A Flood Resilient Arlington: Looking Back to Move Forward

Published on November 06, 2019

Working toward a more Flood Resilient Arlington, the County continues to add to its array of stormwater management resources for the public.

Challenges and the Path Forward, a just-published, visually rich Story Map, illustrates how Arlington's peak 20th century development took place amid few standards for stormwater — and the ramifications for today's more frequent, intense rain storms lasting very short periods of time.

Also explained and illustrated: the County's ongoing efforts to upgrade capacity within its stormwater infrastructure, as well as potential public-private options for future overland relief and retention.

The County continues to encourage residents and businesses to evaluate flooding risks on their property. The online Story Map (use a Chrome browser for full enhancements) points the way for taking action.

The County's Sustainability and Environmental Management Bureau hosted two Flood Resilient Arlington public workshops in October. Experts in risk evaluation, structural retrofitting and home and flood insurance covered the latest options for homeowners and businesses and answered questions about vulnerabilities and how to reduce them.

Video of the presentations and audience question period from the Oct. 24 program at Central Library is now available for streaming and linked on the Flood Resilient Arlington website.

More public programs are being planned for 2020 as discussions dovetail with processes for the County's FY2021 budget and FY2021-2030 Capital Improvement Plan.