Virginia Voters Need to Hear How Candidates for Governor Will Address Flooding, Climate Change

(Washington, D.C., May 20, 2021) EDF Action, the advocacy partner of the Environmental Defense Fund, is calling for the moderators to ask a question on resilience and the flood risks facing Virginians at tonight’s debate.

“Virginians are already dealing with the impacts of rising sea levels and extreme weather events, in addition to more frequent ‘sunny day’ flooding events. They want their next Governor to have a plan to invest in reducing risks that flooding poses to them, their communities and their businesses. It’s critical that voters hear directly from all of the candidates about what their plan is to reduce flood risks and build a more flood resilient Virginia,” said EDF Action President Joe Bonfiglio.

Earlier this month, EDF Action released a poll that showed just how concerned Virginians are about the risk of flooding and the need for their leaders to address it. In fact, more than 77% of voters, regardless of where they live, want the next governor to address the state’s flood risk, and 81% of voters want to have a science-based plan that is regularly updated.