MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — More rain means flooding is top of mind for people who live in the DMV. Montgomery County is working to get out ahead of it.
They’re developing a Comprehensive Flood Management Plan to avoid incidents like the one that happened at a Rockville apartment last year – flooding so dangerous that it ended up killing one person.
Rescuers needed to row in the yard to access neighbors trapped inside.
In fact, Montgomery County’s Chief of the Division of Energy, Climate and Compliance in the county’s Department of Environmental Protection, Stan Edwards, said they’ve noted that flooding would be one of the most severe climate impacts that the county would face moving forward.
“And we recognize we needed to do more related to flooding, understanding what our flooding risk was, provide more information to residents about flooding and things they can do to prepare for, and recover from flooding,” Edwards said.
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He said they’re developing a three phase plan.
The first step involves assessing where the county’s flood preparation stands and what leaders can do to improve it, including hiring the necessary staff.
The second phase includes studying areas that are becoming the most prone to flooding and determining the cause.
And lastly, they’ll take action to prevent flooding, like bolstering infrastructure.
“We've always had severe weather, but we're getting many more storms more frequently,” Edwards said. “Now, that drops a significant amount of rain in a very small amount of time, and our drainage infrastructure is not designed to handle that.”
Plenty of people living in Montgomery County have learned that firsthand.
So, the county launched a new website a couple weeks ago. In addition to flood insurance information, it includes a survey where people who live in the county can share their experiences with flooding.
All of that information will help Edwards’ team devise their action plan.
“We want [residents] to know that the county government is taking [flooding] very seriously and devoting a lot of time and resources to it,” he said.
The county is also holding some virtual information sessions and pop-up activities to talk to the public about their flooding experiences and provide more information on where the plan stands.