Where the Water Goes

June 30, 2025, Richmond Magazine

An environmental justice nonprofit and the University of Richmond have partnered to fix flooding across the city. Go With the Flow, a community flood mapping project that began March 20 and concludes Sept. 1, invites locals to complete a survey each time it rains.

The online survey asks participants if their area has flooding, standing water or neither and allows users to upload a photo of their surroundings. By capturing location data and images of flooding in neighborhoods across Richmond, the nonprofit organization Southside ReLeaf hopes to help the city identify where improvements in flood infrastructure are needed.

“Our systems just weren’t built for what we’re seeing right now,” says Sheri Shannon, co-founder and director of programs at Southside ReLeaf. “So, we’re hoping that this data will help city leaders ... really make the case for why we need to prioritize flood mitigation in the city, especially in areas like South Side, [which is] already dealing with extreme heat and other social inequities because of how the neighborhoods are designed.”