U.S. Senator Katie Britt Named Federal Champion by American Flood Coalition

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) was named a Federal Champion by the American Flood Coalition (AFC) for her leadership, public service, and commitment to finding solutions to challenges posed by flooding. “Alabama is home to world-class federal research institutions that are leading the country in advancing flood forecasting and mapping capabilities,” said Senator Britt . “I am proud to support their work to deliver accurate, updated rainfall and flood data that engineers, planners, and communities need to build more resilient infrastructure and flood-ready communities. As a Federal Champion, I look forward to working with the American Flood Coalition to ensure those investments reach communities across Alabama and the nation.” “Whether supporting FEMA funding as a senior appropriator or fighting for NOAA facilities in her state, Senator Britt understands that flood resilience starts long before a storm makes landfall,” said Melissa Roberts, AFC Founder and Executive Director. “Her support for effective National Weather Service programs and products means engineers and planners will finally have the data necessary to design roads, bridges, and communities that can withstand today and tomorrow’s storms. We are proud to recognize her leadership as a Federal Champion.” Senator Britt is the lead sponsor of the bipartisan Water Research Optimization Act of 2025 to streamline hydrological forecast modeling within the National Weather Service. She has also been a strong supporter of the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH), a partnership between NOAA, The University of Alabama, and 28 different institutions committed to advancing water prediction and building community resilience to water-related challenges. Additionally, Senator Britt has been a key proponent of NOAA’s forthcoming Atlas 15 nationwide rainfall dataset, among other key tools in development by the Office of Water Prediction. In Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations funding, Senator Britt secured tens of millions in funding for both CIROH and the National Water Center. Senator Britt serves as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Homeland Security, where she oversees FEMA’s budget and the Department of Homeland Security’s disaster preparedness and response programs. She also serves on the Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, which oversees the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works program. Additionally, as a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Senator Britt oversees the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. ###