Sure, many homes and families in Hampton Roads have yet to experience flooding. If you haven’t had water where it’s not supposed to be, you’ve been lucky. But times, as they say, are a’changin. And the facts are the facts. Here goes…
And we’re not alone – 90 percent of all natural disasters in the U.S. involve some type of flooding. 2 But not every flood is catastrophic. Smaller, more frequent flooding degrades infrastructure and can damage roads and building foundations over time. Communities suffer school closures, traffic interruptions, and continuing cost and inconvenience due to this “nuisance flooding.” Degraded sewer infrastructure results in heightened public health risks. 3 And on it goes…
High-risk areas, including parts of Hampton Roads, have a one-in-four chance of experiencing a flood over the life of a 30-year mortgage. 1 Over the past 70 years, heavy rainfall events have become more intense and frequent in our area and will only continue to increase. 2 Based on previous records, it is also likely that water levels will be higher than the average daily high tide when a rainfall event occurs. 3