On May 2, the Delaware River Basin Commission and the PA Emergency Management Agency, with support from the US Army Corps of Engineers-Philadelphia District, Department of Environmental Protection and the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 3, have partnered to make information available on flood loss reduction grant assistance for local officials in Carbon, Northampton, Lehigh, Bucks and parts of Luzerne counties.

“Flooding is the number one natural hazard in Pennsylvania,” said PEMA Director Randy Padfield. “The latest ‘Mitigation Saves’ report shows that every dollar spent on mitigation in the Commonwealth saves at least $6 in post-disaster costs. It really highlights the value of supporting code enforcement, hazard mitigation planning and mitigation project implementation.”

Reducing flood loss is one of the DRBC’s key missions in water resource management. Climate change will impact precipitation patterns in the Basin, likely causing more storms and associated flooding coupled with extended dry periods, making flood loss reduction even more important for water resource managers to address.

“As the potential for more flooding in the Basin increases, equipping local officials with tools and resources to make their communities more resilient is more important than ever,” said DRBC Deputy Executive Director Kristen Bowman Kavanagh. “These workshops are a vital way for the DRBC and our partners at PEMA to offer Basin communities guidance to advance mitigation, recovery and resilience projects, prioritizing those with a climate and equity focus.”

Now in its second round, this project receives funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program.

In 2021 and 2022, PEMA and DRBC worked in Pike, Monroe, Wayne and Lackawanna Counties. Looking ahead, the DRBC will continue to seek opportunities to partner with Basin state emergency management agencies to support flood mitigation efforts.

Click Here for more information about the project and flood mitigation resources.

DRBC also recently released a tool that allows users to project future extreme precipitation in the Delaware River Basin, thereby informing stormwater management and infrastructure design and increasing climate resilience.

Click Here to learn more.

Visit PEMA’s Hazard Mitigation webpage for additional information on mitigation resources.

For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Delaware River Basin Commission website.  Click Here to sign up for regulator updates.  Follow DRBC on Twitter.  Visit them on YouTube.

Related Articles - Flooding:

-- Gov. Shapiro Announces SBA Low-interest Loans Available For April 2024 Flood Survivors In Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Washington, Westmoreland Counties  [PaEN]

-- Delaware River Basin Commission, PEMA, Other Partners  Make Available Flood Loss Reduction Assistance Resources For Local Officials  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: ‘Bathtub’ Funding Will Make Pittsburgh Safer, More Climate Resilient

-- WHYY: Federal Money Will Help Prepare 2 Philly Bridges For Climate-Driven Floods

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Drenching Rains Come More Frequently Now

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Flooded Basements Are More Dangerous Than They Seem - By Pitt Professors, Black Environmental Collective

[Posted: May 2, 2024]

5/6/2024