Montgomery County, MD

12/09/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/09/2025 10:57

Montgomery County’s New Flood Risk Explorer Identifies Flood-Prone Areas

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich announced the release of the County's new Flood Risk Explorer, a map that identifies flood-prone areas in the Sligo Creek area/watershed. The tool, available on the County's flooding website, highlights areas of the Sligo Creek watershed that have a higher risk of flooding during extreme rainstorms now and in the future. While Sligo Creek is the first watershed mapped in the Explorer, 10 more watersheds will be modeled in the coming years.

"There is no doubt that climate change is causing heavier and prolonged periods of storms that bring severe and even deadly consequences," said County Executive Marc Elrich. "This map is a useful tool for County residents and businesses to see how their properties could be impacted by these devastating storms and the flooding they cause. While the County will be expanding its activities to address flooding, everyone can take steps to reduce their flood risk before the next big storm happens."

The Flood Risk Explorer can help residents understand the relative risk of flooding in their home, neighborhood, and commute, so they can take action and stay safe from flooding.

All County residents can benefit from information available on the County's flooding website.

The County has outlined simple actions for people to know:

  • Be weather aware.
  • Consider flood insurance.
  • Know your flood risk.
  • Plan and protect your home or business.
  • Sign up for Alert Montgomery.

The Flood Risk Explorer is part of the Comprehensive Flood Management Plan (CFMP), a multi-agency effort designed to improve the County's ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from flooding.

The County addresses flooding and flood emergencies using many different tools:

  • The County has installed 40 flood sensors in high-risk areas, including three in the Sligo Creek watershed. These sensors, monitored by the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, alert public safety agencies to rising water levels, allowing for proactive road closures during floods.
Montgomery County, MD published this content on December 09, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on December 09, 2025 at 16:57 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]