Ocasio-Cortez Secures $351 Million for Flood Prevention in The Bronx and Queens

Funding is a $161 million increase from the Water Resources Development Act of 2024

Washington, D.C. - Today, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) announced the House of Representatives’ passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (WRDA), which includes a provision she requested with her New York Delegation colleagues to authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to spend $351 million to combat flooding in The Bronx and Queens.

The funding authorizes projects that would directly improve water and wastewater infrastructure, including new flood control and stormwater infrastructure projects in New York’s 14th District. 

“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,” said Alexandria Representative Ocasio-Cortez. “I am very proud to have secured $351 million in the House-passed Water Resources Development Act of 2026. This funding will allow us to strengthen our existing flood infrastructure, protect our community from future weather events, and help communities better engage with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.”

In 2024, Representatives Ocasio-Cortez and Grace Meng (NY-06), along with Senator Schumer (D-NY), secured $190 million to combat flooding in Queens. This year’s funding increase adds to that amount.

In addition to funding for flood management, Representative Ocasio-Cortez and her colleagues secured the creation of a new Office of Technical Assistance and Community Outreach and support for oyster restoration projects in the East River, Flushing Bay, and the Bronx River.

The impacts of climate change are being felt across our communities, particularly in The Bronx and Queens. By the end of the century, it’s estimated that sea levels could rise by seven feet along the United States coastline.

The Water Resources Development Act of 2026 provides the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with the authority to carry out development projects and studies that improve water resources infrastructure, including for rivers and harbors. 

This legislation will now be reconciled with the Senate version of the Water Resources Development Act before being signed into law by the President.

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