In the southernmost town in Maryland, residents who backed President Donald Trump in the 2024 election are now grappling with the consequences of his administration’s decision to cancel a major FEMA flood‑relief program.
NBC Washington published a report Thursday spotlighting former businesses now claimed by flooding.
Mayor Darlene Taylor pointed to vacant storefronts while speaking with NBC. “That was Subway and it used to have to close all the time because of floods or even high tides,” she said, nodding to a windowless shell of a building.
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She added: “There’s nothing in Crisfield that’s not touched by our flooding issue.”
The report noted that Taylor leads a shrinking seaside town battling relentless flooding from the Chesapeake Bay and other climate‑related threats.
Last year, FEMA awarded a $36 million grant through its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program to flood‑proof Crisfield. But in April, the Trump administration abruptly terminated the BRIC program — canceling applications from 2020‑2023 and halting future awards.
Due to this development, Taylor and other townspeople are forced to scramble for alternatives — to “get it back.”
Records show a majority of voters in the town supported Trump in 2024, per the report.
“In an article that someone sent to me, it says, ‘Crisfield: Maryland’s Trumpiest city,” Taylor told NBC.
Taylor’s efforts to secure federal flood relief began early in her tenure — she took office in 2022 amid mounting concern from residents about rising water levels. With Crisfield only a few feet above sea level, flooding has hollowed out the local economy and left residents increasingly vulnerable.
When asked how voters felt about the canceled funding, despite their ideological leanings, Taylor noted, “People are tied to their philosophies and ideologies. So, they may see rationales in one way or another, but for me, I believe that that should play in our favor.”
Francis Martinez Myers, a member of of the Greater Crisfield Action Coalition, told NBC: “I feel like the government, the administration turned their back on the community."