The White House is making more than $1 billion available to states to address flooding and extreme heat exacerbated by climate change.

Vice President Kamala Harris announced the grant programs Monday at an event in Miami with the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other officials. The competitive grants will help communities across the nation prepare for and respond to climate-related disasters.

"We know that the impacts of the climate crisis are here, and that we must invest in building resilience to protect our communities, infrastructure and economy,'' the White House said in a statement.

The announcement comes as the death toll from massive flooding in Kentucky continued to climb on Sunday amid a renewed threat of more heavy rains. In the West, wildfires in California and Montana exploded in size amid windy, hot conditions, encroaching on neighborhoods and forcing evacuation orders.

Multiple Western states continued heat advisories amid a prolonged drought that has dried reservoirs and threatened communities across the region.

Ahead of the official announcement, Harris visited the National Hurricane Center for a briefing by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and FEMA.

"One needs only look at a map of the United States to see the hot spots around our nation and how, as a result of these extreme events, people are suffering. People have died," the vice president noted after being briefed by local officials, adding: "I do believe that elected leaders have a duty to protect our communities, and the president and I believe that includes before, during and after disaster strikes."

Harris then headed to Florida International University, where she touched on extreme weather events across the country, including the flooding in Kentucky and Missouri and the wildfires in California, stressing the need for immediate action as climate change continues to accelerate the pace of such events. 

“For years, we debated the potential impact that climate change could have on our communities, on our country, and our world,” Harris said. “And today, we know the impact. If folks weren't clear about it before, just watch the evening news. And see that the time for debate is long passed.” 

“Climate change has become a climate crisis,” she emphasized. 

The $1 billion announced Monday will go towards climate-resilience projects across approximately 343 cities, towns and counties nationwide. Harris said the federal funds will prioritize projects that aim to address systemic inequities through environmental justice. 

“We know that the impact of the climate crisis is not felt equally across all communities,” she said. “Consider heat waves pose a greater threat to people who don't have air conditioning or who work in high heat workplaces such as warehouses or farm fields. Emergency evacuations are often more difficult for people with disabilities. [...] And low income communities, including rural communities, often do not have the resources that are needed to invest in resilience or to rebuild after disaster has struck.” 

Marginalized communities have long borne the brunt of environmental hardship in the United States, for a host of reasons. One study from the Environmental Protection Agency conducted in 2018, which examined the particulate matter found in various residential areas across the country, found people of color altogether had a 28% higher burden of emission particles than the total population, while Black Americans had a 54% higher burden than the general population.  

Non-white Americans, in particular Black Americans, are more likely to live in areas of high pollution and with dangerous emissions, due in part to systemic racism and disproportionate investment in developments. 

“The climate crisis has exposed and intensified generations of economic and environmental inequities that have been present in communities across our nation,” Harris said Monday. “And our administration remains committed to addressing those inequities through environmental justice.”

Local governments will be required to apply for grants from the newly announced funding, and will tell the federal government "which projects would be most impactful, and together then we build those projects," Harris said. Examples of existing partnerships include the construction of underground water storage infrastructure in California and updating power grids in Texas.

President Joe Biden announced last month that the administration will spend $2.3 billion to help communities cope with soaring temperatures through programs administered by FEMA, the Department of Health and Human Services and other agencies. The move doubles spending on the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, or BRIC, program, which supports states, local communities, tribes and territories on projects to reduce climate-related hazards and prepare for natural disasters such as floods and wildfires.

“Communities across our nation are experiencing first-hand the devastating impacts of the climate change and the related extreme weather events that follow — more energized hurricanes with deadlier storm surges, increased flooding and a wildfire season that’s become a year-long threat,” FEMA head Deanne Criswell said.

The funding announced Monday will “help to ensure that our most vulnerable communities are not left behind, with hundreds of millions of dollars ultimately going directly to the communities that need it most,'' Criswell said.

A total of $1 billion will be made available through the BRIC program, with another $160 million to be offered for flood mitigation assistance, officials said.

Jacksonville, Florida, was among cities that received money under the BRIC program last year. The city was awarded $23 million for flood mitigation and stormwater infrastructure. Jacksonville, the largest city in Florida, sits in a humid, subtropical region along the St. Johns River and Atlantic Ocean, making it vulnerable to flooding when stormwater basins reach capacity. The city experiences frequent flooding and is at risk for increased major storms.

The South Florida Water Management District in Miami-Dade County received $50 million for flood mitigation and pump station repairs. Real estate development along the city’s fast-growing waterfront has created a high-risk flood zone for communities in the city and put pressure on existing systems, making repairs to existing structures an urgent need, officials said.

The Biden administration has launched a series of actions intended to reduce heat-related illness and protect public health, including a proposed workplace heat standard.