It’s often said that Washington, D.C. was built on a swamp – usually in August, when the humidity in the District is unbearable. While that’s not entirely true, the Georgetown waterfront certainly looks like one right now.
The Potomac River flooded after a weekend of heavy rains, and by Monday the river had risen up to 12 feet.
Normally floodwalls are raised to protect Washington Harbour, the restaurant and office complex on the waterfront. The modern floodwalls were part of the original construction, and have been used successfully dozens of times since they were built in 1986.
But this time, a section of the wall wasn’t raised early enough. Muddy water gushed into the Harbour complex, which is conveniently shaped like a crescent bowl.
A week later on Earth Day, the Harbour is still closed as a clean-up crew deals with the effects of Mother Nature.
Of course, this all got me thinking about historic floods in the District.
Historic District 