CT Post: Bridgeport has seen the face of climate change and it is wet.

The city’s South End had a gulp of that when it was swamped by Tropical Storm Irene 2011, followed by Sandy a year later — both likely intensified by climate change. Among the hardest hit — low income and public housing neighborhoods.

In the aftermath of those two storms, Bridgeport took the lead in Connecticut’s attempts to participate in two federal recovery programs, competing for funds in Rebuild by Design (RBD) and the National Disaster Resilience Competition.

The big bucks went elsewhere, but Bridgeport did come up with some money: $10 million through RBD and $54.3 million through NDRC. Seven years later, the city is coming closer to getting shovels in the ground on projects that will better enable it to withstand the effects of sea level rise caused by climate change.

Earlier this month, the final environmental impact statement for the projects – now jointly known as Resilient Bridgeport – was released by the state’s Department of Housing. After 30 days for public comment, a final agreement will be in place in late October. Work should begin by next spring, said Rebecca French, director of resilience for DOH. Read more>>