SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. — The Delaware Department of Transportation has installed new weather monitoring cameras along Route 1 and in Oak Orchard in an effort to better track frequent flooding in the area.
There are four cameras in total, according to DelDOT. Three of them sit along Route 1 between Dewey Beach and Bethany Beach. The fourth one sits along River Road in Oak Orchard. Each camera costs $2500, according to DelDOT.
DelDOT said the cameras are there to monitor flooding in the areas in real time. Officials said the chosen areas are prone to flooding, and that the cameras will help determine when roads need to be closed, collecting data from the low-lying spots.
WBOC spoke with neighbors in Bethany Beach on Thursday, many of which expressed a desire to see flooding fixed on Route 1.
“I live in Lewes, and have to go over the bridge every morning to and from work,” said Berni Sallac. “When it’s flooded, it can be bad. I have to turn around and find another way to get to work. I was actually on the bridge the day the water came over and breached the dune."
Clif Rosenberry, another neighbor in Bethany Beach, said he also has concerns about the busy road getting blocked for extended periods of time. Rosenberry said it can be the difference between life and death in medical emergencies.
“It’s an ongoing problem,” said Rosenberry. “They need to do something with it because it's a major artery. If not, you’re asking everybody to get to Route 13, and that’s a big ask.”
Rosenberry said he hopes long-term flooding solutions are in the highway's future.
“They need to raise the road,” Rosenberry said. “You've already got the base there. You don’t have to tear it up, just build on top of it. That would solve several problems.”
DelDOT said raising low-lying portions of Route 1 is a possibility in the future. Officials also said the cameras will stay in their positions indefinitely, in order to continue assessing flooding and storms as they happen.