A hazard mitigation grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency is helping Barrington's Tom Siedzik better prepare his home for a rise in sea level.

Mr. Siedzik's home is located on Edwin Street in the Bay Spring section of Barrington, and when FEMA officials updated flood zone maps a few years ago, the structure found itself in a new, high-risk zone.

Mr. Siedzik applied for and received a hazard mitigation grant from FEMA in 2016 to lift his home up and out of the flood zone, improving its chances of weathering a rise in sea level.

For the last few years, Mr. Siedzik has had to clear a series of administrative hurdles, but this spring the project received formal notice to proceed.

Mr. Siedzik said Sen. Jack Reed and his aide, Chris Albert, offered key assistance throughout the challenges, as did Barrington Town Manager Jim Cunha and the director of planning, building and resiliency, Phil Hervey.

"We encountered several challenges related to delayed responses from RIEMA and FEMA, and each time, their involvement moved the project forward," Mr. Siedzik wrote in a recent email.

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