Port of Galveston Receives $1.18 Million from FEMA to Strengthen Security

The Port of Galveston announced that Galveston Wharves will strengthen the port's security systems thanks to federal grants totaling $1,180,524, supplemented by the port's own funds. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded four grants aimed at expanding video surveillance, maintaining security systems, installing smart locks, and purchasing a mobile vehicle barrier system.

The grants fall under FEMA's Fiscal Year 2026 Port Security Grant Program. The first project, worth $525,000 (with $393,750 in federal funding and $131,250 from the port), will expand video surveillance along access roads to the cruise terminal and the cargo area. The second, worth $802,100 ($601,575 federal and $200,525 from the port), will fund continued cybersecurity upgrades and maintenance of the port's security system.

A third project worth $88,925 (with $66,693 in federal funds and $22,232 from the port) will replace mechanical locks with smart locks integrated into a digital key management system, featuring digital tracking, controlled issuance, and audit logs. The fourth project, worth $158,009 ($118,506 federal and $39,503 from the port), will provide a rapid-deployment mobile system to protect critical infrastructure, public gathering areas, and other points requiring temporary vehicle access restrictions.

Rodger Rees, port director and CEO of Galveston Wharves, stated that as the Port of Galveston grows, they continue to strengthen their security systems to protect port facilities, tenants, and visitors, and thanked FEMA and federal partners for their support. The port's Security Department, which spans 840 acres according to Maritime Executive, also oversees facility security, cybersecurity, workplace safety, and personnel credentialing, among other functions.

Located at the entrance to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel, the port was established in 1825 and is, according to a statement cited by Cruise Industry News, the fourth-busiest cruise homeport in the United States by volume, with four cruise terminals. For 2026, the port projects 445 sailings and 3.9 million passenger movements, which would represent a new record.