Mayor Fenty's office sent out a press release on Wednesday to announce that the District will spend $2.5 million to improve the 17th Street levee. As you may recall, the Federal Emergency Management Agency proposed new flood maps in January to include an area in Southwest Washington from the Lincoln Memorial to Fort McNair. The change would have required many private property owners to purchase mandatory flood insurance, but FEMA recently agreed to delay implementation of the new maps. The city hopes the plan will prevent insurance premiums from spiking in the proposed flood plain. more ›