Mayor Muriel Bowser declared the third week of June as "DC Flood Awareness Week."
Click here to read the full Mayoral Proclamation.
Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States. Severe weather and flooding can happen at any time and the District has historically experienced significant flooding. It is critical that District residents stay alert and prepare for flooding. Join us for the District's second-annual Flood Awareness Week, which consists of several days of programming to help Disrict residents become more prepared for and resilient against flooding.
What is Flood Awareness Week? District Flood Awareness Week seeks to improve public knowledge of flooding and the potential threats for homeowners and renters. The campaign aims to empower District residents and business owners to mitigate their exposure to potential flooding through improved readiness and education.
Schedule-at-a-Glance
| Event | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Flood Risk Education Through Art | June 21 | 11:00AM |
| Flood-Ready Youth Workshop | June 22 | Invite Only |
| Ask the Floodplain Manager Q/A - NextDoor Live | June 23 | 12:00PM |
| Low-Cost Home Retrofits to Reduce Flood Damage | June 23 | 7:00PM |
Program Schedule - Flood Awareness Week
Tuesday, June 21 | Flood Risk Education Through Art
Public art can be a highly-effective method to educate and showcase flood risk. The District recently completed a High Water Mark (HWM) sculpture with The Wharf.
Event: High Water Mark Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at The Wharf
Location: 1100 Maine Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024
Time: 11:00AM
Invite: Eventbrite
About: To celebrate and present The Wharf High Water Mark (HWM) art sculpture to the public.
HIGH WATER MARK DC is a public art project which identifies the extent of historic flooding during storm events within DC's floodplain (the area at risk of storm-caused flooding). The Wharf High Water Mark sculpture is one of three such markers intended to help the public understand the risk of flooding. The goal of the project is to raise awareness of flood risk and encourage DC residents to become more resilient to future flooding. Note: this event is limited to 40 participants.
For more information, please visit the HWM project website here.
Event contact:
Josh Schnitzlein, DOEE
Check it out!
Financial Assistance to Prepare Your Home for Flooding
The Bowser Administration and the newly established DC Flood Task Force (DCFloodTaskForce.org) would like to help reduce the flooding risk for District homeowners living in the Special Flood Hazard area, also known as the 100-year floodplain. For more information, see link to sign up today for a free resilience assessment and potential home improvement funding.
Wednesday, June 22 | Know Your Flood Risk
Understanding flood risk is vital in ensuring public safety. Thie programming explores the resources and flood risk tools available to the public.
Event: Flood-Ready Youth Workshop
Location: Anacostia High School
Invite: Invitation Only
About: Flooding can happen in many ways and often without warning! DOEE and HSEMA will present information to high school students that will help educate them to know more about their flood risk and how to protect themselves from flooding. If you think a similar workshop would be useful in your community, please contact the Victor Ukpolo and Kim McCall, contact information below.
Event contact:
Victor Ukpolo, DC DOEE or at [email protected]
Kim McCall, DC HSEMA
Check it out!
Evaluate Your Need for Flood Insurance
DISB recently completed a dedicated flood awareness webpage to help residents and business owners assess their need for flood insurance.
Thursday, June 23 | Risk and Resources
The District is committed to reducing flooding impacts throughout the District. Learn more about how we are looking at flooding and strategizing mitigation solutions through a live hat with the District Floodplain Manager, Watts Branch Plan preview and more.
Event: Ask the Floodplain Manager Q/A – NextDoor Live.
Time: 12:00PM
Invite: Eventbrite
About: DOEE is hosting a live Ask the Floodplain Manager Q/A session. This will be a one-hour session where DC residents will have the opportunity to ask questions about how to protect their homes from flooding, where flooding occurs in the District, and what can be done to prepare for flooding during hurricane season.
Residents should look out for a series of NextDoor polls the week leading up to Flood Week. Each poll will have an Eventbrite registration for attending the live Q/A session on the 23rd.
Event contact:
Josh Schnitzlein, DOEE
Victor Ukpolo, DC DOEE
Event: Low-Cost Home Retrofits to Reduce Flood Damage
Location: In-person at Faunteroy Center (4800 Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE). The event will also be streamed via Zoom.
Time: 7:00PM-8:15PM
Invite: Eventbrite
About: DOEE’s Flood Team will present information on its program to provide free home assessments and retrofits at minimal cost that will reduce the risk of flood damage
Event contact:
Josh Schnitzlein, DOEE
Victor Ukpolo, DC DOEE
Check it out!
Watts Branch E-Learning Modules
Outreach DOEE has developed a series of online seminars regarding flood risk in the Watts Branch neighborhood. Key topics include flood preparedness, infrastructure improvements that could reduce flood risk, and the potential for “blue-green infrastructure” such as floodable parks, porous pavement, and curbside rain gardens to mitigate flooding.
Friday, June 24 | ReadyDC and You!
The District is committed to reducing flooding impacts throughout the District. Learn more about how we are looking at flooding and strategizing mitigation solutions through a live hat with the District Floodplain Manager, Watts Branch Plan preview and more.
Event: Resident feedback and Weather Preparedness
Location: Virtual
Invite: http://tinyurl.com/yc5pmdrh
About: Openbox, an organization that works to center communities in design, is working with the DC government and ReadyDC to help residents prepare for and respond to weather emergencies—specifically, extreme heat, winter weather, and flooding.
After learning from the experiences of DC residents, we are conducting 30-minute virtual interviews to collect feedback on specific ideas. Interviews are taking place on Friday, June 24 and Monday, June 27. We'll be providing $50 as a thank-you to those we interview.
Want to participate? Respond to this 2-minute survey to be considered!
Highlights from last year's Flood Week
Additional Resources for Information and Preparedness
Stay Aware!
Sign up for Alert DC | alert.dc.gov
AlertDC is the official District of Columbia communications system allowing you to pick the type of emergency alerts, notifications, and updates directly from the District of Columbia's public safety officials. AlertDC allows you to pick and choose what kind of notifications you want to receive (public safety, power/water utility outages, city government delays/ closings etc.) and the location specific neighborhood(s) of interest to you - your child's school, your office, or your favorite hangout.
Stay Prepared!
Make a plan with ReadyDC | ready.dc.gov
ReadyDC is a preparedness campaign with the goal of ensuring the District is prepared to meet a variety of hazards including manmade and natural disasters. By helping residents and business owners plan for the unexpected, ReadyDC aims to make all 8 wards of the District better prepared and more resilient.
Additional Flooding Resources
- DC Flood Risk Viewer
- FEMA's Map Service Center
- National Flood Insurance Program
- District of Columbia Silver Jackets
- DC's Floodplain Management Site