Rather than wait for a flood to occur, you can act now to protect your property from flood damage. Even if you've never flooded before, in the life of a 30-year mortgage, there is a 26% chance of experiencing a flood if a property is located in the floodplain. Various retrofitting techniques are available to help minimize flooding such as elevating the building, constructing barriers out of fill or concrete, and flood proofing to make the building watertight.

Because of Dickinson's susceptibility to hurricanes and other tropical storms, measures that protect against high winds such as storm shutters or reinforced garage doors, should also be considered.

Drainage System Maintenance

It is illegal in Dickinson to dump any type of debris into a stream or drainage ditch. Debris can become entangled in culverts and ditches, and impede drainage causing the flow of water to back up. Citizens should do their part to keep ditches free of debris, and not to allow grass clippings, oil, and other contaminants from getting in storm sewer inlets. Debris dumping should be reported to the Dickinson Public Works Department or by filling out a report online via the Citizen Request Tracker.

Resources

The Dickinson Community Development Department provides homeowners with information on how to select a qualified contractor. There are several publications on retrofitting in the Dickinson Public Library that can help you decide which technique is best for you and your property. You can also download the following materials from the FEMA website:

• Homeowner's Guide to Retrofitting 3rd Edition (2014)
• Protecting Building Utility Systems From Flood Damage (2017)