FORT RECOVERY, OH - The Village of Fort Recovery in west central Ohio is 20 miles southwest of the Wabash River. The Village experiences repetitive flooding from the Buck Ditch Basin, which flows through the center of the Village to reach the Wabash River. In 1996 the Village suffered from a damaging flood that prompted the implementation of an acquisition project.
The Village received funding to acquire six floodprone residential structures and physically relocate eight homes and the fire station to previously developed sites outside of the floodplain. In addition, four residences and six businesses utilized retrofitting techniques to floodproof the basements. The Village expects to have the entire project completed by the end of 1998.
The key component to the success of the Village of Fort Recovery Hazard Mitigation Project can be summed up in one word: cooperation. FEMA and Ohio Emergency Management Agency introduced a project development process to assist communities in the development of solid projects that attack the problem by considering alternative solutions that meet the required criteria. Fort Recovery involved the public during meetings, and a core group composed of citizens and local officials was formed to evaluate options and develop the acquisition project application.