Flood Avoidance and Mitigation

Michael Powell
Delaware Department of Natural Resources
and Environmental Control
Shoreline and Waterways Management

Shoreline and Waterways Management

What we do:
Manage public beaches (i.e. erosion control, beach nourishment
Regulate construction along the Atlantic and Delaware Bay shore
Maintain inland navigational channels
Assist in floodplain mapping
Assist in regulating development in flood prone areas
Provide technical and financial assistance for flood projects

What constitutes a flood disaster?

Types of flood mitigation projects
non structural - floodplain management (loss avoidance)
non structural flood mitigation projects (acquisition / relocation)
non structural elevation and floodproofing
structural projects
Evaluating and designing flood mitigation projects
Determining flood risk
floodplain maps and studies
flood damage history
How to select a project - alternatives analysis
project goals and constraints
environmental constraints
avoiding impacts
Benefit cost analysis
Success stories
Glenville floodplain buyout
Cape Henlopen State Park groin rehabilitation
New Castle County dry floodproofing projects

Is this a disaster?

Is this a disaster?

Floodplain in flood stage no disaster here!

Disasters result when we occupy high risk areas

New Castle County Delaware September 2003

Disasters result when we occupy high risk areas

Gulfport, Mississippi - Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina was a major disaster affecting

Several states
Millions of people
Over $80 billion damage

The majority of flood disasters are

small and localized
Flooding in Sussex County Delaware, June 2006
Less than 100 properties affected

>$30,000 structural damage to basement wall

Seaford Delaware, June, 2006

II. Types of Flood Mitigation Projects

Determining the flood risk at a given location
Floodplain management Dont occupy high risk areas
Best
Local land use regulations which define flood-prone areas
and prohibit new development in those high risk
areas.
More Common
Regulations which discourage development in high risk
areas but allow development as long as buildings are
designed to minimized flood risk
Types of projects to protect vulnerable development

FEMA issued floodplain Map

Widely Available nationwide
Shows 100-year floodplain

Base Flood Elevations

(100-year) storm
(1% annual chance exceedence)

89

90

91
Best: Local land use regulations define
flood-prone areas and prohibit new
development in those high risk areas.

88

Base
Flood
Elevation
stream

Base Flood Elevation = 89

Ground Elevation = 84

More Common: Regulations

discourage development in flood
prone areas, allow it with buildings
designed tom minimize flood risk

100-year flood elevation = 89

25-year flood elevation = 87
10-year flood elevation = 85
Ground Elevation = 84

Simple elevation of a flood prone house

Flood Level

Elevation and relocation

of a flood prone home on
the Delaware Bay

Flood Level

Flood Level

Dry floodproofing of
commercial structure in
New Castle County

vel
e
L
d
o
o
l
F

100 year floodplain

100 year floodplain

New wetlands/flood storage

Evaluating and designing flood protection projects

Project goals
Site limitations
Avoiding environmental impacts
Benefit cost analysis

Project goals
Public safety reducing risk to people
Property protection public infrastructure and private property
Reduction in emergency response during storms
Avoid loss of critical services fire, police, medical etc.
Environmental enhancement and restoration
Recreational opportunities

Site limitations
Property factors frequently will dictate project options
Size of property availability of land for structural flood control
Historic properties historic preservation issues
Environmental Protections
Wetlands
Endangered species
Hazardous materials
Local zoning and codes

Site limitations
Sufficient room on property
Wide open floodplain berm does not
increase flooding on adjacent properties

Riverwalk Townhouses Flood protection berm

Site limitations
Insufficient room on property
narrow floodplain berm would
flood adjacent vulnerable properties

Dry floodproofing within existing building footprint

Safety Issues
Property protection vs. safety
Flood response

Safety Issues
Property protection vs. safety
Flood response
High risk areas

Benefit Cost Analysis

Generally a project should provide greater
benefits than the cost to construct the project

Benefit Cost Analysis

Generally a project should provide greater
benefits than the cost to construct the project

Project Benefits
(define project lifetime)
Damage prevented
Life/safety benefits
Recreational
Environmental
Reduction in response

Project costs
Planning Design
Property acquisition
Construction
Management
Maintenance

100-year flood elevation = 89

25-year flood elevation = 87
10-year flood elevation = 85
Ground Elevation = 84

100-year flood elevation = 89 = $20,000

25-year flood elevation = 87 = $10,000
10-year flood elevation = 85 = $5,000
Ground Elevation = 84

Project Benefits Elevate house

project lifetime
25 years
Damage prevented
$25,000
Life/safety benefits
???
Recreational
No
Environmental
No
Reduction in response ??? (No)

Project costs
Planning Design
Property acquisition
Construction
Management
Maintenance

100-year flood elevation = 89 = $20,000

25-year flood elevation = 87 = $10,000
10-year flood elevation = 85 = $5,000
Ground Elevation = 84

$2,000
$0
$25,000
$2,000
$0

Success Stories

100 year floodplain

Examples
Of
Success
Glenville floodplain
Buyout and deed restriction

Community supported
Multi purpose project
Solves the problem completely
Permanent (relatively)
Environmental benefit
Roads will be removed soon

100 year floodplain

New wetlands/flood storage

Herring Point, Cape Henlopen State Park

Failure of old rock and timber groins
Narrow beach exposed tree stumps pose swimming risk
Deterioration of surfing
Threat to WWII Bunkers

Sand transport is south to

north. Groins which trapped
sand flow have failed leading to
rapid erosion

Sand transport is south to

north. Groins which trapped
sand flow have failed leading to
rapid erosion

Define problem
Swimming hazard
Loss of beach
Bluff erosion
Surf break deteriorated

Sand transport is south to

north. Groins which trapped
sand flow have failed leading to
rapid erosion

Define Project Goals

Protect Historic Structures
Reduce swimming hazards
Restore beach width
Stop bluff erosion
Avoid furthing impacts to
surf break

Herring Point, Cape Henlopen State Park

Sand transport is south to north.
Bunkers and parking area built in
vulnerable location

Swimming hazard
Loss of beach

Damage to park facilities

Recreational impacts

Bluff erosion
Threat to bunkers
Safety hazard

Bluff erosion
WWII listening cable damaged

Herring Point, Cape Henlopen State Park

Alternatives Evaluated
Do nothing
Breakwaters

continued erosion
stops erosion but swimming
and surfing hazard
Rebuild Groins - stops erosion while enhancing surfing
and swimming quality

Consequences of failure to act:

Continued bluff erosion leading to
hazardous conditions and incremental
loss of the overlook parking lot.

Bluff location
Bluff location JAN 9 2007

Photo credit:
Rod Rodgers

Photo credit:
Kyle Howard

April 17, 2007

Pre-construction photo

May 14, 2007

Mid-construction

July 10, 2007

post-construction

January 2008
midwinter

Flo
w

of

san

Concern about negative

effects on downdrift beach?

Thank you
Questions???