Million in Federal Funding to Address Environmental and Economic Challenges on Cape Cod

Funding will support coastal resilience and disaster recovery

Boston, MA -- United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Congressman William Keating (D-MA-09) announced today that the Economic Development Administration awarded the Cape Cod Commission with $1,050,000 in funding to support the Resiliency Initiative Project to address the environmental and economic challenges for the fifteen towns in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. The project will assess impacts from the coastal storms and flooding that devastated the region in 2018 and develop a framework to improve decision-making tools used in disaster response efforts. Once completed, the project will help produce a regional geographic data set that will support economic resiliency throughout Cape Cod.

"This critical federal funding will make a significant difference for Barnstable County as it works to plan for natural disasters and strengthen recovery efforts," Senator Warren said. "I'll continue working with the congressional delegation and local officials to ensure that our cities and towns receive the federal aid they need to mitigate and respond to natural disasters."

"Cape Cod has had more than its fair share of once-in-a-generation weather related-disasters over recent years. Funding through the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration will help Barnstable County tackle the challenges associated with these weather events," Senator Markey said. "The EDA's investment will ensure that this unique region of Massachusetts has a workable foundation of resources necessary to respond to future disasters so that all can enjoy what the Cape has to offer for generations to come."

"All of us who live here on Cape Cod have seen the devastating impacts that major storms have had on our community," said Congressman Bill Keating. "Studying the effects of these weather events on the Cape will allow the community to pursue a unified effort with both preparedness and response."

In 2020, the Massachusetts delegation wrote to the Economic Development Administration to request assistance with the county's assessment and recovery processes following the damage caused by the storms.

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