Calvert County, MD

Building Resilience Through Innovation in Calvert County, Maryland

Calvert County, Maryland sits on a peninsula tucked between the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent River. The community has made floodplain management a cornerstone of its resilience strategy to protect its residents and properties. Leading these efforts is Ronald Marney, the Floodplain Administrator and Environmental Planning Regulator, whose mission centers on making flood risk communication clear, concise, and accessible for residents. To support these goals, Calvert County partnered with Forerunner to improve workflows, enhance resident communication, and strengthen overall flood resilience.

Empowering Residents Through Clear Communication

At the heart of Calvert County’s flood resilience efforts is a commitment to empowering residents with tools and resources to make educated decisions about their properties. Prior to working with Forerunner, the County launched an educational video series on Facebook, YouTube, and the municipal site, covering topics such as obtaining permits and understanding substantial damage designations. This has been a valuable resource in educating the community about risk and helping residents understand key terminology.

When Calvert County started their work with Forerunner, one of their main goals was to improve resident communication by providing consistent, concise, and reliable data to the public. 

They partnered with Forerunner to create a public flood website, featuring an interactive map that helps users understand flood risks and access critical property data, such as flood zones and Base Flood Elevations. The website’s “Get Help” form has been particularly beneficial – allowing residents to submit requests, and automatically creating a resident log whenever questions or concerns are submitted. This automation enables the floodplain management team to address issues efficiently and track potential concerns.

Additionally, Forerunner customized other components of the public website to make floodplain management information clear and accessible. These customizations include a tool-tip function that defines floodplain management acronyms, allowing members of the public to understand key concepts of flood risk if they do not have the background knowledge, and a tailored disclaimer to provide clarity about property warnings.

The team has taken proactive steps to build awareness about the Forerunner public website and other resources. A press release debuted in The Southern Maryland Chronicle in July 2024, and they launched a campaign across social media, the municipal website, and direct mail to drive engagement with the flood resources. Within three months, the public flood website received 3,375 page visits and over 5,700 user actions – increasing public use of the website by around 1,300%. These efforts not only raised awareness about flood risk but also reinforced the County’s commitment to supporting resident education. By leveraging Forerunner’s tools, the County has streamlined communication and provided a central source of information for residents.

Customization and Automation: Clarifying Risk and Improving Workflows

Forerunner’s advanced capabilities have also transformed the way Calvert County manages its floodplain operations. Prior to their partnership with Forerunner, the team referenced several maps to understand a property’s risk and development limitations; however, the maps were not centralized so it was difficult to get a full picture. Forerunner was able to incorporate maps, like the hurricane evacuation zone flood maps, wetland maps, and Critical Area Maps, into one centralized location, where users can toggle and layer maps. Ron highlights, “Forerunner's mapping capabilities provide a full picture of potential property vulnerabilities.”

Along with the centralization of maps, Forerunner’s automated workflows have streamlined Calvert County’s efficiency. Automated Elevation Certificate (EC) review, which ensures accuracy by automatically identifying potential compliance issues on ECs, has greatly reduced the team’s workload. Storing ECs directly on property profiles has further streamlined information sharing with stakeholders, saving them significant time and effort. Ron shares, “Forerunner takes some of the burden off of us. We’re a small community and it saves us a lot of work and time. It makes our life easier.” 

Looking Ahead

As Calvert County continues to enhance its floodplain management, they plan to adopt Forerunner’s Substantial Damage/Substantial Improvement (SI/SD) tracking tools. These capabilities will aid in managing their cumulative 10-year SI/SD period, ensuring compliance with regulations. They plan to also integrate Forerunner with the County’s existing permit tracking system to further streamline reporting processes and enhance data accuracy.

By integrating innovative tools like Forerunner, Calvert County is not only addressing current challenges but laying the foundation for advancement in the CRS program and a more resilient future. By establishing clear communication and efficient workflows, the County serves as a model for how small communities can lead in floodplain management.