Community Flood Resilience Planning

@DACOX45 Two hundred eighty-seven acres, or approximately 7%, of the land area in the City of Fairfax is within the 100-year floodplain. That area contains 890 parcels and 197 structures that are affected by the floodplain. FEMA insurance records indicate that there have been 46 flood insurance claims since 2000, the majority of those in September 2011 due to tropical storm Lee.
The city’s flood resiliency plan provides guidance on specific objectives that can improve the community’s resilience to these types of events. In addition, an adopted flood resiliency plan is a requirement to being able to obtain grant funding for flood studies, design of flood mitigation projects, and construction of those projects. The city’s flood resiliency plan was adopted by the city council on May 28, 2024.

Please provide reasons for why Fairfax City needs a "Flood Resiliency Plan"? You can start by identifying incidences of flooding including date and damage to property and/or persons. Please provide.

I have lived in Fairfax City for over 30 years and cannot recall a single incident of flooding.
Note: Backed up storm sewers do not count. Those should be maintained by Stormwater Fees and if maintenance isn't being done, that is an entirely different issue apart from "flood resiliency."

It would have been nice to know about this meeting beforehand.

Ack I was out of town during the public meeting, I appreciate the plan and presentation. Any upcoming events related to this initiative?

Fairfax historically did not flood. What changed? We cut down trees, built roads and buildings, compacted the soil and planted grass, and the rain water could no longer soak into the ground. Then we channeled the streams, We can improve the situation by reducing paved area, reducing soil compaction, planting trees and protecting and restoring woodlands, floodplains, wetlands.

This is one of the many ways life could be improved with a removal of any mandatory minimums on parking. Along with that, perhaps an incentive for converting existing parking either to green space or to permeable surface where spaces are deemed necessary. All you have to do is drive around town and see that many parking lots are largely empty at any given time (see any strip mall or grocery store). That is a lot of pavement stopping water from going into the ground where it needs to go, to say nothing of the heat-island effect.

Some ideas:
Encourage mulching leaves into lawns to improve water retention and reduce runoff. Encourage leaving leaves under shrubs and perennials for the same reasons.
Ensure downspouts empty onto pervious surfaces not impervious surfaces or directly into storm drains.
No more building in flood plains. When properties become available, revert to natural flood plain.
Identify places where flood waters could be allowed to spread out safely and recharge groundwater.

How to control runoff and flooding?
Trees – Preserving and enhancing tree cover
Streams – Preserving and expanding streamside vegetated buffers
Aquifers – Permitting rainfall to recharge groundwater and not become runoff