Download the app to help state and city officials better understand flood risks.
When was the last time you took a photo of flooding near your home or marina? Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently launched the new MyCoast Maryland app that enables people to easily upload photos of flood conditions in their neighborhood during or after major rain events and tidal flooding. These photos help scientists at DNR and other government agencies in Maryland understand the extent of flooding in certain areas, compare pre-storm or pre-high tide flooding estimates with actual effects, and plan long-term mitigation projects to reduce flooding.
During DNR’s Science Week in October 2023, Kim Grove, the chief of the Office of Research and Environmental Protection for Baltimore City’s Department of Public Works, discussed how Baltimore uses MyCoast Maryland to respond to and mitigate flooding in the city. She said the photos from the app help city officials understand community impacts during the storm events and supplement information sent to the city’s 311 and 911 reporting systems. Long-term, the city can also use the photos to identify areas for enlarging pipes, clearing culverts of debris, or taking other actions that could prevent future flooding impacts.
“MyCoast can help us fill in the blanks of our flood response,” Grove said. “It can show us how city infrastructure is impacted by different storms and help us understand what residents are dealing with when flood waters are at their highest points.”
Through the app, the MyCoast photos are linked using geolocation information with data from nearby tide gauges, riverine gauges, and weather stations that include wind and precipitation information to give officials insight into the different factors that could be leading to severe flooding in specific areas. DNR urges individuals to be cautious when taking photos of floods and never risk their own safety when doing so.
While individuals must register to use the app, photos uploaded to the app that can be viewed publicly do not include people’s names. If cell service is interrupted or if service is poor during a strong storm, the app can store photos and information offline to be uploaded onto the app later when service is strong or the user is connected to Wi-Fi.
The MyCoast photos help government officials in Maryland see what the real-world effects are after the National Weather Service forecasts storms in mild, moderate, or severe categories. Due to climate change, many moderate or even mild storms can cause severe flooding, especially in coastal areas during high tides. Even localized rainstorms that affect small areas can have outsize flooding impacts that may be harder to predict due to a changing climate.
“We had a storm in September in Baltimore where stream levels rose 10 feet in 90 minutes, which caused flooding for residents and local businesses in a specific area,” Grove said. “MyCoast photos, when used with the different data we collect, can help us better understand how these localized floods occurred and what we can do to prevent or mitigate them in the future.”
Grove noted that 2023 was the 20th anniversary of when Hurricane Isabel struck the region. The storm brought extensive flooding to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor due to a storm surge that occurred after the rainstorms had ended. After Isabel hit, the Inner Harbor’s roadways looked like canals, hotels and other buildings were inundated on their ground floors, and significant city infrastructure had to be rebuilt. Grove said that having citizen photos from different angles during that event would have been a huge asset to help the city understand the risks from this powerful rain and storm surge event.
So far, about 1000 users have registered to upload photos to the MyCoast App, but DNR is hoping many more citizens will download the app to help state and city officials better understand flooding risks. The more photos that are submitted, the more you can help to reduce the effects of flooding in Maryland. Find MyCoast in your app store.
