HOQUIAM, Wash. — For years, communities in Grays Harbor County have battled rising waters, heavy rains, and flooding. A long-awaited levee project meant to protect thousands of homes and businesses is on hold after the federal government halted grant funding for the project in the spring. The cities are still waiting, hoping to get the money back.

The cities of Hoquiam and Aberdeen had secured roughly $90 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant money in 2022 to build two new levees spanning about 11 miles. City officials say the project, once completed, would protect more than 5,000 properties and could dramatically reduce, or even eliminate, many residents’ flood insurance costs, which collectively total about $2 million each year.

“The levee project is the single bi

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