In an effort to address the impacts of floods on county residents and business, the county has unveiled a new portion of their website that is dedicated to educating and informing the public about flooding issues throughout the county.
“The website provides information about the frequently flooded roads, steps residents can take to prepare for potential flooding and the availability of flood insurance to all properties in the County,” the county government stated per a press release on Wednesday. “Montgomery County is committed to addressing adverse flood impacts to residents and businesses in the County.”
According to the county government, flooding is the most frequent and severe weather event. In terms of natural disasters it has become one of the “costliest.”
Along with the new webpage, the county is also developing a “comprehensive flood management plan” with hopes that it will help provide the necessary strategies to mitigate the risks of flooding.
“We know that climate change impacts Montgomery County in two major ways: heat and flooding,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “That is why we are mapping heat islands in the County to identify potential areas where we can take action to protect vulnerable neighborhoods. That is also why we will use the flood management plan to identify flood-prone areas…”
In order to help identify these areas, the county is relying on residents to utilize certain features on the site. This includes a confidential survey as well as a “Report Flooding” feature which provides the information needed to report flooding and drainage issues straight to the county government.
The site also provides information regarding upcoming events during which the Flood Management Plan will be explained to community members.
Among these events is a Comprehensive Flood Management Plan Virtual Community Forum – the first of two – which will take place Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 6:30 p.m. Residents can find a complete list of outreach events pertaining to flooding information here.
The new site can be found here. Those with questions regarding the plan are asked to email DEP Division Chief Stan Edwards at stan.edwards@montgomerycountymd.gov.
