The people of Grays Harbor County have endured years of hardship, from a collapsed logging industry that eviscerated their economy, to major coastal flooding from the Wishkah and Hoquiam rivers that threatens the same.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem could have helped the very people who helped put her boss, President Donald Trump — with 51.6% of the county vote — in office. But once again she failed to help people in need who had looked to her for leadership.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, recently announced it revoked an $80 million grant awarded years ago and is part of a $180-million levee project. Had the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities project gone forward, planners said it would have prevented devastating flooding, and possibly economically rescue the downtowns of Aberdeen and Hoquiam.
Equally puzzling is that BRIC was established by Congress as part of the bipartisan Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018, which Trump signed.
“The BRIC program was yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program,” FEMA stated in a news release on its website. “It was more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters. Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, we are committed to ensuring that Americans in crisis can get the help and resources they need.”
Noem’s decision to reverse course on funding came soon after Grays Harbor County stakeholders reportedly were assured the project would be protected from Trump’s unyielding budget cuts.
Based on the her track record as governor during a major flood in South Dakota, this latest move shouldn’t come as a surprise.
When the Big Sioux River flooded in 2024, Noem ignored calls for help and refused to activate the state’s National Guard. She cited the cost of such a deployment as her reason. Yet, she frequently sent the state’s National Guard all the way to the U.S.-Mexico border under the guise of assisting in border patrol. The photo ops signaled her support for Trump.
“Politics aside, the facts are clear. Without smart, preventive investments in disaster resiliency, the costs of responding to natural disasters will skyrocket,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Emily Randall of the 6th District wrote in a letter to Noem. “The return on investment from providing this funding now to prevent future emergency costs down the road will make our government more efficient and reduce spending. For these communities, this funding is life changing and life saving.”
The FY26 House Appropriations bill included language calling for BRIC to be restored. Republican lawmakers should put lives over party and let the residents of the Grays Harbor County area finish what they started.
