Climate change will bring hotter and wetter weather to Philadelphia. This also means more extreme storms, and potential flooding. Flooding causes more damage in the United States than any other weather related event. It is also the most common and costly natural disaster in Pennsylvania. Here in Philadelphia, severe storms like Isaias and Ida have shown us the impact that flooding can have on residents and the city.
What can you do to prepare for floods?
There are many actions you can take to prepare for and respond to flooding. The Office of Sustainability has curated a list of resources in the Household Guide to Resources for Flooding in Philadelphia. The guide includes a list of actions you can take before, during, and after a flood. It also includes links to resources and programs that can help you prepare for flooding.
This guide is in draft form. Have ideas for more resources to include in the guide? Email sustainability@phila.gov.
What is the City doing to prepare for floods?
Find below some of the work departments are doing to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate flooding. ·
- The Philadelphia Water Department is addressing flood risk by strategically replacing aging infrastructure to improve stormwater drainage. Check out how PWD is applying for federal infrastructure funding for projects like the Cohocksink Storm Flood Relief Project in Northern Liberties.
- Flooding is a hazard featured in the 2022 update of the City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. Read the Office of Emergency Management’s flood awareness week blog for tips to prepare for this hazard at home.
- The Office of Sustainability is coordinating the City’s response to flooding in Eastwick – Philadelphia’s most flood-prone neighborhood. This work is supported through a grant from the Operations Transformation Fund.
