Governor Carney sends letter to President Biden, requesting disaster declaration for flooding caused by Ida

WILMINGTON, Del. – On Friday, Governor John Carney sent a letter to President Joe Biden, requesting a Major Disaster Declaration following flooding caused by Tropical Depression Ida.

The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), along with the City of Wilmington and other partners, have spent the last two weeks surveying damage in neighborhoods affected by the storm to support the request for federal assistance.

In the letter, Carney stated, Tropical Depression Ida interacted with a frontal system (and) produced 100-year rainfall returns in the Brandywine Creek basin. Heavy rains in Pennsylvania fell into Brandywine Creek, and flooding runoff flowed into Delaware on September 2, 2021. Flooding from heavy rainfall caused considerable damage to residential and commercial structures and vehicles in the areas of the eastern portion of the City of Wilmington, as well as pockets along the Brandywine Creek from Talleyville, DE, through Edgemoor, DE,”

He went on to mention that the Brandywine Creek in Wilmington rose to 23.14 feet, breaking its previous record of 20.43 feet in 2014. He says the State of Delaware is continuing to assist residents with an additional focus on providing support to the most vulnerable populations.

The full letter can be found here.