Flood Protection Program FAQs
A downloadable pdf of these FAQs can be found on the right of this page under "Related Information." If you have other questions about the Flood Protection Program, please email us at RippleEffect@vbgov.com.
  • How can I find out what city services are funded with the taxes I pay?

    ​On the City website, there is the Virginia Beach Taxpayer Receipt which is an interactive budget simulation tool that creates an estimate of the local taxes you pay to the City and illustrates the services that are funded by the revenue allocated to the City's General Fund. 

    You can input your information into the tool here: https://virginiabeachva.abalancingact.com/taxreceipt 

  • How does sea level rise affect Virginia Beach?

    ​Sea levels are rising. Water levels in the Hampton Roads Region have already risen over a foot in the last century. Looking into the future, sea levels will continue to rise and at an accelerated pace. Over a 50-year planning horizon Virginia Beach will likely experience an additional 1.5 to 3 feet of sea level rise. The effects of sea level rise vary across the City and include several factors.

    • Virginia Beach is a relatively young city, with most of the development occurring between the 1960s and 1990s. This growth was driven by many families and businesses choosing to call Virginia Beach home and the expanded operations of our military installations.
    • Sea level has increased by almost 1 foot since the 1960s.
    • Many areas were formerly farmland – development of this with residential and commercial buildings. During rainfall events, much less water is absorbed into the ground because of development.
    • Increased sea level makes it harder for rainfall runoff to drain into the City's waterways. Water that once entered waterways has to go somewhere – this excess water causes increased flooding.
    • Flood waters can impact any home at any time – not just waterfront property or affluent communities.

    Regardless of opinions about climate change, the reality is that flooding is increasing, and the City must prepare for the future. 

  • How long will it take to complete the flood protection projects?

    ​The timeline for completion of all of the Phase 1 projects ends in 2032. Although, about half of the Phase 1 projects will be completed within the next 6 – 7 years (FY27). 

  • How many miles of stormwater pipes are maintained by the City?

    ​The current asset inventory includes 1,234 miles of stormwater pipe ranging in size from older small sizes (4”- 12”) up to 120” (10 ft) diameter pipes. 

  • How many phases are you planning beyond your proposed Phase 1 of the Flood Protection Program?

    ​There is not a defined number of phases at this point. The projects required to upgrade existing systems and to move towards sea-level rise initiatives will likely be a multi-generational process. At this point we have identified these 21 projects and have master drainage plans underway to see where future phases of projects will need to be defined and programmed.

  • How much will my real estate taxes increase to fund the Flood Protection Program?

    ​Instead of increasing the stormwater fee, the City is proposing an increase in the real estate tax of 4.3 cents per $100 of a property's assessed value. And the stormwater fee will be locked in at the current rate until 2028.

  • How much will the Flood Protection Program cost?

    ​The total cost for all Phase 1 projects included in the Flood Protection Program is $567,492,850. 

  • Is the City guaranteeing that my home will not flood?

    ​While the City cannot guarantee that any given structure will not flood, these projects are intended to meet a standard that limits peak flood water to 3 inches or less above the crown of the road for the ten-year storm event and to prevent the flooding of structures for the one- hundred-year storm event.


    At build-out, the City will be able to request FEMA flood map updates to secure the lowest FEMA cost flood insurance policy premium rating for homes in upgraded protection areas. 



  • My property does not flood. Why do I have to pay the same amount of taxes for flood protection as those who live in areas that experience recurrent flooding?

    Even if you live in an area that does not experience flooding, recurrent flooding can still impede your ability to travel throughout the city for work, school, or other reasons. Lessening the impacts of flooding helps improve the quality of life for all residents. 

    Some needs are community-based, and this is one. In addition to maintaining passable roads for travel throughout the city or emergency services, it supports the economic vitality of our city (Ensuring businesses are willing to invest here, for example). It is a shared concern that impacts the entire city.

  • Rather than increase our taxes, can the City re-prioritize the money we already have to pay for flood protection efforts?

    ​The amount of funding we currently receive for stormwater projects is inadequate to deliver the needed projects in a timely manner.  The additional funding received from the bond referendum will allow us to accelerate projects currently underway and begin several new projects.  Without this funding, projects will be delayed and more flooding events must be endured without adequate protection. 

  • Was a benefit cost analysis done, and if so, do the benefits outweigh the costs? And how were the benefits calculated?

    ​Yes. Benefits were calculated using the Net Present Value (NPV) based on a 50-year life of the project divided by the cost for each project.

    Results greater than 1 are considered positive, meaning the benefits outweigh the costs. All six project areas were positive.

