Flooding

Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Local Planning: New Water Resources Element Guidance

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Planning Assistance in Action 

by Jason Dubow, CC-P, Manager, Resource Conservation and Management and Matthew Rowe, Assistant Director, Water and Science Administration, Maryland Department of Planning 

Note: this article was originally published in the Maryland Municipal League’s September/October online magazine, Municipal Maryland. 

Fig 1 – Photo of sign warning fisherman of rising waters.

To protect private property, public health, government infrastructure and local environmental resources, municipalities should take steps to study the expected impacts of climate change. Those steps should include identifying vulnerable areas, populations, and assets to develop strategies to avoid or lessen those impacts.

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April is Maryland Flood Awareness Month — take (and share!) this important Flood Awareness Survey

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Planning in Progress

By Debbie Herr Cornwell, PLA, CC-P®, Resource Conservation Planner, and Kristen E. Humphrey, MLA, Local Assistance and Training Planner

Did you know flooding is the number one natural hazard in Maryland? According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, every year, floods in Maryland kill more residents and destroy more property than any other natural hazard.[1]

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Two Western Shore Chesapeake Bay Towns Join Forces to Fight the Effects of Climate Change 

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Local Spotlight 

by Kristen E. Humphrey, MLA, Local Assistance and Training Planner 

Due to the growing effects of climate change, many coastal areas around the country and world are facing problems exacerbated by sea level rise and intensified weather patterns. These include larger and more severe storms, and high tides which cause our cities, towns, as well as agricultural, forested, and natural areas to flood more frequently. 

Figure 1 – photo courtesy of Town of North Beach.

Some of the anticipated consequences affecting coastal areas include property damage, surface and groundwater resource contamination, and the negative impacts on recreational opportunities and wildlife habitats.  With roughly 3,190 miles of shoreline1, Maryland is no exception. “For coastal Maryland towns, the future means dealing aggressively with flood risks,” says Lauren Kabler, North Beach Town Council Member.

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