New Website Highlights Flooding Issues, Concerns and Solutions; Also Includes Links to Flooding Survey and Outreach Events

Montgomery County has unveiled a new website to educate and inform the public about flooding issues that may affect residents and businesses throughout the County. The website provides information about frequently flooded roads in the County, steps residents can take to prepare for potential flooding and the availability of flood insurance to all properties in the County.

Montgomery County is committed to addressing adverse flood impacts to residents and businesses in the County.

The web address is https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/flooding/. The page can be found on the County’s homepage.

Flooding is the most frequent severe weather event and the costliest natural disaster. Floods not only affect high-risk coastal areas, but according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 25 percent of flood insurance claims come from moderate-to-low-risk areas like Montgomery County. Just one inch of floodwater can cause up to $25,000 in damage.

Montgomery County is developing a comprehensive flood management plan to better understand the causes and impacts of flooding—and potential strategies to eliminate or minimize the risks of flooding. In June, the County announced a new high-tech flood sensor program to provide earlier alerts to residents about potential flooding.

“We know that climate change impacts Montgomery County primarily in two ways; heat and flooding,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “We are addressing both areas head-on. We have begun to map heat islands in the County to identify potential areas where we can take action to protect vulnerable neighborhoods. Through the flood management plan, we will be identifying flood-prone areas and identifying potential strategies to minimize flooding.”

The County is seeking assistance from community members to help identify flood-prone areas. The new website includes a short, confidential survey that residents can use to provide feedback on flooding experiences and insight.

The new website includes a calendar of in-person and online events where County teams will explain the Comprehensive Flood Management Plan to community members and help them fill out the survey.

Events include:

• Saturday, Sept. 24. 8 a.m. Gaithersburg Community Flea Market, Pin Oak Drive, Gaithersburg.
• Saturday, Oct. 1. Noon. Lotte Plaza Market, 13069 Wisteria Dr., Germantown.
• Wednesday, Oct. 12. 6:30 p.m. Comprehensive Flood Management Plan Virtual Community Forum.
• Thursday, Oct. 20. 6:30 p.m. Comprehensive Flood Management Plan Virtual Community Forum.

Hard copy maps and translated educational flyers will be available during the events.

For more information on the flood sensors go to: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/water/Resources/Files/stormwater/Fact-Sheet-Flood-Sensors.pdf

For questions on the Comprehensive Flood Management Plan, email Stan Edwards, DEP division chief, at stan.edwards@montgomerycountymd.gov.