WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The White House is investing $1 billion to help communities face increasingly severe weather conditions.
Vice President Kamala Harris made the announcement at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida on Monday, the first day of hurricane season.
The White House said the money will go to more than 300 projects across the country. Harris said the funds are necessary to save lives and money down the road.
“(It will) protect the people of our nation,” Harris said. “Every year, more and more powerful hurricanes and tropical storms make landfall on the coast.”
She said the grant money will help communities prepare and respond to disasters by investing in more resilient infrastructure.
The announcement came as Kentucky faces deadly flooding and as wildfires spread in California and Montana.
“It has been devastating, what we are witnessing,” Harris said.
The $1 billion is double what the administration spent last year on resilient infrastructure projects, but the investment is an effort to meet growing demand for federal aid. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, communities last year requested a record-breaking $4.7 billion in resilient infrastructure grants.
“Climate change has become a climate crisis,” Harris said.
She said to save money down the road, the administration plans to double funding again next year to ensure every community has the tools it needs to survive.
Harris on Monday said Congress must take action to try to stop things from getting even worse. A plan Democrats say can help is currently being negotiated.