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FEMA Celebrates Disaster Resilience Month with Visit to DC Water Plant to Highlight Floodwall Project

FEMA Celebrates Disaster Resilience Month with Visit to DC Water Plant to Highlight Floodwall Project
Written by ZJbTFBGJ2T

FEMA Celebrates Disaster Resilience Month with Visit to DC Water …  FEMA

FEMA Celebrates Disaster Resilience Month with Visit to DC Water Plant to Highlight Floodwall Project

PHILADELPHIA –

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Senior Officials, Victoria Salinas and Janice Barlow, toured DC Water’s Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant to celebrate Disaster Resilience Month this August. The tour highlighted the innovative work the District of Columbia and DC Water are doing to reduce flood risk.

Overview of DC Water’s Emergency Management Program

Along with officials from DC’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), FEMA leaders were given an overview of DC Water’s emergency management program and the work they’ve been doing to mitigate hazards. The Blue Plains facility is the largest advanced wastewater treatment plant in the world, servicing more than 2.5 million people in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. It is located at the southern tip of the District along the Potomac River and has experienced flooding due to hurricanes and storms in the past.

Floodwall Construction to Reduce Risk

Over the past seven years, DC Water has applied for and received several types of FEMA funding to develop, plan, and construct a floodwall around their Blue Plains facility. Currently one section is finished, with three more planned soon using FEMA funding. When complete, these floodwall segments will protect the plant from a 500-year flood event, keeping critical infrastructure safe and operating 24/7.

FEMA, DCHSEMA and DC Water leaders together during a tour of the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant on August 23, 2023

Importance of FEMA Funding for Resilience

“Reducing risk to critical infrastructure is a high priority for FEMA,” said Victoria Salinas, FEMA Senior Official Performing Duties of Deputy Administrator of Resilience. “DC Water’s Blue Plains facility tour illustrated how FEMA funding is being used to reduce risk from future flooding, and a commitment to building resilience in Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland. Between these investments and a planned micro-grid, this means that this wastewater system that serves over 2 million residents will remain operational during extreme events. This utility will now be protected from the devastating effects of climate-related storm surge and sea level rise for years to come.”

Significant FEMA Investment

Once FEMA awards the latest grant funds, the agency will have invested more than $22.7 million in this project through the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM), Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA), and Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) programs.

Recognition of DC Water’s Efforts

“DC Water is a great example of how a utility, community, or municipality can leverage the many different types of FEMA funding available to fund not only the construction of a project, but the planning and scoping phases as well,” said FEMA Region 3 Deputy Regional Administrator Janice Barlow. “It was exciting to see firsthand the work DC Water is doing to protect critical infrastructure that affects many residents throughout Region 3.”

FEMA’s Focus on Mitigation Efforts

During the month of August, FEMA is highlighting successful mitigation efforts across the country to raise awareness of ways communities are being more climate resilient. You can learn more here.

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Victoria Salinas is the Senior Official Performing Duties of Deputy Administrator for Resilience at FEMA and Janice Barlow is the Deputy Regional Administrator for FEMA Region 3.

FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts are available at fema.gov/medialibrary and youtube.com/fema. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion3.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

  1. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

    • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure
    • Indicator 9.1.1: Proportion of the rural population who live within 2 km of an all-season road
  2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

    • Target 11.5: Reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters
    • Indicator 11.5.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
  3. SDG 13: Climate Action

    • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
    • Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs Targets Indicators
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure Indicator 9.1.1: Proportion of the rural population who live within 2 km of an all-season road
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities Target 11.5: Reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters Indicator 11.5.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
SDG 13: Climate Action Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population

Analysis

The article discusses the innovative work being done by DC Water and the District of Columbia to reduce flood risk and protect critical infrastructure. Based on the content of the article, the following SDGs, targets, and indicators can be identified:

1. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

This SDG is addressed as the article highlights the development of infrastructure to reduce flood risk and protect critical infrastructure.

  • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure
  • Indicator 9.1.1: Proportion of the rural population who live within 2 km of an all-season road (not explicitly mentioned in the article, but implied as the floodwall construction aims to improve infrastructure resilience)

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

This SDG is connected to the article as it focuses on reducing the number of deaths, people affected, and economic losses caused by disasters.

  • Target 11.5: Reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters
  • Indicator 11.5.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population (implied as the floodwall construction aims to reduce the impact of flooding on the community)

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

This SDG is relevant as the article mentions the need to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.

  • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
  • Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population (implied as the floodwall construction aims to enhance resilience to climate-related hazards)

Overall, the article highlights the efforts to develop resilient infrastructure, reduce the impact of disasters on communities, and strengthen resilience to climate-related hazards. The identified targets and indicators provide a framework for measuring progress towards these goals.

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: fema.gov

 

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