Reidsville Georgia Community Floods

Reidsville Georgia Community Floods is a small community group founded in 2021 working to prevent and reduce the amount of residential flooding in the community where 33% of the residents live in poverty, and municipal officials have been slow to act. The group has written letters to public officials, passed out flyers to community members, and sought grant funding for infrastructure changes. Jacqueline Jones, the leader of Reidsville GA Community Floods, has been vocal about her experience with flooding in the area. She bought a home in Reidsville based on flood maps stating no flooding occurred there. However, less than a year after moving in, she had water up to her windowsills. Anytime it rains, Jones gets deep, stagnant water on her property, leaving much of it inaccessible. Floodplain maps need immediate updating and government transparency on infrastructure is imperative for the livelihood and safety of the residents of Reidsville.

Reidsville Georgia Community Floods began with a small problem that is part of a much larger problem: flooding. Born of a need to correct frequent flooding at six homes in Reidsville and neighboring Collins, the group has since connected to partners sharing technical expertise, direction, and assistance. It has educated and organized the community by going door to door, using social media, and hosting neighborhood and school events. It has written and spoken to government, from town floodplain administrators to FEMA. It is now developing restorative landscapes to replace the dilapidated infrastructure that flooded the local homes. Residents of those homes will benefit first from these innovations, but the nature-based flooding solutions will also increase the long-term sustainability of both towns. With a poverty rate of 34% and a history of environmental injustice, the two communities could use a hand up. Reidsville GA Community Floods has shown it knows what to do with the help.

Reidsville Georgia is on the way to solutions thanks to the indefatigable Ms. Jacqueline Jones. Explore the detailed Existing Conditions Report for Reidsville and Collins, GA, as of October 2023.

For more information:

How a Georgia Woman Waded Through Bureaucracy to Help Her Flooded Town – US News & World Report, January 2024

Inclusive Insurance for Climate-Related Disasters: A Roadmap for the United States – Ceres EDF, January 2023

Adapting to Chronic Flooding: Survivors’ Stories and Actions they Take! – America Adapts Podcast, June 2022

Flood insurance rates are rising for many coastal Georgians – just like their flood risk – WABE, April 2022