Washington D.C., due to its unique location of being surrounded by both the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers, is a hotspot for floods. The last major riverine flooding occurred in 1996; the last major tidal flood occurred in 2003 with Hurricane Isabel. The last interior flood was in 2012 when Federal Triangle had to shut down operations for months due to the flooding destruction. All these floods significantly impacted the lives of DC residents. This is also why Nature Forward has been instrumental in getting information to the most impacted people areas in Wards 7 & 8 so they can become better informed and prepared before the next flood comes.
Floods puts people in the District at risk constantly. DC has three types of floods which are costal (tidal) flood, riverine, and interior /combined sewer system floods. Coastal floods are those that happen and come from the Potomac & Anacostia Rivers which are connected to the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Riverine floods are caused by heavy rains west of DC, as far out as West Virginia that make their way to DC 1 –3 days later via the Potomac River. Interior floods come from heavy flash downpours that can cause urban street flooding. The last type of flood is also caused by the District’s combined sewer system. This system combines both sewage and stormwater and during heavy rain events overflows into DC’s streets and neighborhoods.
Flooding does not impact every District resident equally. The outdated FEMA flood maps are inadequate in the sense that they only account for overflow from rivers but not from combined sewer systems. There are numerous community members who own or rent a home with a basement in the District and are burdened by the extra costs that accumulate every time there is a major flooding event. It is even more worrisome for those community members who live in basement apartments, once the streets start to flood, they have nowhere to escape, and this puts them in a life-threatening situation. Wards 7 and 8 are the most impacted by the district’s floods due to historical housing discriminatory practices such as racial covenants.
Nature Forward’s Flood Wise Communities is one of many programs targeted to help DC residents of Wards 7 & 8 become more knowledgeable and have the resources they need to combat flooding in their own homes and neighborhoods. Read more about our work in our previous blog at: https://natureforward.org/the-power-of-partnerships/
More Resources & Articles:
Hola Cultura (2023) The hidden costs of flooding in D.C.’s poorest wards.
Flooding & Resilience – National Capital Planning Commission
Racial Covenants – District of Columbia (2020)
