It hasn’t rained much across the D.C. region recently, but Fairfax County in Virginia is offering to reimburse residents and renters for flood mitigation projects.
The county’s Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (FMAP) launched earlier this month as part of a plan to incentivize renters and property owners to be proactive in making sure their properties are able to handle flooding.
Homeowners, condo associations, property owners and renters are all eligible, according to the program’s website. Places of worship are similarly eligible, according to Dan Schwartz, a soil scientist with the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District.
Residents and renters in the towns of Vienna and Herndon aren’t eligible because their townships are independent, Schwartz said.
Renters who apply for reimbursement have to prove that the property owner approved the project. Homeowner or condo association projects have to be on community property.
The idea for the reimbursement program has been considered for a while, but Schwartz said demand for such projects is increasing because “areas and neighborhoods of the county that didn’t use to really flood in the past are now seeing nuisance flooding, flash flooding.”
“It only takes a couple of seconds for a property to flood, and in that seconds, we can have thousands of dollars of damage done to your property,” Schwartz said. “And, of course, flooding can be dangerous, as well, to your health and to your life.”
To start the process, Schwartz said those interested will complete a project that’s eligible according to the program’s guidelines. Some of those, he said, include flood-proof windows, battery backup pumps and flood barriers.
After completion, they’ll send receipts and photos of the final project to the county as part of an application. Only projects installed on or after July 1, 2024, are eligible.
Applicants are then eligible for a reimbursement grant of 50% — up to $5,000 — Schwartz said. Applications for reimbursement are being accepted until the funding runs out. Anyone who applies after that will be placed on a waitlist to be considered if the initiative is funded for the next fiscal year, Schwartz said.
Funding for the program, Schwartz said, comes from the Stormwater Service District Fee, which is a small part of the property taxes that property owners pay at the end of the year.
“Taking some proactive steps to ensure that your property is as protected as it can be from floodwaters is a very important thing to do as a homeowner, and can potentially save you lots of money and lots of headache down the road,” Schwartz said.
The program is based, in part, on a similar one running in the City of Alexandria, Schwartz said. The City of Rockville in Maryland also has one.
Even if residents don’t live in a home or neighborhood prone to flooding, Schwartz said, “even a small project that can keep floodwaters out of your basement, out of your garage, out of your first floor can really pay for itself very, very quickly in the amount of damage that’s avoided.”
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