Weathering the Storms…again
For the past two years in a row, July brought heavy storms to Lancaster County. Powerful storms swept through Lancaster County over the Fourth of July weekend, bringing torrential rain, damaging winds, flash flooding, and widespread power outages that affected communities across the county. Roads were closed, streams overflowed, trees toppled onto homes and power lines, and utility crews worked for days to restore electricity to thousands of residents. The storms served as a stark reminder of the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather and the importance of building resilient communities. In the days that followed, our partners began assessing how local clean water and conservation projects performed under these real world conditions, providing valuable insight into how investments in natural infrastructure can help reduce flooding, improve water quality, and strengthen communities against future storms.
Blue-Green Connector
This was the second year the Blue-Green Connector, along the Little Conestoga Creek, was given the opportunity to prove its resilience and its ability to retain and manage large amounts of rainfall. Around 4 inches of rain fell in East Hempfield, Lancaster, and Manheim Townships. When asked how the project fared in this years’ storms, Emily Landis, the project’s Director of Education and Environmental Strategy replied, “Happy to report no significant damage from the recent storms. The restored floodplain contained the water and the vegetation is intact.” Joseph Gallela, Post Doctoral Researcher from Franklin & Marshall College, concurred. ” The floodplain performed wonderfully!!”
Lititz Run at Ballstown Rd. Floodplain Restoration
This project was featured at the 2025 MS4orum. The Lititz Run Floodplain Restoration, part of the 2024 CAP program, restored approximately 1,700 linear feet of an actively eroding stream corridor in the Lititz Run watershed, including nearly 8 acres of wetland and floodplain. By removing legacy sediment and reconnecting the stream with its historical floodplain, the project improved flood storage, protected infrastructure, enhanced water quality, and increased watershed resilience. This project also performed “exactly as it was designed,” Warwick Township Manager, Brian Harris, said.
Overlook Park
Perhaps the hardest hit area in the 2026 storms, Overlook Park, in Manheim Township, has had several phases of restoration. Starting with a riparian buffer, planted in 2021, and most recently with a rain garden, planted in the fall of 2025. In spite of the tree and structural damage that closed the area after the storms, these projects held up very well. There was no flooding reported and almost no mortality in either the buffer or the rain garden.
These are a few local examples. We will be adding more as they become available. If you have an example of a projected that weathered the recent storms, please submit information and pictures via email at info@LancasterCleanWaterWaters.com
