Flood Mitigation Trends and Subsequent Implications
While stormwater management efforts are more and more focused on preparing for the impacts of climate change, many municipalities must also continue addressing flooding that presently affects their communities. This presentation explores several recent or ongoing studies in which the primary goal is to design an improved municipal drainage system to mitigate known flooding. For each project, details presented include key processes, constraints, decisions, and outcomes. Across these projects, common themes emerge, including, but not limited to, development-based constraints, skyrocketing project costs, and deteriorating project benefit values. The presentation explores these contemporary themes, their impact on the industry, and what they mean for the future of stormwater management. Concluding with potential options to circumvent or systematically address these concerns, this presentation will draw from multiple experiences to inform a larger assessment of current flood mitigation trends.
Author Bio
Ms. Kersey is a water resources engineer with a degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Virginia Tech. Her work focuses on stormwater modeling, urban flood mitigation, and resiliency policy and planning.
