Washington, DC and the surrounding National Capital Region have experienced significant river, coastal, and interior floods in the past, and the city is still at risk today. Flooding is a serious issue not only because of its potential to impact residents, but because of its effect on government operations and cultural treasures. Many museums, memorials, and federal buildings – and the important artifacts and operations they house - lie within the most flood-prone areas of the city. To protect these important assets and the missions they support from flood damage, NCPC works in coordination with other federal and local agencies to improve flood defenses and to plan for a more secure and resilient capital.
In January 2018, NCPC and District of Columbia Silver Jackets Team jointly released the Flood Risk Management Planning Resources for Washington, DC. The guide includes a summary of the region's flood risk, an overview of 11 studies and tools that address current and future flood risks in the region, and brief descriptions on how these studies can be used.
This element, adopted in 2016, contains policies to protect the region’s floodplains and federal assets from flood damage. It is the primary policy document used by NCPC to review project and master plan proposals.
All federal agencies must comply with Executive Order 11988: Floodplain Management (1977), and its implementing guidelines (1978). Together, these documents direct federal agencies to avoid development in floodplains when possible and establish procedures for what to do if development in a floodplain is necessary.
NCPC works closely with local jurisdictions when reviewing projects and planning for resilience, including the District Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), who coordinates the city’s participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. NCPC is also a member of the DC Silver Jackets, and interagency group that works to reduce flood risk in Washington, DC.
As part of NCPC’s update to its Submission Guidelines, NCPC also worked with stakeholder agencies to revise the language and requirements for projects in floodplains. The revisions are included in the latest version of NCPC’s submission guidelines.
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton opened the festivities for the first ever Flood Summit that brought local leaders together to discuss the city’s flooding issues and potential solutions.
In January 2007 the levee system that protects downtown Washington, DC from flooding was “de-accredited” by FEMA. After years of design work and construction, a new 17th Street Levee Closure was officially accredited by FEMA in September 2016, and it now provides protection for downtown DC while also blending into the landscape of the National Mall.
The DC Silver Jackets was established in 2014. NCPC is a signatory member of the Memorandum of Understanding. The DC Silver Jackets is an interagency team comprised of members from federal, District of Columbia and regional agencies, as well as academia. This team leverages resources to identify and implement comprehensive, resilient, and sustainable solutions to reduce flood risk around the district and to assist local communities.
NCPC, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and three other federal agencies hosted a series of workshops that provided stakeholders with a first look at the region’s climate change risk, and helped build capacity, new partnerships and encouraged proactive adaptation planning.
Following the 2006 Federal Triangle Flood, this study set out to create an accurate model of the Federal Triangle stormwater system and predict ponding levels that could occur with future heavy rains. The study also proposed system-wide flood control alternatives.
Following the Federal Triangle Flood and a request from the Commission for more information on the subject, NCPC staff published the 2008 report on Flooding and Stormwater in Washington, DC.