HAMPTON, Va. — Depending on where you live in Hampton Roads, we know flooding can be an issue for families. Wednesday Congressman Bobby Scott presented over $1.3 million in funding to reduce flood risk.
Our News 3 reporter Kelsey Jones went to Buxton Avenue. This is one of many neighborhoods in Hampton that easily floods. Families who live in Buxton say they hope the money will fix this harsh reality.
"My house has been flooded about 3 times, and I had to move out and re-do the house. Later on, they widened the ditch but that didn't do any good" said longtime resident Edna Davis.
Edna has seen a lot at 92 years old, but what she doesn't want to see anymore is flooding. However it's not just her, it's also people who live just a few miles away in the Briarwood area.
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This is why Congressman Scott, Mayor Donnie Tuck, and other city leaders are listening to concerns from families and are working to reduce flood risk. Starting with the check Congressman Scott secured.
The money is going towards an initiative called Resilient Hampton. Part of this initiative is addressing rising sea levels and flood mitigation efforts for neighborhoods in the floodway, like Newmarket Creek.
"The city of Hampton has been doing a lot to make the city more resilient to sea level rise. This is just one of the projects building buffers, and cleaning Newmarket Creek. There's a lot of initiatives to make Hampton more resilient" said Congressman Scott.
When it comes to resiliency, folks like Katherine Roberts who came out to the ceremony think this is a good first step.
"It's been several years since I've tried to get the city to do something about the flooding. It was really nice to see that Congressman Scott is able to get that money for us" said Katherine Roberts.
