Neighbors,
On Thursday, September 10th, 2020 we experienced an extreme rain fall event that resulted in severe flooding and sewage back up across the city, the effects within Ward 5 were significant . I have received hundreds of emails and calls from neighbors requesting assistance. Immediately following last Thursdays flooding I called DC Water and expressed my concern for the safety and well-being of many of our residents here in Ward 5. Friday, over the weekend and on Monday I met with neighbors in the Edgewood, Brookland, Trinidad, and Woodridge communities and witnessed first-hand the severity of damage to homes. In a letter to DC Water on September 14th, I expressed my expectation of swift action to provide immediate relief for impacted residents.
Yesterday, DC Water announced that they are committing $1.5 million for clean-up relief for residents who need immediate assistance with remediation such as de-watering, cleaning, and sanitizing their property. The emergency clean-up relief funds will be available with a per property limit of $5,000. Additionally, they have expanded the Backflow Valve Program to include residents within the impacted neighborhoods which provides a rebate of up to $6,000 per home. More information about these programs can be found here. If you have elderly or vulnerable neighbors who may need assistance accessing these resources, please reach out so we may assist.
I recognize that this is just the beginning for many of our neighbors and I am committed to seeing this issue through until the end. If you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to call my office at 202-724-8028.
In Service,
Kenyan
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