Mitigation Best Practices

LONGMONT, CO - Only months before the flood of September 2013, the city of Longmont completed a mitigation project that kept a community of residents dry and resulted in a net savings of an estimated $4 million dollars. The Left Hand Creek Flood Control Project proved to be a smart move when Longmont became one of the hardest hit cities in the catastrophic flood.

LAS VEGAS, NV - With an estimated 5,000 new residents arriving each month, Las Vegas and its surrounding area is the fastest growing community in the western United States. More than 1.2 million people live in the area, which lies at the center of a desert valley bounded by mountain ranges. Creeks and riverbeds connect in the center of the valley near the heart of the city. The arid desert soil absorbs little water. As development spreads, there are fewer areas where water may naturally flow or gather.

INDEPENDENCE, IA - The scenic Wapsipinicon (“Wapsi”) River meanders into the City of Independence along low-laying banks that are shouldered by an historic rock mill, grassy parks with walking paths, and a few scattered homes. Independence was once on the receiving end of devastating floods; many had accepted flooding as a bittersweet part of living by the river. While townspeople were frequently scurrying to make decisions about moving to safer ground or staying to fight the floodwaters, city officials were seeking ways to secure the community and its resources.

WEATHERFORD, TX - A home on the river is a picturesque scene except when it’s marred by the aftermath of massive flooding. Larry and Jenanne Thompson have returned home following several flooding events to find their home virtually unscathed by the creeping waters of the Brazos River.

SHARP COUNTY, AR – Beginning October 29, 2009, the State of Arkansas experienced severe storms and flooding which resulted in the December 3, 2009, presidential disaster declaration for 37 counties for Public Assistance (PA). Following the declaration, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff visited the City of Hardy, located in Sharp County, and found Mayor Nina Thornton and Public Works Superintendent Billy Gilbearth excited over their discovery that the city’s 406 Mitigation projects worked!

DESTREHAN, LA – Since the invention of plumbing, residents of cities in flood-prone areas have faced the same smelly hazard: sewage backflow.

In these low-lying areas, flooding can cause sewage to back up through drain pipes into homes and businesses. The resulting messes can create serious health hazards and resist cleanup efforts.

LOUISIANA - In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, much HAZUS work was being done in the CADGIS lab, on the campus of Louisiana State University. In particular, a graduate student named Michelle Barnett, who now works at the Center for Energy Studies at LSU, produced many significant studies that took advantage of HAZUS methodology to create flooding scenarios. Her subject was the flood-prone parishes located all along the Louisiana Gulf Coast.

BATON ROUGE, LA - Twenty years ago, after leveling much of south Florida, Hurricane Andrew slammed into Louisiana. Although it caused widespread destruction, the hurricane had at least one positive effect.

The 1992 disaster spurred Louisiana State University’s Agricultural Center, known as the Ag Center, to expand its outreach and education program for residents — an effort that continues to evolve even now. At that time, staffers produced consumer and contractor guides and conducted workshops and demonstrations on home elevation.

TEXAS - How can communities maintain accurate, up-to-date flood hazard data? That is the quest of FEMA and the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) in their Cooperative Technical Partner (CTP) agreement, signed in 1999. Two pilot projects to produce digital maps in Central Texas have demonstrated how the CTP program can help communities without technical expertise to participate in the digital map conversion process.