Gloucester County will receive almost $700,000 in federal funds to elevate four properties, part of more than $8.6 million in flood mitigation assistance grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management announced last Thursday.

Quinton Sheppard, public information officer for Gloucester, said the grant will fund the elevation of four homes in the Guinea and Glass areas of the county.

The federal share of the Gloucester project is $694,341, with a required local match of $58,049. VDEM administers the federal funds on behalf of FEMA.

The awards were received under the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program and will allow multiple communities to complete a variety of projects including acquisitions and elevations of flood-prone structures, as well as funding for advance assistance and a stormwater pump station to benefit the localities’ resilience to flooding as a whole.

“These federal grants help us provide necessary resources...