Neighborhood Flood Reduction
From single-family homes to churches, schools to businesses, property owners across the United States pay millions of dollars as a result of basement and backyard flooding. With increasingly severe weather and overloaded sewer systems, experts expect the frequency and cost of flood damage will continue to rise over the next decade. CNT is partnered with local and national experts to pinpoint the greatest opportunities to reduce flooding in our neighborhoods and cities across the Great Lakes states.
CNT, in partnership with American Rivers, the Great Lakes Commission, and the Water Environment Federation, is surveying the flood alleviation policies and programs of a select number of cities within the Great Lakes region to identify issues and develop strategies for improved investment. We will use data from the survey to inform a forthcoming publication that highlights the extensive societal costs of neighborhood flooding and identifies strategies to address these costs. Following publication of our findings and recommendations, CNT plans to work with a select number of cities to support investment in innovative stormwater solutions to reduce neighborhood flooding.
One such solution is the establishment of a one-stop wet weather retrofit service—“Wetrofit”— that will provide access to technical assistance, education to communities, and advocacy tools. CNT is currently piloting this service. We are working with 300 residents in Wilmette, Illinois, and two Chicago neighborhoods—Albany Park and Rogers Park—who are committed to addressing the flooding problem by retrofitting their neighborhoods for wet weather with features like rain gardens and disconnected downspouts.
Download the Wetrofit project fact sheet (.pdf) ››
Download the Inflow and Infiltration fact sheet (.pdf) ››
Program Contact
Ryan Wilson, Stormwater Program Manager
