FOJG Program-Go With the Flow – Mapping Urban Flooding Through Community Science

Date and Time:
Tue, Nov 11, 2025; 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM  (Eastern)

Organized By: Falls Of The James Group

Location: Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23220, USA

Map | Directions

Top two photos depict the University of Richmond's Resilience Lab and Todd Lookingbill. Photos courtesy of Todd Lookingbill. Bottom photo is Sheri Shannon, courtesy of Sheri.

11/11/25 7:00 - 8:30 pm FOJG Program - Go With the Flow – Mapping Urban Flooding Through Community Science, Science Museum of Virginia, RF & P Forum Room, 2500 W. Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23220. The presenters are Sheri Shannon, Co-Founder of Southside ReLeaf and FOJG Executive Committee Member and the University of Richmond Resilience lab and Dr. Todd Lookingbill, University of Richmond Professor of Geography, Environment, and Sustainability with a joint appointment in Biology, where he coordinates the Environmental Studies Program.

Urban flooding—caused by intense stormwater runoff — is a growing yet often overlooked threat to safety, property, and infrastructure in our communities. Despite the availability of regional and state-level flood maps, a critical gap remains in localized, street-level data that accurately reflects the true impact of pluvial flooding.

To address this issue, Southside ReLeaf and the University of Richmond launched Go With the Flow, a community-science flood mapping initiative that empowers residents to report and document flood-prone areas. The community-sourced data is then used to train a GIS-based flood model, enhancing its ability to predict where flooding is most likely to occur. 
This presentation will highlight how collaborative mapping efforts and the power of local knowledge can be used to fill data gaps and inform more effective urban planning and infrastructure investments.

The RESILIENCE Lab at the University of Richmond addresses long-standing socio-environmental inequities in Richmond, where life expectancy varies by up to 20 years across neighborhoods. Working with community-based partners such as Southside ReLeaf, the lab engages undergraduate researchers in co-creating knowledge on air quality, flooding, tree canopy, and transit accessibility. Through emerging research that integrates satellite data, geospatial modeling, and community science, the lab is revealing how historic and systemic injustices have created lasting environmental disparities. The goal is to generate actionable insights that support equity-centered decision-making and climate resilience, helping Richmond become a healthier, more just, and more resilient city.

Sheri Shannon is the co-founder of Southside ReLeaf, a community-based nonprofit advancing environmental justice in Richmond, and the owner of Shannon Strategies—an award-winning communications firm delivering campaigns for the greater good.

A passionate environmental advocate, Sheri is a certified Richmond Tree Steward and serves on the boards of BridgePark RVA, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and the Sierra Club’s Fall of the James Group. Her work has earned national recognition, including being named an “Eco Hero” by Glamour magazine.

She holds an M.A. in Communications from Southern New Hampshire University and a B.S. in Earth Sciences from Penn State University. Sheri is also the host of Women and Politics on WRIR, where she amplifies the voices of women, femmes, and nonbinary leaders shaping their communities.

Todd Lookingbill is a Professor of Geography, Environment, and Sustainability with a joint appointment in Biology at the University of Richmond, where he coordinates the Environmental Studies Program. He is a landscape ecologist whose work emphasizes inclusive, community-based approaches to environmental assessment and mitigation. His projects examine how land use and climate change intensify urban heat, alter old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest, and underscore the conservation value of local battlefield parks. He has served on numerous planning and watershed committees and enjoys spending time on the James River.
 

Cost: Free