FEMA will spend over $2M to protect Philadelphia's Eastwick community from Cobbs Creek flooding

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced it'll spend more than $2 million to install temporary barriers for about 1,400 feet along Cobbs Creek in Philadelphia's Eastwick community.

The barriers, known as HESCO barriers, are about four feet high and three feet wide and are made up of fabric and metal wire that's filled with sand.

They were recently used during major flooding events in the Midwest.

On Monday afternoon, dozens of people, including FEMA administrators, politicians and members of the Eastwick community, gathered at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge's visitor center to discuss the plans for the barriers.

"The community needed a near-term solution; something that isn't a decade away but can keep people safe sooner," Victoria Salinas, who leads Resilience at FEMA, said. "That's what the HESCO barrier really does."

Brenda Whitfield, who's with the community group, Eastwick United , said she's excited to see the barriers installed.

"It doesn't seem like a lot to a lot of people, but it's a lot for us because it means that we get to have a sense of security," Whitfield said. "We get to rest when it rains."

Federal agencies are still in the design process for this project, and construction won't begin until late 2026.