Mitigation Best Practices

CULPEPPER COUNTY, VA - When the Rapidan River in northern Virginia crested 30.5 feet above flood stage in June of 1995, devastating the Furloughs’ historic 145-year-old house, they knew what they would do: rebuild on their home site by the river, elevate it, and get flood insurance.

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY – Tom Paino is an architect with a New York City agency. He is also the owner of two side-by-side brownstones in the Queens neighborhood of Long Island City. Built in 1903, the three-story brownstones are located two blocks from the East River in the middle of a densely populated residential neighborhood.

RALSTON, PA - A bridge damaged by the January 1996 flooding cut the Town of Ralston, Pennsylvania, in half. Debris had gathered at another bridge further upstream, forcing the creek through the Town and damaging the downstream bridge.

Although FEMA, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDot) and Lycoming County had done considerable bridge and creek work in the area, residents were justifiably concerned as the rainfall from Tropical Storm Ivan continued in September 2004.

GALVESTON, TX - The Galveston County Daily News has written countless stories about the challenges and heroes of Hurricane Ike (2008). But there is one story they have refused to write: Their own. During the worst of Ike, they didn’t miss an edition.

ATLANTA, GA – The neighborhood of Drew Valley in DeKalb County is comprised of approximately 950 homes. The area initially was developed in the 1950s and has seen steady growth over time. As is often the case, the continued increase in development also brought an increase in floods and repeated damage to a number of homes in the neighborhood.

ALBANY, NY – History is of particular importance to the estimated 350 residents of Gilbertsville. It is one of only a few villages nationwide to be placed, in its entirety, on the National Register of Historical Places. With additional help from federal and state disaster agencies, the tiny Otsego County Village of Gilbertsville is rebuilding from the June 2006 floods without having to sacrifice one of its most historically significant features.

NEW YORK – The scope of Sandy’s damage reinforced a basic principle of good government: coordination among all affected applicants and agencies to achieve a common goal. Nowhere was this more vividly illustrated than with the Region II New York Sandy Recovery Office’s (NYSRO) Environmental and Historic Preservation’s (EHP’s) collaborative efforts during Sandy’s recovery. EHP worked closely with internal staff, federal partners and New York State to streamline the project review process.

REDLANDS, CA - Residents of the urban-wildland interface, an area encompassing more than a third of the City of Redlands, have a place to go where they can learn how to modify vegetation at their homes and use fire-resistant materials to make their homes fire safe. Since 1992, Redlands has participated in disaster recovery efforts related to seven different Federally declared disasters, including five major floods, an earthquake, and a wildland fire.

REDLANDS, CA - The Redlands Unified School District has a year-round campus program resulting in virtually continuous high occupancy and use of all school facilities. The district has 21 buildings. Of these, 19 are schools and offices, and two are for support services.

SAN LEON, TX  - Before starting construction of their waterfront home in San Leon, Texas, George and Diana Click spent time researching safe building practices. They obtained information on choosing a builder, current building codes, coastal construction mitigation techniques, and adequate insurance coverage.