Flooding along Strawberry Knoll Road

UPDATE Jan 24, 2023. A county worker cleared the mud away from the storm drain, which was buried under about one foot of soil. So the runoff drains, at the moment. We're glad for that. But a 15-foot diameter "bowl" of soft mud surrounds the drain, so that is a temporary solution. I wonder if the county has plans to improve this strip of roadway & land along the west side of Strawberry Knoll. I'll try to find out. Multiple challenges. There's no curb, and attempts to regulate parking along the steep slope don't work well. Instead, the parking signs get knocked down like bowling pins. (See new photo.) I think they get hit in the dark, as cars approach at good speed, after zipping over the crest of the hill. Or drivers back into them as they attempt to park or leave the shoulder. Painting the poles might help, for now. (More later. –SL)

Luckily, this car started after the owner took off his shoes to wade over, opened the passenger door, and slipped inside. "The floor is under water, but the engine works," he reported after getting the car free and clear of the pond. Today is December 15, 2022.

This flooding at the intersection of Strawberry Knoll Road and Quail Valley Blvd. (southern entrance) has been occurring for a couple of years, growing worse over time. Apparently there is a storm drain under there somewhere, which is probably clogged (and covered over) by leaves and muck.

I've submitted a MC 311 request to the county to have the problem addressed. (Note 1) It's helpful for the county to get specific and detailed reports from residents. When you've filled out the form, immediately after hitting the "submit" button, you also have an opportunity to submit a photo to go with the text.

Yes, a storm drain somewhere down there needs unclogging. But we hope the county might have a larger plan to improve this little area with (1) a No Parking sign to prevents cars from parking at all so close to the intersection, (2) maybe some landscaping, as there is no curb here, and (3) a grate that has smaller (e.g., one-inch-diameter) holes to prevent leaves, plastic bottles, and such from washing into the storm drain and clogging it.

DEP and DOT have huge responsibilities. The county has done some very effective (IMHO) and complex erosion control around nearby tributaries to Seneca Creek. Neighbors recall that a No Parking sign was knocked over and never replaced at this spot. DOT tries mightily to restore signs after folks knock them down, driving too fast at 2:00 AM. Hey, let's slow down.

Montgomery County provides detailed plans for public works projects. Maybe this location is on a list for drainage/ sidewalk / street improvement, and we'll provide updates at this webpage as we learn more. Be well, and buckle up.

NOTE 1: Submit your request for county services at the MC 311 website. Here is the reply I got immediately after submitting my 311 request about this problem; I'm happy with that:
Thank you for using MC311.
Your Service Request has been successfully submitted. The details are as follows:
Service Request Number is: 1512953320
Status: In Progress
Estimated Time to Resolve in days: 45 days. ** *** **