    • West Neck Creek Bridge: 4.69
    • Chubb Lake / Lake Bradford Projects: 1.19
    • Eastern Shore Drive Phase I Projects: 5.18
    • Windsor Woods Drainage Improvement Projects: 14.43
    • Princess Anne Plaza and The Lakes Projects: 9.88
    • Central Beach District Projects: 23.60

    Benefits were calculated using FEMA’s HAZUS model, which provides estimates on the physical damage, economic loss, and social impacts of natural disasters. It looks at building, contents, inventory losses, and flood depth data. This model also estimates direct and indirect losses (such as debris generation). Direct losses include the cost of repairs or replacements, income loss, and agricultural losses. Indirect losses include supply shortages and sales declines.

  • What “green solutions” does the City currently (or plan to) use to combat flooding? (Such as wetlands and marsh protection and maintenance, re-planting trees cleared for development, creating more green spaces).

    ​One of the projects included in the Flood Protection program, under the Green Infrastructure program, will construct Marsh Terraces in Back Bay to restore approximately 260 acres of marsh island habitat. 

    Marsh Terraces function by reducing wave energy, water velocities and turbidity. In turn, the calmer water allows more sunlight to penetrate to the shallow bottom, promoting the growth of underwater seagrasses. This ultimately increases habitat quality for fish and wildlife. 

    In addition, the City is evaluating other areas in the City to incorporate more natural mitigations such as living shorelines, land conservation to create more green spaces, reforestation, shellfish reefs and seagrass restoration.

  • What does the City currently do in terms of regular, ongoing maintenance (such as cleaning storm drains, drainage ditches, canals and retention ponds, etc.) to help mitigate flood risks?

    There are many components of the overall maintenance program.  Those major ones most closely related to flooding include:

    Off Road Ditch Cleaning- Ditches are cleaned on a cycle of 8-10 years.  Cleaning can be anything from minor vegetation removal to major excavation to restore depths

    Roadside Ditch Cleaning- This work is done on an as needed basis.  Work is identified by visual observation, historical need, and from citizen input and requests

    Cave-in Repair - Caves occur when underground pipe joints separate from one another or from the basin they are attached to.  We also have a pro-active rehabilitation program to clean and CCTV pipes in identified neighborhoods followed by the appropriate repairs 

    Pipe Cleaning – This work was previously done on an as-needed basis.  Starting with FY22 it is now funded to add a 5 year cycled cleaning of all of the piped system, along with a CCTV of their condition every 15 years

    Pump Station Maintenance – Standard maintenance in these stations is done on a daily basis, with more major repairs done as needed.  We also have a rehabilitation program for these station which is on a 15-year cycle 

    Lake Dredging – 448 lakes/ponds and 38 associated dams/spillways are dredged and maintained under this program 

    Canal Dredging – This program addresses the need for dredging the 61 canals throughout the City

    BMP Maintenance – BMPs are Best Management Practice. In the context of stormwater, it is a practice/device to control stormwater runoff to make better use of the resource and prevent damage due to flooding, erosion, sedimentation and pollution. Examples of some BMPs include retention basins (artificial lakes or ponds), sand filters, and vegetated or grassy channels. 

    269 publicly owned BMPs are maintained under this program. 

    Other programs include BMP inspections, Environmental Spill Response, Mosquito Control, Boardwalk/Seawall Hurricane Protection Project, and Street Sweeping. 

  • What exactly mean when it is said this a 100-year flood?

    ​The United States Geological Survey (USGS) defines a 100-year storm event as an event that has a 1% chance of occurring every year. Multiple 100-year storms, and larger, can occur during a calendar year. 

  • What is the City doing to prepare for sea level rise and a future with more frequent and intense storms?

    ​In the last six years, the City of Virginia Beach has undertaken a comprehensive effort to develop strategies to respond to sea level rise and related increases in flooding. The study identifies short- and long-term adaptation strategies that will reduce flooding risks for each of the City's four unique watersheds: Atlantic Ocean, Elizabeth River, Lynnhaven, and Southern Rivers. The study is known as Sea Level Wise. The complete study can be found at www.vbgov.com/pwslr.

  • What is the cost to properties if we make this investment? In other words, what are the damages that we avoid?

    ​We calculated the approximate structural damages avoided over a 50-year period for the projects as follows:  

    • West Neck Creek Bridge – $324 million
    • Chubb Lake / Lake Bradford Projects – $135 million
    • Eastern Shore Drive Phase I Projects– $74 million
    • Windsor Woods Drainage Improvement Projects – $858 million
    • Princess Anne Plaza and The Lakes Projects – $1.6 billion
    • Central Beach District Projects – $2.3 billion


  • What is the difference between flood control and stormwater quality?

