Washington, DC and the surrounding National Capital Region (NCR) have experienced significant river, coastal, and interior floods that have negatively impacted federal and local operations, land and facility assets, and supporting infrastructure. As a result, flooding is one of the hazards that property and asset managers must consider to ensure a more secure and resilient capital.
This guide provides a short summary of key flood risks in the NCR, an overview of recent studies and tools that address current and future flood risks in the region, and brief descriptions of how these studies can be used in flood risk management. While much of the information addresses the entire NCR, the guide focuses on Washington, DC and its monumental core. The document will assist planners and facility managers and help inform their decisions on projects with flood risks.
The guide’s primary audience is facility managers, asset planners, and building design professionals who are involved in the planning and design of facilities or land uses in or near floodplains in Washington, DC and its surrounding region. This document is not intended to be used by emergency management professionals, and is not a resource for what to do when a flood comes. The guide provides a high-level understanding of various studies and tools, and a common vocabulary to compare them. It is written with enough detail so that the reader can engage in discussions of work scope and findings with other professionals. Further analysis, beyond what is contained in the referenced studies and tools, will likely be required for detailed planning and development.