Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County residents are often left with injuries and home damages during powerful storms, and with hurricane season in full swing, residents must learn preparedness techniques in order to maintain their investment and means of shelter.
As a result, becoming resilient to natural disasters is at the top of the list for one Washington, D.C., nonprofit, so much that it is building a comprehensive plan for Ward 7 to be ready for whatever comes its way. The Ward 7 Resilience Hub Community Coalition (RHCC), made up of community residents, offers listening sessions, provides education around home insurance protections, and explains to residents and business owners how climate change impacts their well-being and livelihoods.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, too, is committed to ensuring both renters’ and homeowners’ resilience by providing disaster recovery funds after an emergency, particularly for communities that tend not to have enough savings to deal with the economic shock of a disaster, said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman.
“We insist when people are building back communities, that they are building to a standard that can withstand the next event, whether it is a flood, hurricane, or tornado,” Todman told The Informer earlier this year during an interview on how the administration is committed to Black homeownership. “We are building resiliency into our homes. By doing that, we are helping Black Americans across the country.”
Earlier this year, The Washington Informer reported that “nuisance flooding” caused by our climate crisis can cause serious damage to local homes and businesses.
Flooding of just one to two inches of water can put homeowners and business owners, even if not located in a designated flood plain, in jeopardy. In addition, more problems, beyond structural, can present if homeowners or business owners haven’t invested in flood insurance or can’t afford mold treatments.
Further, urban flooding– when rainfall overflows storm drains far away from a body of water– poses dire challenges to residents. In August 2023, torrential rain combined with an infrastructure ill prepared for intense storms caused flooding in just 45 minutes at District Dogs canine daycare on Rhode Island Avenue, NE, leading to the drowning of 10 dogs.
Two years ago in June, Greenbelt Park proved to be ground zero for a windstorm with speeds of up to 80 miles per hour. More than 100 trees were uprooted and power lines came down, creating hazards for visitors and National Park staff. It took three months for the National Park Service to reopen the campgrounds to the public.
In October 2021, D.C.’s Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens National Park, home to more than 40 ponds, water lilies and lotus flowers, was flooded by torrential rains and strong winds. National Park staff had to rowboat through the Ward 7 park to assess its conditions. Environmental studies say it’s just a matter of time before homes in that very area are impacted by the same flooding.
“When you talk about resilience, a lot of people think you’re talking about parks and forests,” said RHCC Co-director Dennis Chestnut. “Resilience does include those things, but in our case, we’re talking about urban resilience–the ability of the whole community to survive, adapt, and thrive no matter what kind of chronic stress, disruptions or acute shocks we experience.”
Being Prepared in Ward 7 Despite the Flood Plain
The far northeast area of Ward 7, including Kenilworth, Eastland Gardens, Mayfair, Parkside and River Terrace, lies in the 100-year and 500-year flood plain, said Chestnut.
The type of flood plain, a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) measurement term, means there is a 1 in 100 or 1% chance, and a 1 in 500 .02% chance respectively, of flooding every year at the same rate, or greater. This means several Ward 7 businesses and hundreds of homes are at risk of getting flooded due to their proximity to the Anacostia River.
However, RHCC is working to ensure they are prepared, and aware of how to secure proper insurance to protect their property.
“These two flood zones have been identified by the FEMA, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), even the Army Corp of Engineers,” said Chestnut. “Because we live in this flood plain, one of the things at the top of our agenda is informing and educating people about flooding and not just what causes flooding, but what you do to prepare for that, and how you respond.”
In addition to public education, RHCC established the first pilot resilience hub in Ward 7 located at the FH Faunteroy Community Enrichment Center. The center is currently building out its capacity to be a 24-hour central communication mechanism that also serves as a resource to community members and businesses who, during an emergency, may need guidance on next steps, a source of power to communicate or refrigerate medication, and to pick up food and water.
“When we say stressors, we could describe those as slow-burning disasters that weaken our cities every day which magnify the impact of shock,” Chestnut told The Informer. “Poverty, trauma, stressed transportation systems are some of those.”
He added that heat waves and even cyber attacks are included in that list.
“Hopefully, the rest of the city will pick up on what we’re doing and replicate the model we have established and have hubs in reasonable proximity of residents. We are also preparing to move forward to work with communities in Ward 6 and Ward 8, and additional communities in Ward 7 to establish a resilience hub,” he said.