$5.2 million in funding approved for flood management projects in Maryland

CBS News

3 days ago

Maryland's Department of Public Works approved $241 million for projects in the state Wednesday, including $5.2 million for flood management efforts.
The department also approved $7.5 million to support the construction of a new hotel and conference center in Frederick.
Nearly $31 million in grants were allocated for projects in seven counties and Baltimore City, and $25 million was given to minority-owned and small businesses.
The funding for flood management projects was granted after requests from the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), the board said.
The money will be used to help alert local governments to potential flooding and reduce runoff after heavy rain.
The approval comes after a deadly flooding event in central Texas killed more than 130 people. Nearly 100 people are still missing two weeks later.
Some Texas residents reported that they did not receive emergency alerts as the flooding got more severe. However, CBS News reported that 22 warnings were issued by the National Weather Service during the storms and flash flooding.
In approving the request, Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman emphasized the need for investments in state infrastructure, especially in flood-prone areas.
"As a former Texas resident for a few years, it is absolutely devastating to watch what happened there," she said. "We are not immune in Maryland to that type of flooding that we saw happen there."
The funding also comes after severe flooding events in Maryland. On July 14, torrential rain prompted a historic Howard County city to shut down its Main Street.
"Close to home, just in the last week, officials ordered the shutdown of Main Street [in Ellicott City] not once, but twice as a result of significant rain-producing events," Lierman said.
The Ellicott City area experienced deadly flooding events in recent years, including in 2011, 2016 and 2018.
In May, heavy rain caused flooding in Allegany and Garrett counties, affecting about 200 homes and prompting rescue efforts.
The governor's office requested that the White House issue a Presidential Disaster Declaration after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) determined that recovery could cost $15.8 million.
The state has made progress in its flood prevention efforts.
After the flooding in historic Ellicott City, its Safe and Sound Plan was credited with helping prevent significant flooding.
The state Department of Natural Resources recently launched a new map that allows residents to track potential flooding in their communities.