MILTON, Del. - People who live near Delaware’s coast know flooding is a constant threat, and now the Town of Milton is taking high-tech steps to plan ahead.
On Thursday, town officials met with Sea Grant, representatives from FloodVision met in Memorial Park to showcase how the company's "FloodRover" works. The technology on the car scans streets to collect video and elevation data. That information is then processed using artificial intelligence to generate photorealistic images of future flood and sea level rise scenarios, which the company will now do for Milton.
"Seeing a representation of what that could look like, what the flooding could look like, how far it's going to go up a door front, whether it's going to cover your commute route, really matters. And so people will be able to take away a lot more information through a photo." said Danielle Swallow, coastal hazard specialist with Sea Grant.
According to FloodVision's website, 6,600 homes in Sussex County could be at risk of flooding by the year 2050. The generated images are intended to help local leaders plan for threats to evacuation routes, assess infrastructure vulnerabilities, prioritize funding, evaluate whether properties may need to be relocated and more. (FloodVision)
According to FloodVision's website, 6,600 homes in Sussex County could be at risk of flooding by the year 2050. The generated images are intended to help local leaders plan for threats to evacuation routes, assess infrastructure vulnerabilities, prioritize funding, evaluate whether properties may need to be relocated and more.
FloodVision also attributes the growing flood risk to sea level rise, a concern that’s especially pressing in Milton, which borders the Broadkill River.
Milton Councilman Scotty Edler says flooding is inevitable, but what the town can do is prepare. "You can't stop mother nature, but we are working on ways that we can at least alleviate the situation, make it more livable, less of a disruption."
A local example of where FloodVision has already been used is in Fenwick Island. Pictures here show what the parking lot would look like in the event of flooding in the year 2050.
A local example of where FloodVision has already been used is in Fenwick Island. Pictures here show what the parking lot would look like in the event of flooding in the year 2050. (FloodVision)
A local example of where FloodVision has already been used is in Fenwick Island. Pictures here show what the parking lot would look like in the event of flooding in the year 2050. (FloodVision)