Recent DRBC Flood Loss Reduction Activity

Testimony of DRBC's Executive Director Before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services at its August 15, 2006 Field Hearing Held in Yardley, Pa.
(free Adobe reader required to view)

Moving Forward to Reduce Flood Vulnerability
in the Delaware River Basin

The Delaware River Basin Commission's (DRBC) Flood Advisory Committee, comprised of 18 organizations responsible for flood loss reduction, has identified two categories of flood warning deficiencies in the basin The first category focuses on immediate equipment deficiencies. The second category includes general needs related to monitoring, modernized technology, and improved public outreach. To address the deficiencies, DRBC staff, with the guidance of technical experts serving on the Flood Advisory Committee, developed recommendations that were endorsed by the commission and included in a May 2002 report.

A major goal of the recommendations is to build toward implementation of the National Weather Service's Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) in the Delaware River Basin. These recommendations focus on flood warning improvements from a basinwide perspective. Preliminary estimated costs are $2.1 million (one-time) and $300,000 annually to address immediate equipment deficiencies and to begin the modernization effort. Efforts to seek congressional funding for this important effort are underway.

What Led Up To These Current Efforts?
The DRBC hosted and participated in a meeting on December 2, 1999, at its West Trenton offices to seek input from experts on the existing level of flood preparedness in the Delaware River Basin and explore areas for improvement. The meeting was attended by representatives from 11 different organizations with flood preparedness responsibilities.

DRBC staff, wary that flooding sometimes ends a drought, began planning for this meeting during the summer months. The originally scheduled September 16, 1999, meeting date had to be canceled due to Hurricane Floyd, which arrived as if on cue and caused severe tributary flooding in the southern portion of the basin. Just like 1955, a year of record flooding, the summer drought of 1999 and Hurricane Floyd provided vivid examples of how quickly hydrologic conditions can change in the Delaware River Basin and why communities must always be prepared for flooding.

The overall goal of flood preparedness is to reduce the loss of life and property damage caused by flooding. There are many activities, in addition to flood warning and response, which support this goal. These activities -- such as flood plain regulations, property buyouts, storm water management, flood-proofing, structural flood control, and flood insurance administration -- are particularly important to prevent new flood damage in developing areas and encourage wise flood plain use. Even with the success of such programs, existing flood plain development and the potential for damage require an effective flood forecasting, warning, and response system.

DRBC staff in January 2000 released a report summarizing the December 2, 1999, meeting and the flood preparedness activities described by each of the organizations in attendance. This report also included two staff recommendations: (1) formation of a DRBC Flood Advisory Committee and (2) implementation of a basinwide, river flood warning improvements program.

The commissioners moved quickly on the staff recommendations by adopting a resolution at their March 2000 meeting to create the Flood Advisory Committee. This committee will have an interstate, basinwide perspective for the coordination of flood loss reduction activity in the basin. Its initial activity has been to identify flood forecasting and warning improvements for the main stem Delaware River and its major tributaries. The committee members also will be tasked to recommend additional strategies and programs to improve flood loss reduction in the basin, including planning activities such as flood plain management.

The goals of the basinwide, river flood warning improvements program will be to improve the precipitation and stream gaging network, complete flood stage forecast mapping, and increase public understanding of flood preparedness. Program goals will be coordinated by the Flood Advisory Committee.

Recently Funded Flood Warning Improvements
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and National Weather Service (NWS) obtained funding to add several monitoring and communications improvements to the basin's flood warning system (see the March 2001 press release for details). This action was considered in developing the additional basinwide flood warning improvement recommendations contained in the original April 2001 report that was updated in May 2002. Both the USGS and NWS are members of the DRBC's Flood Advisory Committee.

In June 2004, the NWS and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced a partnership to share real-time weather data collected by DEP in the Delaware River Watershed in order to enhance weather forecasts in the region. The project began as a request from the DRBC's Flood Advisory Committee, which was seeking ways to more accurately forecast dangerous conditions on the Upper Delaware River. (View NWS press release for details.)

Participation in Comprehensive Planning for Flood Loss Reduction
Liaisons from the DRBC's Flood Loss Advisory Committee participated in the efforts that resulted in the development of the Water Resources Plan for the Delaware River Basin. Through their input on such issues as flood plain regulations, flood mitigation activity, and flood warning, the liaisons provided DRBC staff and the Watershed Advisory Council with concepts that were used to establish planning goals and objectives.

P.O. BOX 7360, West Trenton, NJ 08628-0360

Voice (609) 883 - 9500 FAX (609) 883 - 9522

clarke.rupert@drbc.state.nj.us