The grant demonstrates the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to bolstering disaster resilience in underserved communities.

Extreme weather can take a disastrous toll on people’s lives and livelihoods. Just one extreme weather event can bring devastating effects to a community — including heavy rainfall and flooding. Last month, Commerce Deputy Secretary Don Graves and Congressman James Clyburn announced a $13.5 million grant to Lake City, South Carolina, to help alleviate re-occurring flooding issues and substantially reduce structural and economic damage to businesses, residences, and public infrastructure. The grant will be matched with $1.3 million in local funds and was awarded through the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA).

“At the Department of Commerce, we are focused on creating an economy that works for all Americans, and building resilient infrastructure is key to getting us there,” said Deputy Secretary Graves. “Investments like these are crucial in the wake of natural disasters to give communities the tools they need to imagine a new economic future and put that vision into practice.”

The announcement was made during a bus tour of the project area where Graves and Clyburn were joined by Mayor Yameika Robinson, Town Administrator William A. Hall, and local elected officials and business owners impacted by flooding. The grant demonstrates the Commerce Department’s commitment to helping increase the disaster resilience of underserved communities.

“We’re creating an economy where your zip code doesn’t determine your destiny,” said Graves. “Building an economy that works for all Americans requires targeted investments in infrastructure, and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to doing just that in communities across the country.”

Since 2015, the region has been impacted by multiple federally declared disasters, including Hurricane Ian in 2022. This project is funded under the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2023, which provided EDA with $483 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance Program funds for disaster relief and recovery.

Later that day, Deputy Secretary Graves traveled to Charleston, where he highlighted a recent $2.7 million award from Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to the Sustainability Institute in Rosemont, South Carolina. With this funding, the institute will help ensure that the needs and priorities of underserved communities are at the center of habitat restoration and coastal resilience efforts in their communities. Rosemont is an underserved neighborhood in the City of Charleston with previous flooding and resilience challenges.

“When we uplift communities in need, we all benefit,” said Graves. “This work saves lives and secures livelihoods, and it wouldn’t be possible without the leaders alongside me today or the community members who are dedicated to realizing a brighter future for themselves and their loved ones.”

This investment is part of a $45 million commitment supporting 27 different efforts in all corners of our country. It was funded through landmark legislation, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, which Congressman Clyburn championed, and President Biden signed into law.

The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to tackling the climate crisis and building a climate-ready nation. Read more here on President Biden’s historic climate agenda.