A proposed set of temporary flood barriers for Philadelphia’s Eastwick neighborhood faces further delays as city officials study whether the project could push floodwater into neighboring Delaware County. At a virtual town hall in September, Korin Tangtrakul, a senior manager with the city’s Office of Sustainability, said flood modeling showed that placing barriers along Cobbs Creek could cause flooding elsewhere. The creek is narrow, she told residents, limiting the options for installing a barrier without affecting surrounding areas. The city is examining whether a lower barrier could reduce the risk of flooding outside Eastwick, but that design would also offer residents less protection. Modeling and design work could continue through 2027, Tangtrakul said, and construction could begin in 2028. Federal funding for the project is due to start expiring that year if it has not been used. The proposal, announced in 2024, would use HESCO-style barriers: large fabric-and-wire containers filled with soil. City officials presented them as a near-term measure to reduce flood risk while a longer-term fix was developed. Eastwick residents have endured repeated flooding from Cobbs and Darby creeks, which have damaged homes and cars and forced evacuations. Tropical Storm Isaias flooded the neighborhood in 2020, with some households facing a lengthy recovery. Climate change is expected to intensify the threat through heavier rainfall and rising water levels in nearby tidal rivers. Brenda Whitfield, who has lived in Eastwick for more than 50 years and said her home has flooded three times, urged the city to move ahead with the barriers. She has visited New York City to see similar barriers in use. “We need hope in Eastwick,” Whitfield said. “We need those barriers to protect our backdoor.” She said she did not believe a smaller increase in flooding in Delaware County should prevent protection for Eastwick residents. Federal floodplain rules require projects to limit any increase in water levels caused by the project to no more than one foot during a 100-year flood, Tangtrakul said in an email. She declined to say whether the city believes it can meet that standard, citing ongoing analysis. The barrier plan follows the collapse of earlier levee proposals. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it could not guarantee that a proposed levee—first envisioned at 15 feet and later scaled back—would avoid causing additional flooding nearby. The city’s broader Eastwick flood-resilience work also includes voluntary home buyouts and relocations, wetland restoration concepts, lower-cost flood insurance options and a network of real-time flood monitors installed this spring. Tangtrakul said the city recognizes that delays have disappointed residents and remains committed to working with the community on flood protections.