• Find out if you live in a floodprone area and what the average flood depths in your community are.
• Pay careful attention to flood watches, flood warnings and storm forecasts. Heed the instructions of emergency officials.
• Keep a stock of food that requires no cooking or refrigeration. Store drinking water in clean, closed containers.
• Keep a portable, battery-operated radio, emergency cooking equipment and flashlights in working order; stock extra batteries. Have on hand first aid supplies and any medicines your family may need.
• During an emergency, it may become necessary to turn off your utilities at your home or business. Post disaster fires can be caused by damaged electrical and gas lines and appliances. Turning off the gas and electricity before a potential disaster helps to prevent damage to the structure.
• You may need to store materials like sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting and lumber to protect your house from flood waters and to make quick repairs after a severe storm.
• Learn your community's flood evacuation routes and where to find shelter. Be prepared for evacuation.
• Know the elevation of your property in relation to nearby water bodies so that you will know if the flood elevations forecast will affect your home and property.
• Contact your insurance agent to discuss flood insurance coverage. Flood losses are not covered under normal homeowners' insurance policies. Flood insurance is available in Hampton through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Get coverage early - there is a waiting period before it takes place.
• Walking, swimming or driving through floodwaters is extremely dangerous. Even six inches of swiftly moving floodwater can knock you off your feet, and two feet of water will carry away most automobiles. Do not drive where water is covering the road.
• Contact your insurance agent, community planner or local emergency manager for information.

Why are Natural Floodplains Important?

One of the most significant undeveloped floodplains in Hampton is Grandview Nature Preserve at the entrance to Back River. This pristine preserve covers 475 acres of salt marsh, tidal creeks, and 2.5 miles of secluded beachfront. It is a great place to beach comb, observe migratory birds, swim, hike and discover the wonders of wetlands and coastal floodplains. The preserve provides an important recreational function by connecting Hampton citizens to the water, and the coastal dune system functions naturally to accumulate marine sand transported to the coast by waves and currents. The accumulated sand buffers inland areas from the effects of storm waves, and acts to stem flooding. Much of Grandview has been Federally-designated as part of the Coastal Barrier Resource System to protect the land from further development.

The beaches along Buckroe and Fort Monroe act as barrier islands. The land-water interface is fragile, highly dynamic, subject to storm actions, and very desirable for human development. All of these factors can change the nature of the beaches dramatically from year to year, and century to century. Yet, the naturally changing ecosystems are important for coastal geology and ecology. The beaches provide storm protection for the interior shorelines along Salt Ponds and Mill Creek. Coastal barrier beaches are refuges for wildlife, and the salt marsh ecosystem provides habitat for distinct animal and plant life.

For hundreds of years, Hampton's economy has been supported by the thriving estuarine fishery found at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. This distinctive ecosystem of floodplains, wetlands and water bodies, large and small, is marked by a diverse population of plants and animals that provide habitat and critical sources of energy and nutrients for organisms in adjacent terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Undisturbed estuarine wetlands, such as those found in the planned Newmarket Creek Park, Air Power Park, Bluebird Gap Farm, and Gosnold's Hope Park, serve as breeding, nursery, and feeding grounds for estuarine and marine fisheries, including the iconic blue crab. Our coastal floodplains are extremely important to waterfowl, furbearers, and other wildlife species, providing critical habitat for migratory birds, hunting grounds for predators, and a place for humans to see nature in action.

Surface water, ground water, floodplains, and wetlands do not function as separate and isolated components of local watersheds, but rather as a single, integrated natural system. Disruption of any one part of this system can have long-term consequences on the functioning of the entire system. So, how can you help to protect Hampton's natural floodplains and wetlands? Consider the following:

• Hampton Parks and Recreation has volunteer opportunities and recreational outings.
• Attend a Hampton Wetlands Board meeting.
• Read your neighborhood's Strategic Master Plan at the Hampton Public Library.
• Visit the Teaching Marsh at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point facility.
• Become involved in a local conservation organization such as Wetlands Watch, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Hampton Land Conservancy, or the Sierra Club.

Questions? Call Hampton Codes Compliance at 727-8311 for more information.