PA Launches Flood Zone Mobile Tool

9/9/2022 (Permalink)

Floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States so it is super important to know your local flood zones. Do you know if you are residing in a floodplain? If not, you're in luck! 

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency recently released a mobile tool to help residents learn more about their flood risks. PEMA released this tool to allow all data released from FEMA to translate into an all-access application. Residents can use this tool via their desktop computer, mobile phone, Ipad, etc. 

If you are living in a low-lying area, expect flooding after excessive rain storms. This area of land is called a floodplain. There are four common types of flooding:

1. Riverine floods occur when excessive rain overwhelms water streams which leads to runoff flooding into the adjacent lower leveled areas. According to PEMA, areas in Philadelphia most impacted by this type of flood include, Eastwick, Manayunk, East Falls, Delaware Avenue, Kelly Drive, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, and watershed parks.
2. Overland and street runoff occurs when excessive rain flows across roads and streets. This tends to happen when sewers are unable to handle the volume. Areas in Philadelphia most impacted by this type of flooding include Chestnut Hill, Roxborough, Andorra, Germantown, Torresdale.
3. Groundwater occurs when the ground is saturated with flood water and it ends up seeping through floods and walls of building structure basements. Areas mostly will impact exists citywide, but ultimately will depend on rainfall and snow melt.
4. Basement backups occur when underground sewer systems are overwhelmed by excessive rainfall. The overwhelming amount of rain and sewage gets forced into basements through drains, sinks or toilets. If you live in Germantown, Kensington, Northern Liberties. Center City, South Philadelphia and Port Richmond, you may experience this type of flooding. 

To learn more about your local flood zones, click here to access the flood risk tool! If you are suffering from damage after a storm/flood surge, call SERVPRO of Society Hill now for water damage restoration services at 215-772-1203.