Attorney General Jeff Jackson Visits Pollocksville Area Losing BRIC Funding

RALEIGH – Today, Attorney General Jeff Jackson visited Pollocksville as he continues his lawsuit against FEMA for over $200 million in cuts to North Carolina’s disaster prevention projects. Pollocksville, which experienced severe flooding during Hurricane Florence, had been awarded nearly $1.1 million to elevate the floors in several of the town’s commercial buildings to prevent future flooding.

“We know from Hurricane Florence that this town is prone to flooding. It took the people here a long time to rebuild, and this BRIC funding was supposed to help them be better prepared for when the next storm hits our state,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “This is a textbook bipartisan issue – it’s about keeping North Carolinians safe and giving them the tools they need to make their communities more resilient. That’s why I’m suing to get back the money that FEMA unlawfully canceled.” 

“The FEMA-BRIC funds are a vital component of the Town’s award-winning Pollocksville Community Floodprint, a plan designed to recover and rebuild our flooded town in a responsible and resilient manner,” said Pollocksville Mayor Jay Bender. “Rural recovery after a disaster requires creative planning. All the commercial buildings along Main Street received up to 14 feet of water and therefore are unattractive to potential businesses. From an economic development perspective, this creates challenges as we attempt to restore our small commercial district. The FEMA-BRIC project will enable us to elevate – or in some cases, build up the interior floors – to the required levels to mitigate against future flooding. Potential businesses would be more confident in coming to Pollocksville knowing that efforts have been made by the Town to mitigate against potential disasters. The Town’s budget is small, and we don’t have the funds to do this work. The FEMA-BRIC grant funds are crucial to our recovery efforts.” 

Pollocksville’s downtown area was one of over 60 projects statewide that had been selected for funding from the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program established during President Trump’s first term. The BRIC funds were meant to support disaster preparation projects, including constructing evacuation shelters and flood walls, safeguarding utility grids against wildfires, protecting wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, and fortifying bridges, roadways, and culverts.

Many municipalities had already spent millions of their own dollars to get these projects underway when the program was abruptly canceled in April. During Hurricane Florence, flooding caused water to rise over 20 feet in some areas of Pollocksville, with about 75 buildings sustaining damage.

Attorney General Jackson’s lawsuit alleges that FEMA’s decision violates the U.S. Constitution and federal laws. He is asking the court for a preliminary injunction to prevent FEMA from spending BRIC funds in other ways and a permanent injunction to restore the BRIC program and the funds promised to the state.

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