Urban flooding is a growing issue in Maryland. The increasing number of extreme rainfall events that produce intense precipitation will continue to lead to more urban flooding events unless steps are taken to mitigate their impacts. The Maryland General Assembly recognized the need to address urban flooding with the passing of Senate Bill 227. The Bill tasks the Maryland Department of the Environment (Department) with developing plans to evaluate current flooding risks and update regulations to improve urban stormwater flood management. The Department released a report "Advancing Stormwater Resiliency in Maryland," that provides a roadmap towards modernizing stormwater management in Maryland.
The Department is taking action through the collection of tools and web applications, targeting funding opportunities, developing outreach and education and updating stormwater regulations. With the help of local floodplain and stormwater managers, the Department will identify and characterize Maryland's urban flooding events and report the current state of local stormwater and flood management programs.
The Department will hold three regional kickoff meetings in early Spring 2022 to engage local jurisdictions. Following these meetings, the Department will begin data collection and information exchange through online surveys, targeted focus group meetings, and development of an information exchange HUB webpage. Be a part of the process! Click here for registration information.
For more information and updates about this initiative, visit the Advancing Stormwater Resiliency in Maryland hub page here.
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