The Village of Freeport has received a $1.1 million federal grant that will be used to fund anti-flooding equipment to protect vulnerable homes and businesses near the Nautical Mile.
Rep. Laura Gillen secured the grant through a Community Project Funding request in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
During a press conference on June 18, Gillen and Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy announced that the federal funding will be used to construct a new water pumping station equipped with devices called check valves or catch basins.
The devices will be connected to community plumbing, take in excess water from rising tides and send it back into the ocean, mitigating damage to roads, buildings and vehicles.
“This investment will help protect homes, businesses and critical infrastructure from flooding while strengthening the community’s long-term resilience against future disasters,” Gillen said during the press conference. “I’m grateful to Mayor Kennedy for his collaboration in improving the lives of Freeport residents for years to come.”
The first pumping station will be installed at the intersection of Miller Avenue and Richmond Street, which is where the press conference was held. Kennedy said similar pumping stations that were installed elsewhere in the village three years ago have proven highly effective, eliminating severe flooding in those areas.
“The elimination of nuisance flooding in the area will prevent vehicle undercarriage corrosion for our residents’ vehicles, commercial vehicles, police vehicles and fire department apparatus,” the mayor said. “These new pumping stations have been installed in other waterfront areas in Freeport and are 100 percent effective. The Freeport community wants to thank Congresswoman Gillen for bettering the quality of life for our residents and protecting village emergency vehicles.”
The Village of Freeport first requested the anti-flooding grant in March 2025. With the funding secured, the installation process should begin within 30 days and be completed within 90 days after that, Kennedy said during the press conference.
Kennedy told the Herald that he did not have the official breakdown of how much of the $1.1 million will be spent on equipment independent of labor costs. He did mention that the five pre-existing check valves that were installed three years ago cost the village about $4 million and that the maintenance of such devices was made fairly simple by how accessible the catch basins are from roadways.
Electronic boxes for each check valve also will be installed to help monitor and maintain the systems.
According to village officials, low-lying waterfront properties have been the most vulnerable, with some streets seeing as much as three feet of water during heavy storms. Rising tides and global warming have contributed to the problem, making flooding a common and potent threat.
A few residents who attended the press conference and live nearby also expressed their frustration with area flooding, complaining about saltwater causing damage on the street and inside homes.
Since the first catch basins were installed, flooding in those areas has been minimal, and they expressed hope that the additional devices will continue to provide relief for more Freeport families.
Freeport’s grant is part of more than $13 million in Community Project Funding that Gillen has secured for infrastructure, public safety and quality of life improvements for communities of southwest Nassau County within the 4th Congressional District.
