Norfolk Approves $3M Flood Study for Berkley, Campostella

The reevaluation study aims to bring southside neighborhoods into a $6.1 billion coastal storm risk project.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Safety

Norfolk Approves $3M Flood Study for Berkley, Campostella

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Norfolk City Council unanimously approved a reevaluation study agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with $3 million in total funding and $1.5 million in city spending on the non-federal share. The study would examine adding Berkley and Campostella to the Coastal Storm Risk Management Project.

Why it matters

Residents south of the Elizabeth River said they were being left out of structural flood improvements, and the original Army Corps study used property values to decide which neighborhoods received protection. Local residents on Norfolk's southside now have a formal path to be considered for the same structural measures as other parts of the city.

The Coastal Storm Risk Management Project now carries a $6.1 billion cost estimate, more than double its original $2.6 billion price tag. Whether southside neighborhoods will be included in structural protections remains undetermined until the three-year study is completed.

The players

Norfolk City Council

The elected governing body of Norfolk, Virginia, which sets city spending priorities and approves agreements with federal agencies.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The federal agency responsible for designing and building large-scale flood protection and navigation infrastructure across the United States.

The details

The project includes 9 miles of floodwalls, tide gates and storm surge barriers, and recommends that about 1,000 homes on Norfolk's southside be placed on higher foundations or have basements filled. Residents raised concerns that the original Army Corps study relied on property values, which they said reflected decades of racist housing practices such as redlining.

2023: Residents south of the Elizabeth River raised concerns about being excluded from structural improvements.
Earlier in 2026: A federal spending package included $500,000 for the Army Corps to begin the study.
November 11, 2026: Norfolk City Council approved the $3 million study agreement.
2027: Floodwall and earthwork construction on the first phase is expected to begin.
2040: The existing flood mitigation project is scheduled for completion.

Seasonal Patterns

The reevaluation revisits the original Army Corps floodwall study, which used property values to decide which neighborhoods received structural protection. Its cost has grown from $2.6 billion to $6.1 billion, placing the southside debate within the project's broader history of rising estimates and delayed completion.

Residents of Berkley and Campostella should track the reevaluation study to learn whether their neighborhoods will be added to structural protections. Homeowners on the southside should also understand that the project recommends about 1,000 homes be placed on higher foundations or have basements filled.

The takeaway

Flood protection decisions in Norfolk are increasingly tied to which neighborhoods are included in large federal studies, so residents who want a voice should monitor the three-year reevaluation closely. The study's outcome will shape whether southside homes receive structural defenses or must rely on elevation and basement modifications.

What happens next

The three-year reevaluation study with the Army Corps is scheduled to run, and first-phase floodwall and earthwork construction is expected to begin in 2027.