Resiliency & Flood Information
It is the Town’s intent to:
- Promote greater public awareness and understanding of the flood threat in Fenwick Island
- Offer practical guidance on preparing for, mitigating against, and recovering from flood events
- Provide information on important federal, state and local loss reduction programs, services and initiatives
- Answer commonly asked questions regarding flood insurance, flood zones, warning systems, evacuation and other flood related topics
- List key contacts and links where flood information and assistance can be found below.
Flooding & Resiliency Information & Discussion Session
The Infrastructure Committee hosted a Flooding & Resiliency Information & Discussion Session on August 31, 2023. Links to the documents are provided below.
Infrastructure Meeting Handout
Comprehensive Plan Chapter 7 2023
Resiliency Session Presentation
AECOM Resiliency Plan
AECOM Resiliency Plan 2023 Draft
AECOM Resiliency Plan Presentation
Previous Town Resiliency Efforts
Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Study 2015
Preparing for Sea Level Rise Brochure
Community Sustainability Plan 2019
Community Rating System (CRS):
The National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements.
As a participant in the Community Rating System, the Town of Fenwick Island supports community actions that help reduce flood risks and meet the goals of the CRS to reduce flood losses, facilitate insurance ratings and promote awareness of flood insurance. Such activities have resulted in the Town obtaining a Class 9 CRS Rating which entitles qualifying property owners to a 5% discount on their flood insurance premium. Contact Mike Locke, Building Official, for more information.
As part of our Community Rating System’s Outreach Project and, as you are located in an area subject to repetitive loss, there are preventive measures you as a homeowner may take to prevent further flood loss to your property.
Flood Insurance Press Release 10-5-18
PROPERTY PROTECTION INFORMATION.doc
Delaware Inundation Mapping Tool
Delaware Sea-Level Rise Inundation Mapping Methodology
The Watermark Newsletter Archive
NEW* Reducing Risk Floodplain Guide Region 3
Flood Factor- Go to this website to determine what your “Flood Factor” is by inputting your address
Related Links:
NEWS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
CONTACT: DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902
DNREC offers new flood planning tool for determining risk for home and business development projects Interactive website also helps on gathering information for insurance
DOVER (March 15, 2017) – DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship’s Shoreline & Waterway Management Section now offers an interactive Flood Planning Tool with up-to-date information for helping to determine flood risk for homes and businesses and for designing development projects in accordance with floodplain codes.
The Flood Planning Tool website is designed to provide residents, businesses, floodplain managers, insurance agents, developers, real estate agents, engineers, surveyors and local planners with an effective means to make informed decisions about the degree of flood risk for a specific area or property. Flood Planning Tool users have the ability to look at the current effective Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) layer as well as the preliminary FIRM layer. The preliminary layer shows Delaware areas that will be revised with more detailed information as a result of flood studies that have been conducted.
DNREC’s new Flood Planning Tool website also displays FEMA’s regulatory floodplain boundary via aerial photography. Another feature is DNREC’s analysis of several special flood hazard areas that have not previously been studied in enough detail to establish a base flood elevation. The Flood Planning Tool can be found at http://maps.dnrec.delaware.gov/FloodPlanning/default.html.
Over the past 12 years, DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship has partnered with FEMA to improve the accuracy of Flood Insurance Rate Maps created in the 1970’s through a Cooperating Technical Partnership. DNREC completed floodplain mapping for all three Delaware counties in 2016. The improved flood risk maps incorporate the results of more than 330 miles of flood studies.
Property owners along Zone A floodplains have had a difficult time in the past at both understanding their flood risk and in getting properly-rated flood insurance. Base Flood Elevations and Advisory Flood Heights have now been determined in most of these areas, and a more accurate depiction of flood risk is now available. In the future engineers, developers and local officials will also be able to download HEC-RAS models (HEC-RAS is a widely-used computer program modeling the hydraulics of water flow).
Please contact DNREC’s Shoreline & Waterway Management Section for more information at 302-739-9921.
Storm Information Links:
- National Weather Service
- National Hurricane Center
- Delaware Emergency Management
- Federal Emergency Management Agency
- American Red Cross
- Hurricane Preparedness Is No Accident – State of Delaware News
Things to know and do before the flood:
- Reduce the risk of damage from flooding by elevating critical utilities, such as electrical panels, switches, sockets, wiring, appliances and heating systems.
- In areas with repetitive flooding, consider elevating the entire structure.
- Make sure basements are waterproofed and your sump pump is working. Then, install a battery-operated backup in case of power failure.
- Installing a water alarm will also let you know if water is accumulating in your basement.
- Clear debris from gutters and downspouts.
- Anchor any fuel tanks.
- Move furniture, valuables and important documents to a safe place.
- Store copies of irreplaceable documents (such as birth certificates, passports, etc.) in a safe, dry place. Keep originals in a safe deposit box.
- Build an emergency supply kit. Food, bottled water, first aid supplies, medicines and a battery-operated radio should be ready to go when you are. Visit Ready.gov for a complete disaster supply checklist.
- Plan and practice a flood evacuation route. Ask someone out of state to be your “family contact” in an emergency, and make sure everyone knows the contact’s address and phone number.
- Make a pet plan. Many shelters do not allow pets. Make plans now on what to do with your pets if you are required to evacuate your residence.
When facing natural disasters, having an emergency preparedness kit or pre-packed bag with important needs is crucial to keep you and your family safe.
https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2017/packing-your-emergency-preparedness-kit-fd.html
Check your policy and coverage to be sure you have sufficient coverage
- Standard insurance policies do not cover flooding, but flood insurance is available for homeowners, renters and business owners through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
- Know your flood risk. Learn if you live, work or travel through areas that are prone to flooding. To help communities understand their risk of flooding, FEMA creates flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps, or FIRMs) to show the locations of high-risk, moderate-to- low-risk and undetermined risk areas. To check your flood risk, look up your address in the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.
- Take photos and videos to conduct a household inventory, and keep a record of all major household items and valuables. These documents are critically important when filing insurance claims.
Below is additional information on why flood insurance is needed:
