The Town of Chilhowie continues to be the little town that could! The Town has been awarded $450,000 through the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund to support a comprehensive flood preparedness study aimed at reducing future flood risk and improving community resilience. The grant includes a required local match of $50,000, bringing the total project investment to $500,000.
The study will evaluate existing flood conditions, identify vulnerabilities, and develop strategies to better protect residents, infrastructure, and public assets from future flooding events.
“Chilhowie has battled stormwater runoff issues for decades and has, from time to time, taken on projects to address problem areas with successful projects. However, the town still struggles with standing water in our central business district and gateway areas which directly hampers our residents and business owners,” said Chilhowie Town Manager, Brian Martin. “The opportunity to undertake a study to map out a plan to resolve some of these issues is outstanding. The Town of Chilhowie is very appreciative of this funding from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Even more so, we deeply value our relationship with Hurt & Proffitt, who help guide the town through this, as well as many other, challenges. They are an important part our the town’s team.”
The successful grant application was led by Jessica Littlejohn, PE, at H&P – who guided the Town through the competitive funding process. This award marks the second $500,000 flood preparedness grant secured under Littlejohn’s leadership, following a similar successful award for the town of Wytheville.
“The Town of Chilhowie is an ideal candidate to benefit from the DCR Community Flood Preparedness Fund. With well documented stormwater challenges and a strong commitment to understanding and addressing the underlying causes of flooding, this project will provide a critical roadmap for future stormwater best practices in the Town,” shared Littlejohn. “H&P is grateful to be part of this team and to support the leadership of Chilhowie in advancing practical, long-term solutions that strengthen flood resilience and their community readiness.”
The flood preparedness study will position the Town of Chilhowie to pursue future mitigation projects, strengthen emergency planning, and better safeguard the community against increasingly frequent and severe weather events.
