Could Takoma Park be the Next Asheville? by Paul Chrostowski, PhD

From: Paul Chrostowski <paul.chrostowski@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Oct 9, 2024 at 11:20 AM
Subject: [ClimateActionCoffee] Could Takoma Park be the Next Asheville?
To: Talisha Searcy <talishas@takomaparkmd.gov>, Shana Fulcher <shanaf@takomaparkmd.gov>, Cindy Dyballa <CindyD@takomaparkmd.gov>, Randall H. Gibson <randallg@takomaparkmd.gov>, Terry Seamens <TerryS@takomaparkmd.gov>, Cara Honzak <carah@takomaparkmd.gov>, Jason Small <jasons@takomaparkmd.gov>, Robert DiSpirito <robertd@takomaparkmd.gov>
Cc: stormwater-takoma@googlegroups.com <stormwater-takoma@googlegroups.com>, Climate Action Coffee <climate-action-coffee@googlegroups.com>, environment-takoma@googlegroups.com <environment-takoma@googlegroups.com>, foscadvocacy@groups.io <foscadvocacy@groups.io>, north-takoma@freelists.org <north-takoma@freelists.org>, councilmember.stewart@montgomerycountymd.gov <councilmember.stewart@montgomerycountymd.gov>, County Executive Marc Elrich <Marc.Elrich@public.govdelivery.com>

We have all heard about the unexpected flood devastation in Western North Carolina, but this is far from an isolated incident. The U.S. has had at least 5 different extreme rain events this year—from places as far apart as Southern California and New England, and now Asheville. These events were not anticipated by the people who lived there who felt they were safe from the effects of climate disruption. They all involved a 1,000-year (or greater) event (meaning an event so rare that it has a 1/1,000 or 0.1% chance of happening in any given year). Asheville was simple not prepared. Unfortunately, Takoma Park could be in the same boat.

1. The City has not had a flood study since 2009. The one that was produced then only looked at a 100-year flood and did not include effects of climate change.

2. The floodplain study for the Library Project was limited in area, did not account for climate change, and also only looked at a 100-year event. The model used by the consultants was appropriate for stormwater management but inadequate for catastrophic flood analysis.

3. The recent LIDC study focused on remediation of existing stormwater problem areas and did not include any flooding analysis.

4. Most of the existing Takoma Park stormwater infrastructure was only designed to manage a 10-year event. To put things into context, rainfall for the 24-hour 10-year event for Takoma Park is 4.89 inches, the 100-year event is 8.44 inches; the 1,000-year event is 13.9 inches (parts of the Blue Ridge near Asheville received 14 inches).

5. If a 100-year event were to occur in Takoma Park today, it could affect some 619 properties. This event has a 26% chance of occurring over a 30-year period. The impact of a 1000-year event in Takoma Park has never been studied.

6. Maple Avenue from Philadelphia Avenue to Sligo Creek is a particularly vulnerable location for flooding. It is in a former stream valley over relic Brashears Run which drains over 550 acres of Takoma Park, Takoma DC, and Silver Spring. This street, along with the municipal buildings, Piney Branch Elementary and many multifamily residences lies in a basin. In a major event, this basin will act like a bathtub whose only drain is Sligo Creek. The creek itself would be inundated by water from upstream, would not have capacity to drain Maple, and the bathtub would fill up flooding structures along Maple. This is exactly what happened in the Appalachian hollows in North Carolina and Tennessee. This has never been studied for Takoma Park.

7. For years, Takoma Stormwater Solutions (TSS) and others have advocated for a Strategic Stormwater Management Plan for Takoma Park which would include flood vulnerabilities, climate change adaptation, and climate resilience. TSS has also requested that any stormwater management plan and action on the part of the City be fully transparent and consistent with the recommendations of the Maryland Climate Adaptation and Resilience Framework .These requests seem to have fallen on deaf ears and no action has been taken. The time for action by the City Council is now.

I am willing and available to give a presentation to the Council detailing the science behind these facts and actions that can be taken.

Paul Chrostowski

Webinar Tue May 2, 2023 7pm - Solving Neighborhood Stormwater Problems Together

Click here to view recording

Takoma Stormwater Solutions presented a webinar on Payment for Ecosystem Services, demonstrating how to implement an effective, sustainable approach for working with neighbors and our city government to solve perennial flooding problems in Takoma Park.

An experienced environmental economist joins a community leader from the Town of Somerset, MD to explain the steps by which neighbors, when supported by city experts, can implement cost-effective, long-term solutions to seemingly intractable problems.

Webinar Tue September 27, 2022 7pm - Takoma Stormwater Solutions: New Partnerships

Click here to view recording

Webinar Tue May 10, 2022 noon to 1:30 pm - Exploring Takoma Stormwater Solutions

We were  joined by 75 community members including more than half of the Takoma Park City Council and key staff members, a State delegate and County planning staff.

Click here to view recording