Three Communities Receive Funding to Mitigate Flooding

Department Program Assists Planning for Coastal Hazards

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will provide $125,000 total to three communities to reduce the impact of tidal flooding. These competitive Community Resiliency Grants will help local governments prepare for weather-related hazards, including flooding, sea level rise and storm events.

CoastSmart Communities is a department program dedicated to assisting Maryland’s coastal communities address short- and long-term coastal hazards. It connects local planners to essential information, people, tools and training.

The grants recipients are:

• Somerset County: This project will update both the Somerset County and City of Crisfield zoning ordinances, which have not been updated since 2000 and 1977, respectively. These ordinances impact daily land use activities and decisions about future growth as well as environmental protection and resiliency.
• Town of Eagle Harbor: Located on the shores of the Patuxent River in rural southern Prince George’s County, Eagle Harbor is susceptible to erosion, flooding during storm events and rising waters. This project will support a planning process that starts at the shoreline but encompasses the entire town. The effort will integrate different processes into a master plan to increase resiliency.
• Town of Oxford: In recent years Oxford has taken steps to understand its vulnerability to erosion, flooding and rising waters, and to implement plans to address those issues. This project will support the town’s application to the Community Rating System, a voluntary program within the National Flood Insurance Program. Through the town’s actions, property owners will see a savings on premiums.

The Community Resiliency Grant program is organized into two tracks, both of which provide support for local Maryland communities: Track A (CoastSmart Communities) is for proposals aimed at understanding and planning for coastal hazards, and Track B (Green Infrastructure Resiliency) is for proposals that address floodplain risks and stormwater.