    ​Flood Control references projects and programs developed to help combat flooding due to rainfall and/or tidal influences. Flood control projects range from minor projects such as neighborhood storm water pipe improvements, new structures, drainage ditches, etc., to more major projects such as storm water pump stations, tide gates and flood walls. 

    Stormwater Quality refers to maintaining and/or improving the quality of our surrounding waters including the Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Ocean and other bodies of water within our City. 

  • What is the general process and public visibility of that process under which adjustments to the means of financing within the bond referndum are adjudicated and put in place?

    ​Any adjustment in the rate would require approval by City Council. Typically these adjustments would occur during the annual budget process. 

  • What is the stormwater fee that residents pay currently used for?

    The stormwater fees collected are used to fund the overall stormwater program which include some flood control projects, stormwater quality projects and ongoing stormwater maintenance. Stormwater maintenance includes (among other things), ditch cleaning, stormwater pipe cleaning, pump station maintenance and dredging lakes, ponds and canals. 

    There are 59 miles of canals, 550 lakes/ponds and 38 associated dams/spillways that are dredged and maintained by the city. 

    The current operating budget includes funding for 14 full-time employees for a stormwater pipe cleaning crew and 7 full-time employees for a stormwater maintenance crew to proactively address stormwater maintenance needs throughout the city.

  • What safeguards are in place to make sure bond proceeds and associated real estate tax rates to cover total life cycle costs to include debt service are not diverted by future councils?

    The bond referendum question that appeared on the Nov. 2., 2021 election ballot includes the names of the projects in Phase 1 of the Flood Protection Program, which means legally, the funds can only be spent on those specific projects. 

    City Council voted to establish a separate fund where the revenue collected from the increase in real estate taxes will be deposited and withdrawals from that fund can only be used for the Flood Protection Program. Revenues generated through the dedicated tax rate will be “lock boxed” in this dedicated fund. All revenue collected and realized within the special revenue fund will be preserved for the purpose of future debt service payments and lifecycle costs related to the Flood Protection Program bond referendum. Funding may also be used for potential future bond issuances once the initial referendum debt is retired. 

    City Council also agreed to establish a Citizen Oversight Board that will oversee and report on the progress of the Flood Protection Program. They will provide regular public briefings to city council to report on the progress of the flood protection program and the work to eliminate the backlog in ongoing maintenance of the city's ditches, canals, and ponds. 

  • Where can I find out how stormwater funds are being used?

    A detailed accounting of the City's stormwater budget is included in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) documents found on the City website here: https://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/budget-office-management-services/budget-archives/Pages/default.aspx.

    The current budget documents are under the "FY22 Adopted Budget" tab. Previous fiscal year budgets are under the "Budget Archive" tab. Thanks. 

  • Why can’t the City use some of the money it spends on the oceanfront/resort area to pay for these flood protection projects?

    ​The largest percentage of the City's Capital Improvement Program budget goes to stormwater (23%). Economic & tourism development is only 4% of that budget. Tourism-related projects are primarily funded by the City's Tourism Investment Program Fund which is revenue generated from out-of-town visitors. 

  • Why is more money needed for flood protection when residents already pay a stormwater fee?

    ​Although the largest percentage of the City's Capital Improvement Program budget goes to stormwater (23%), the amount of funding the City receives from stormwater fees is inadequate to maintain the existing stormwater drainage infrastructure, comply with regulatory mandates and mitigate flooding. In addition the City’s charter bond borrowing capacity is limited to approximately $75 million a year without voter approval.


    With the passage of the bond referendum, funding received from additional real estate tax revenue now allows the City to accelerate projects currently underway and to begin several new projects that address recurrent flooding. Without funding from the bond referendum, the same projects would have been delayed as much as 40 years—with roads and structures still at risk of more flooding events and little or inadequate protection.



  • Will the real estate tax rate associated with the total life cycle cost of the stormwater bond referendum be adjusted up and down to offset the change in the “book value” to hold actual revenues to comply with forecast?

    ​An annual review of the separate fund for the Flood Protection Program will occur to ensure adequate capacity within the fund remains to cover its obligations. Over time, adjustment in the means of financing within the Flood Protection Program will be adjusted to ensure the proper use of bonds and potentially the use of pay-go or fund balance within the CIP. It is a possibility that future City Council’s could modify the dedicated real estate tax rate should less/more revenue be necessary to meet future needs. 

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