The Town of St. Michaels was developed in the 1770s as a working waterfront community. St. Michaels is bound by water to the east and west making it an ideal area for shipbuilding, fishing and other maritime commerce in the 1800s. Today, St. Michaels pays homage to its’ waterfront heritage while recognizing the need to adapt to flooding and stormwater challenges, driven in large-part by climate change.
The Town’s base flood elevation of 5.7 feet exposes community assets to periodic nuisance flooding from severe precipitation, tidal events, and less frequently,storm surge. St. Michaels experiences flooding on waterfront parcels, low-lying areas, and in streets and parks. From 2010 to 2012, the community experienced particularly severe flooding on Talbot Street as a result of heavy rain events, an underperforming stormwater conveyance system, and tidal backflow washing into the storm drains. The flooding resulted in road closures and property damage. St. Michaels recently invested in stormwater management projects throughout the town, works closely with property owners on stormwater best management practices, and communicates regularly with the State Highway Administration on storm drain maintenance on Talbot Street. A renewed focus on these efforts have yielded a noticeable reduction in the frequency and severity of flooding occurrences in St. Michaels in the past three years, and has likely contributed to water quality improvements in adjacent waters.
The purpose of EFC's study was to capture the experiences and attitudes of the St. Michaels community on flooding and stormwater events to formulate a cohesive and implementable guide for mitigating these events in the town.