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Exploring methods to protect life and property, the shift from building large infrastructure to implementing flood alert systems, low-cost solutions for flood risk mitigation
The City of Williamsport (the City) is located within Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. Bordered by rivers and streams on the south, east, and west and steep slopes to the north, the City is susceptible to a variety of flood risks. Levees along the West Branch Susquehanna, Lycoming Creek, and Millers Run provide protection from external riverine flooding; however, the City has been continuously impacted by flooding from Grafius Run, a flashy, two-branched stream flowing from the steep slopes of the upper watershed, into the City’s storm sewer system. Grafius Run frequently floods where it enters the storm sewer and contributes to surcharging of the storm sewer system downtown, by carrying significant debris and clogging the main inlets.
To reduce public safety risks and property damage caused by flooding from Grafius Run, the City sought technical services to determine options for flood mitigation. While the City’s initial goal was to construct traditional flood control infrastructure upstream, to alleviate flood risks from Grafius Run, numerous constraints identified during the preliminary alternative analysis deemed this infeasible. As such, an innovative alternative using a real-time flood alert system was developed and implemented in 2023, which has proved to be successful at reducing flooding within the City, while minimizing the risk to City personnel.
Presenter: Ghazoll Motlagh is a Penn State alumni in Civil Engineering, focused in Water Resources. Ms. Motlagh started her career performing levee certification assessments for PADEP, FEMA H&H mapping, and NRCS dam rehabilitation assessments. Continuing stormwater work in Pennsylvania, Ghaz supported Green Stormwater Infrastructure planning and design contracts with the City of Philadelphia and other neighboring communities. Ghaz has been leading the levee rehabilitation efforts in the City of Williamsport, assisting the community to execute a System Wide Improvement Framework (SWIF) Plan with related engineering design, funding pursuits, and construction document support.
Note: Registration is for one entrant. Any other individuals who would like to join this session are required to complete their own registration forms. The registration fee is set per person, not per connection.
“The purpose of the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Professionals is to promote environmental education, research, planning, assessment, review, and management through the formation and operation of a nonpolitical multidisciplinary professional society.” The content of our webinar series is not developed by PAEP, but by the presenters themselves.
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