DEWEY BEACH, DE — Residents along Read Avenue in Dewey Beach have long contended with flooding, but relief may be on the horizon as the town recently secured a $1,000,000 federal grant to construct a new pump station to mitigate floodwaters.
Town Manager Bill Zolper highlighted the severity of the flooding during major storms, noting that it sometimes reaches Route 1, Dewey's central artery. The new pump station is expected to alleviate this issue significantly.
"For the people here on the street, it probably happens anywhere from 8-12 times a year where this street gets completely flooded. Up to Route 1, it probably happens 3-4 times a year where we have to shut Route 1 down because water goes completely across it," Zolper stated.
While the timeline for the project is contingent upon feedback from the Army Corps of Engineers, Zolper estimates it could take anywhere from a year and a half to two years.
He added the pump station will be similar to the one already on Bayard Avenue but smaller.
In the meantime, he added that flood flaps will be installed along the bay to help mitigate flooding until the completion of the project.
For Phil Winkle, who has lived in the area for over three decades, the worsening flood situation has been a constant concern.
"We've had the house for some 30 years now, and it's been flooding ever since then. It's only gotten worse with the rising of the water. The end of the street is only 1.8 feet above sea level, so if you have a tide above two feet, the water's got no place to go; it just fills up," Winkle explained.
"It's been a long time coming!" Winkle exclaimed with a chuckle.
