U.S. Army Corps of Engineers representatives joined more than 150 experts to discuss flooding in the nation’s capital at Gallaudet University, on September 8, 2016, marking the first flood summit of its kind in Washington.
The summit occurred the week of the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Fran that engulfed Washington in 1996.
The 2016 Flood Summit was organized by the DC Silver Jackets, an interagency team that leverages resources to identify and implement comprehensive, resilient, and sustainable solutions to reduce flood risks around Washington.
“We have more people and development to accommodate for in the future when thinking about flood-risk-management measures, ” said Tanya Stern, District of Columbia, Office of Planning, Planning, Engagement and Design deputy director.
“Flood protection for D.C. equals protecting our economy, which is one of the strongest in the nation, ” added Brian Kenner, District of Columbia, Planning and Economic Development deputy mayor. “ We have to guard the economy we’ve worked so hard to generate.”
Panel discussions during the summit included an overview of flood-risk-management programs, policies and initiatives across all levels of governance; resilience and climate-adaptation challenges and opportunities; structural and non-structural solutions agencies are currently taking to manage flood risks; and the path forward.