FEMA announces $2 million to help flood-prone Eastwick

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When it rains, residents in Philadelphia’s Eastwick neighborhood start to panic. The nearby Cobbs Creek has a history of overflowing and flooding people’s homes. Over the years, residents have experienced property damage and the increased cost of flood insurance.

But they will soon get some relief. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced this week more than $2 million dollars in funding to help buffer flooding along the creek.

The funding will pay for the construction of HESCO flood barriers — a series of metal baskets containing a durable fabric filled with a soil mixture that blocks the overflow of water.

The barriers, which will be stacked like a pyramid across 1,400 feet of Cobbs Creek, are a temporary solution until a proposed levee is built. It could be another 10 years before the levee, which is currently being studied, is in place.

Long-time resident Brenda Whitfield said she’s relieved officials are taking some action now.

“It doesn’t seem like a lot to a lot of people, but it’s a lot for us because it means that we get to have a sense of security,” Whitfield said. “We get to rest when it rains. We don’t feel overwhelmed when it’s raining.”