NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Newport News and Hampton are collaborating to find solutions for high-impact flood zones in their communities — recent weather patterns have highlighted the urgency of this issue.
Residents of Newport News have expressed increasing alarm over flooding, as even light rainfall can lead to serious consequences in certain neighborhoods. Newport News hosted a Flood Resilience Meeting designed to educate families on how to protect their homes from flood damage.
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At Newmarket Creek, a few residents vocalized their experiences with flooding that has impacted their neighborhoods.
Glenda Thurmond, a resident of Newmarket Creek, shared with News 3's Kelsey Jones, “When I park my car on the streets, I handle it differently now. I've experienced times when water has come all the way up to my driveway. There have been instances where it has entered other vehicles parked on the street.”
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Another local resident added, “I've seen people taking kayaks down the road. That’s how bad it floods. Our neighbor’s car was half underwater.”
Officials from Hampton and Newport News are collaborating on a comprehensive study aimed at flood mitigation. A federal grant would foot most of the bill, while the two localities split the remaining cost equally.
Newport News City Council highlighted the importance of addressing the needs of low-income communities that are disproportionately affected by flooding. Hampton has received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Flood Mitigation Assistance program for this study.
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Newport News will pay the other half of the required local match under the grant. The required match is $190,000, making Newport News' total $95,000. Newport News' meeting agenda, it states the total cost of the study will be $760,000.
The study area is roughly a square that straddles the city line, bounded by Abraham Court, Wildwood Drive, Big Bethel Road, and Lassiter Drive.
The study will include surveying and data collection, environmental and historical studies, community outreach and engagement, compliance and reporting activities, benefit-cost analysis, and project scope development.
City leaders anticipate that this initiative could take up to three years to complete.
