Where do you live in D.C. #10

Where do we live in D.C.?  

We live near a flood zone.  Our building is next to Rock Creek near where it flows into the Potomac River.  When a lot of rain falls, the normally sleepy Rock Creek becomes a racing torrent.  When it rains day after day, like it did for the past eight days, the Potomac River rises high and threatens to flood the riverfront.

One area at risk is the nearby Georgetown waterfront and the restaurants and offices located there.  So, one building complex, known as Washington Harbor, has deployed its many flood gates to prevent the flood waters from reaching the buildings.  

In the photos below, you can see that the level of the Potomac has risen and covered the pedestrian walkway along the river. 

Along the Georgetown waterfront, water covers a pedestrian walkway.  To the left, floodgates(the metal walls) are raised to prevent flooding of the buildings behind the floodgates.  The Watergate appears in the background.  

Some dude in a light blue shirt watches the rain-swollen, debris-filled Potomac River rush by. 

Below, the Georgetown Harbor restaurant Fiola Mare is protected by raised floodgates.   The restaurant's theme of seaside dining foreshadows what could be an unhappy outcome if the river rises too much.

Life goes on behind the floodgates.  Diners enjoy meals al fresco while the Potomac surges by on the other side. 

The same building complex was not so lucky in 2011.  Then, intense rain storms caused the Potomac River to rise quickly before the flood gates could be raised.  The result was flooded buildings, lots of water damage and no dining al fresco.  Check it out.  

Fortunately, our building sits on a bluff above Rock Creek and the Potomac River.  So, the risk of our building being flooded is low  Whew!   Of course, we hope global warming is arrested soon.

Since last week, the rains have ended and the water level has dropped.  The flood gates were lowered and life is back to normal, as depicted in the photo below.

Not everyone is worried about flooding.  Below, some local residents rode out the flood atop their makeshift home.   

Turtles sunbathing atop a log in flooded Rock Creek.

P.S.  You might remember a post from Year 2 in Florence.  We learned that our building sat in a flood zone near the River Arno.  In 1966, the heart of Florence was flooded, including our building.  

So, when we pick a place to live in Paris during Year 4, we will be careful to avoid living in a flood zone or to select an apartment on an upper floor.

P.P.S.  Flooding is not a recent problem for the Potomac riverfront.  In 1972, after hurricane Agnes passed through, the Potomac flooded parts of lower Georgetown.

Georgetown:  a view of flooded K Street, under the Whitehurst Freeway (1972)