Congressman Mike Ezell led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell calling on the agency to consider updated flood maps for coastal Mississippi communities. The letter follows Administrator Criswell's appearance before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure last week.

In addition to Congressman Ezell, the letter was also signed by Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Congressmen Bennie Thompson (D-MS-02), Trent Kelly (R-MS-01), and Michael Guest (R-MS-03).

"Our Senators and my fellow Congressmen have been strong allies on this issue since day one," said Congressman Ezell. "I'm grateful to have the entire delegation standing with me and supporting our Gulf Coast."

Administrator Criswell appeared before the Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. During that hearing, Congressman Ezell secured Administrator Criswell's commitment to include new maps designed through the Mississippi Coastal Map Revision Project (MCMRP) in FEMA's risk rating calculations. You can watch that exchange here.

In their letter, the Mississippi delegation reaffirmed the importance of updating the maps to reflect changes to the coastline and the significant advances in technology since Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps were first adopted in 2009.

"We support [MCMRP's] aim to create more accurate and reliable flood risk management data for our constituents, and we appreciate your commitment... to ensure these updates are included appropriately. This project is critical to the economic stability and development of Gulf Coast communities and the entire State of Mississippi," the delegation wrote.

See the full letter to Administrator Criswell here.