Flooding in Maryland: American Rivers Statement and Media Availability
May 29, 2018
Contact: Amy Kober, akober@americanrivers.org, 503-708-1145
Over the weekend, Ellicott City, Maryland was hit by its second 1,000-year flood in two years. While the recovery effort continues along the Patapsco River, many in Maryland and across the country are asking how communities can protect themselves from flood damage in the future.
“It’s heartbreaking to see the damage and our thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted by the flooding in Maryland,” said Bob Irvin, President of American Rivers.
“Ellicott City isn’t alone. Many communities across the country are struggling with increasingly severe flooding. When it comes to protecting people and property from floods, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We encourage communities to rebuild in a way that increases their resilience. This includes using natural options and working with rivers to keep homes and businesses out of harm’s way.”
American Rivers has been working in the Patapsco River watershed for a decade, advancing dam removal and river restoration projects.
Experts from American Rivers are available for interviews to discuss how our nation can improve flood protection and public safety in Maryland and across the country. Specifically:
- The option of moving people and infrastructure out of floodplains.
- The perils of relying solely on traditional infrastructure, such as dams or levees – which in many cases are aging and outdated.
- Why officials must factor climate change impacts into planning decisions.
- Why flood risk management is much more effective then flood control for protecting property and lives.
- Why giving rivers and floodways more room is the best approach for managing floods and keeping people out of harm’s way.
- How pending water infrastructure legislation poses an opportunity to improve our approach to flood protection.
- Implications of flooding on the Bloede Dam removal project
Additional resources:
Natural Defenses: Safeguarding Communities From Floods:
https://www.americanrivers.org/conservation-resource/natural-defenses-safeguarding-communities-floods/
Weathering Change: Policy Reforms that Save Money and Make Communities Safer
https://www.americanrivers.org/conservation-resource/weathering-change/
About American Rivers
American Rivers protects wild rivers, restores damaged rivers and conserves clean water for people and nature. Since 1973, American Rivers has protected and restored more than 150,000 miles of rivers through advocacy efforts, on-the-ground projects and an annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers® campaign. Headquartered in Washington, DC, American Rivers has offices across the country and more than 275,000 members, supporters and volunteers.
Rivers connect us to each other, nature, and future generations. Find your connections at AmericanRivers.org, Facebook.com/AmericanRivers and Twitter.com/AmericanRivers.