We made it to Friday in Alexandria! Here’s a look at our top stories of the week.
Our top post was on the plan to close Waterfront Park and Point Lumley Park for two years. It’s part of the city’s efforts to fight flooding by rebuilding sections of sea wall and installing a pump station to recirculate floodwaters to the Potomac River.
Governor Glenn Youngkin’s recently failed attempt to withdraw Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is “reckless,” says Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson.
Wilson, in his December newsletter, said that Youngkin’s efforts are bad for the environment and remove a “vital funding source” for localities in fighting flooding and severe weather.
Two popular Alexandria parks on the waterfront are about to close for a while, and the city is soliciting feedback on their redevelopment.
Waterfront Park (1 Prince Street) and Point Lumley Park (1 Duke Street) in Old Town are prone to frequent flooding. Both will be redeveloped as the city plans on rebuilding segments of sea wall and installing a pumping station at Waterfront Park to move floodwaters back out to the Potomac River.
The City of Alexandria is seeking $2.5 million in state funding to help prevent flooding in the North Ridge neighborhood.
The Valley Drive Storm Drain Improvement project will improve the drainage system in North Ridge and capture floodwater before it accumulates in low-lying areas.
With rain expected this week in Alexandria, it might be worth a look back at how Alexandria’s battles with flooding have progressed over the years and what’s ahead.
The region was hit with intense flooding in 2019, which thrust Alexandria’s stormwater infrastructure into the limelight. Since then, the city has invested considerable time and money into upgrading that infrastructure, though there have been some frustrations at slow progress.
Alexandria has been awarded $525,000 to support planning for the city’s ongoing flood mitigation efforts.
The grant funding comes from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF). The funds will go to support the development of a “new comprehensive Flood Resilience Plan.”
The City of Alexandria is facing flooding as the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby sweep through the region.
The City’s Rain Gauge and Stream Flow indicates that Waterfront Park is currently under 3.61 feet of water.
It’s no secret that Alexandria has flooding problems, and the City of Alexandria is giving free sandbags to residents and businesses this morning for those preparing for the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby.
According to a release:
Alexandria’s worked on some high-tech flood mitigation projects, but sometimes the old ways are best.
The city is starting work this month on a project to replace a concrete retaining wall in Rosemont with a reinforced vegetated wall, a replacement that should not only benefit the local ecosystem, but help protect a nearby sewer line.
The City of Alexandria will host an open house this Wednesday (May 22) to discuss one of the city’s largest flood mitigation projects.
The Commonwealth, Ashby, Glebe Flood Mitigation Project should provide flood mitigation for Lynhaven and the northern end of Del Ray.
A new interactive map published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows how rising sea levels will impact Virginia cities, Newsweek reported.
The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasts global sea levels are likely to rise up by 3.51 feet by 2100 but could possibly rise as high as 6.6 feet above Mean Higher High Water (MHHW).
