The Ripple Effect: Keeping Flood Protection Systems Ready

Ongoing operations and maintenance of the City’s stormwater infrastructure are key to reducing flood impacts and ensuring resiliency for neighborhoods.

Three key operations are:

• Maintaining Storage to Reduce Flooding — Maximizing the amount of storage during heavy rain means less flooding in our neighborhoods. This includes maintaining lakes, canals, roadside and off-road ditches and neighborhood drainage systems, so they’re ready when storms arrive.
• Keeping Infrastructure Reliable — Tide gates, stormwater pipes and outfalls, and pump stations can only help during a storm if they’re working properly. Crews regularly inspect, clean and maintain this infrastructure year-round to make sure it’s functioning when needed most.
• Improving Response Time — City staff plans and assesses best practices to implement effective strategies for increased stormwater system operational readiness.

Maintaining — By the Numbers

The City manages more than 1,000 miles of stormwater pipes — if laid end to end, they would stretch roughly from Virginia Beach all the way to Key Largo, Florida! Keeping those pipes clean to reduce blockages and ensure stormwater remains flowing is vital. Since 2021, crews have cleaned more than 2,545,900 feet of storm pipe and removed more than 15,000 cubic yards of sediment — enough to cover a football field nearly 6 feet deep! In addition to maintaining pipes, other important assets include:

• 17 stormwater pump stations
• Four tide gates in two drainage areas
• 463 miles of roadside ditches, and 212 miles of off-road ditches
• 9,174 manholes
• 60 miles of canals
• 41,490 inlets/catch basins
• More than 800 stormwater management facilities

Proactive Measures Safeguard Neighborhoods

By investing in upkeep today, the City reduces future expenses, strengthens resiliency and ensures stormwater systems last longer. These behind-the-scenes efforts may not always be visible, but they are key to the success of Flood Protection Program.

The Virginia Beach Flood Protection Program — The Ripple Effect — is a comprehensive 10-year plan to address recurrent flooding in Virginia Beach. In November 2021, Virginia Beach voters overwhelmingly supported a resiliency package for several key flood protection initiatives to include drainage improvements, tide gates, pump stations and flood barriers throughout the city. The projects are led by Public Works with support from a community oversight board for transparency and accountability. Learn more at VirginiaBeach.gov/RippleEffect.

• Ripple Effect