PHILADELPHIA— FEMA Senior Officials Victoria Salinas and MaryAnn Tierney and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon visited Philadelphia’s Eastwick neighborhod on Monday. There they announced more than $2 million in funding for the construction of barriers as an interim solution to reduce flooding and welcomed Delaware County into FEMA’s 3-year technical assistance program. 

"As part of its ‘Year of Resilience,’ FEMA is lifting up community resilience stories from across the nation to inspire action. The Biden-Harris Administration has taken many steps to reduce the hurdles underserved and historically disadvantaged communities face to invest in their own resilience. I am very excited that, for the first time in Region 3, FEMA will be able to use our grant programs to fund an interim flood mitigation solution for Eastwick while longer-term solutions are in development. In talking with residents of Philadelphia’s Eastwick neighborhood and Delaware County, today I saw firsthand how recent FEMA changes are already making a difference,” said FEMA official Victoria Salinas.

They joined representatives from Philadelphia and Delaware County as well as state and federal leadership for the quarterly meeting of the Eastwick and Delaware County Flood Resilience Leadership Group. First convened in March 2023, the Leadership Group brings consistent attention and transparency to flood related initiatives in this area. 

“For too many years, the residents of Eastwick have endured catastrophic flooding due to the failures of government — at every level,” said Rep. Scanlon. “But I am proud to say that, in recent years, we have been able to convene federal, state and local governments to work on solutions to reverse decades of environmental injustice, fragmented regional development policies, and increasing extreme weather events that have contributed to the flooding. From my first day in office, I’ve made a point of advocating for Eastwick whenever I get the chance — including recently securing $1.38 million in the FY2024 federal budget to help fund an interim flood barrier along Darby Creek. Today’s quarterly leadership meeting reminds us of the importance of continuing collaboration in and around Eastwick."

While much work remains for the group, there are significant signs of progress: 

• Philadelphia’s Office of Sustainability is kicking off the development of the Eastwick Flood Resilience Strategy funded through FEMA’s flood mitigation assistance grant. 
• Delaware County was selected to join FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) direct technical assistance program. 
• Philadelphia was selected for two federal grants to fund the construction of a near-term flood barrier in Eastwick. This is the first funding for construction of a flood mitigation project in Eastwick and one of the first FEMA-funded BRIC projects to receive an enhanced federal cost share of 90%, rather than the standard 75%, since the primary benefitting area has been designated a Community Disaster Resilience Zone, a program covered under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 initiative. 
• The city is about to install many more stream gages to detect flooding along Cobbs Creek and send Eastwick residents customized alert messages. 

Achieving flood resilience along the lower Darby & Cobbs creeks will require a combination of measures to ensure residents are protected under current and future climate conditions. 

Philadelphia’s Office of Sustainability is launching the start of the Eastwick Flood Resilience Strategy, funded through a $450,000 grant from FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance program. This is a community-driven effort to bring all potential flood resilience measures to the table so residents can decide what combination of measures moves forward in the long term. More permanent proposals include the Cobbs Creek levee, housing solutions such as relocations and voluntary buyouts, and nature-based projects.

Meanwhile, funding was recently announced for the Eastwick Near-Term Flood Barrier, a $2.2 million plan to install an interim flood barrier, called a HESCO barrier, along Cobbs Creek. Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon championed this project and secured a federal appropriation for its construction. The project was also selected for funding this year under FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant Program. HESCO barriers are soil-filled boxes made of fabric mesh and a wire frame that are connected to create a flood barrier. They would follow a similar path as the proposed Cobbs Creek levee and help lessen flooding for about 600 residences in Eastwick from the impact of smaller storms that cause river flooding from Cobbs and Darby creeks. The development of this project was supported by FEMA and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency through the BRIC Direct Technical Assistance program.

"This large, multi-faceted project is one that shows all levels of government working together across jurisdictions for the benefit of the communities we serve," said PEMA Director Randy Padfield. "We know that projects like these pay off in reduced recovery costs down the line, but more importantly, they provide peace of mind to people who live and work in these communities."

Other interim measures include the launching of a place-based flood messaging system by the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management (OEM). This enhanced system will expand OEM’s real-time visibility into localized flooding through the installation of new flood monitoring technology. The plan includes installing stream gauges in strategic locations that will support early warning messaging and enhance response efforts. It will also give more specific flood alerts to Eastwick residents. The new messaging system will send Eastwick residents alerts, through the City’s free ReadyPhiladelphia mass notification system, informing them of potential flooding, current flooding, and assistance as needed. The information will be based on feedback from the community, information from the gauges and cameras, and will contain information to help residents prepare for and respond to flooding. This system is part of a larger OEM project to make alerts and warning more accessible which includes expanding messaging to eleven languages, including American Sign Language.

The City of Philadelphia's Chief Deputy Mayor, Sinceré Harris, said on these measures, “For decades, the residents of Eastwick have endured tragic and unpredictable flooding. The Parker Administration stands committed to work with our local, State, and federal partners to deliver tangible, protective measures for the residents of Eastwick – they have waited long enough. We thank FEMA and Congresswoman Scanlon for their continued support and look forward to solidifying a community-based plan for long-term flood resiliency.”
 

Because flooding does not stop at the county line, comprehensive flood relief means looking on both sides of the creeks. This year, FEMA has expanded the BRIC Direct Technical Assistance (DTA) program, which Philadelphia utilized to develop the flood barrier project, and is now welcoming Delaware County as one of 93 communities joining the BRIC DTA program across the country. This will smooth the way for further collaboration across community boundaries. This program provides three years of tailored, non-financial support—including mitigation planning and grants support—to communities to build climate resilience and design solutions. This kind of holistic approach to resilience building demonstrates the value of community-led resilience strategies backed by united partners including federal, state, and local agencies.
 

“Delaware County extends its thanks to FEMA for awarding a Direct Technical Assistance Grant through the Building Resilient infrastructure and Communities program to the County,” said Council Member Elaine Paul Schaefer. “This will allow the County to work with our municipalities to better understand the flooding issues around the county and region, particularly those near the proposed Eastwick levee. It will also allow us to work with FEMA to assess needs and develop action plans to address those needs and help to build flood resiliency in the County.”

If you have any questions, please contact FEMA Region 3 Office of External Affairs at femar3newsdesk@fema.dhs.gov. Eastwick residents are invited to get involved by reaching out to eastwick@phila.gov. Delaware County residents can reach out to Planning_Department@co.delaware.pa.us. 

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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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1. Supplemental Photos and Funding Information

Media outlets are welcome to use photos from the Eastwick visit, quarterly leadership meeting, and media roundtable available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QITR3-bCcjT_t9XBxW80daKTq5p8j81o (Credit: Nicholas Monteleone/FEMA).

Summary table of funding detailed in news release: