Bureau of Watershed Protection
Flood Prevention

Atlanta has a system of storm drains, stormwater pipes, and combined sewer pipes to collect and carry rainfall back to local creeks and streams (or, in a combined system, to wastewater treatment plants). At times, the quantity of rainfall is more than the stormwater system can handle, and flooding occurs. Flooding also occurs when stormwater pipes and drains are clogged with debris so that even moderate rainfall is not able to pass through. Impervious surfaces such as parking lots, driveways and rooftops increase the amount of rainfall that goes into the stormwater system and may thus contribute to the potential for flooding in an area. Atlanta is a moderately rainy city, highly developed and heavily paved, with an older stormwater system. These factors combine to cause flooding fairly often.

Damage from Flooding
Property owners are responsible for making repairs necessitated by flood damage unless the flood resulted from a failure in the City’s stormwater system or a problem related to maintenance of the stormwater drainage system.

Do you live in a floodplain? Click here to find out. To learn more about flood insurance, click here.

What Should You Do In a Flood?
For information about what to do in flood situations, click here: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/qafloods.html. You can also learn about flooding at www.fema.gov. Track local flooding at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) website. The USGS monitors local flood conditions through an extensive real-time network of about 170 streamgages (www.usgs.gov).

Although storms are acts of nature we cannot control, certain steps can reduce the occurrence or severity of floods from moderate rainfall:

Don’t litter, dump or improperly dispose of waste.

You Can Help Prevent Flooding
Although rainfall is an act of nature we cannot affect, there are definite steps we can take to reduce the occurrence or severity of floods from moderate rainfall:

• Before building, check floodplain maps to ensure that you are not building in flood-prone areas. Also check the City of Atlanta’s Flood Area Regulations (Chapter 74, Article VI).

• Offset the amount of paving in a new development with stormwater best management practices (BMPs). These include retention ponds, greenspaces and other structures that can absorb the runoff from impervious surfaces. There are federal, state and local guidelines for developing in floodplains. The Bureau of Program Performance, Site Development Division oversees permitting related to stormwater and can provide information on BMPs, building regulations and stormwater mitigation methods.

• Don’t litter, dump or improperly dispose of waste! Trash from streets, lawn clippings, leaves and tree branches can be washed into storm drains, clogging them. Household items (like appliances and furniture) and rubbish items like tires, old car parts, shopping carts, etc. that are pushed into creeks can block outlets and impede streamflow.

REPORT A FLOODING PROBLEM
Contact 404-624-0751


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