O'Malley signs order to protect state buildings from flood damage

Gov. Martin O’Malley signed an executive order under which new and rebuilt state buildings must be designed with an eye toward minimizing coastal flood damage.

O’Malley’s “Climate Change and Coast Smart Construction Executive Order” also applies to infrastructure projects such as bridges and roads. It requires the state’s Department of General Services to update its guidelines to require that new and rebuilt state buildings be at least 2 feet higher than the level floods would reach…