JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will invest supplemental disaster relief funds in Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns counties for hurricane and natural disaster recovery, U.S. Rep. John Rutherford announced Thursday.
"Hurricanes Matthew and Irma hammered northeast Florida's coastal communities, causing severe flooding and erosion, so I am pleased to see the Army Corps invest in making northeast Florida more resilient," Rutherford said in a statement. "These funds will allow for rebuilding and recovery for Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns counties, strengthening our communities in the face of future storms.
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The USACE is expected to invest $36.8 million in St. Johns County for the Vilano Beach renourishment project, according to a release sent by Rutherford's office. The USACE will also invest $2 million in each of the counties for flood and storm damage reduction projects in an effort to make shorelines more resilient against potential future storms.
"I am especially glad to see that the Army Corps will be investing $36.8 million to rebuild Vilano Beach, which was severely depleted by hurricanes Irma and Matthew," Rutherford said. "There is still much work to be done, but this funding represents real progress toward restoring the way of life for so many who were affected by these storms and protecting our communities in the future."
Congress provided funding for the USACE initiatives in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, which was signed into law Feb. 9, according to the release from Rutherford's office. The funds are part of the USACE Long-Term Disaster Recovery Investment Program and will be used to construct flood and storm damage reduction projects.