FENWICK ISLAND, Del. - For some residents in Fenwick Island, one rainstorm can become a serious problem. “When we have nor’easters come up, we’ll have up to a foot of water in the street in front of our house,” said Jim McGarry, a longtime resident on the bayside of town.
Flooding has been a persistent issue in Fenwick Island, prompting town officials to take action. According to Susan Brennan, chair of Fenwick Island’s Infrastructure Committee, the town is just weeks away from an engineering firm to conduct a study on the town’s flooding concerns—particularly on the bay side.
“We are looking to incorporate the information that we have to be able to use it moving forward as we project what we need for our town,” Brennan said.
The yearlong study is expected to begin in August and will cost the town around $300,000. Brennan said it marks the start of a long-term plan to improve drainage and infrastructure, with the goal of presenting a comprehensive five-year strategy to the Fenwick Island Council once the study is complete.
“It is our number one priority,” Brennan added.
McGarry agrees. He believes part of the issue is a lack of understanding about how water moves through the town’s current drainage system.
“It’s only getting worse,” he said. “There’s not an understanding of how the water system drains here, the piping that’s in the ground and where it goes to. So if we had a better understanding of that, we’d have a better understanding of how high the bulkheads should be.”
Set to begin in August, the yearlong study will lay the groundwork for a five-year plan aimed at finally turning the tide on flooding in Fenwick Island.