Mitigation Best Practices

CATAHOULA PARISH, LA – Catahoula Parish has had a tumultuous relationship with the Ouachita and Black Rivers as these rivers are prone to high-velocity flooding. Soil erosion occurs naturally, but certain factors such as water and wind can accelerate, and worsen, its effects. In the parish, floodwaters from the rivers damaged nearby roadways, prompting parish officials to seek mitigation measures to break the cycle of destruction and repair.

ALBANY, NY – Repairs to Mallet Hill Road in the Town of Stratford, Fulton County, damaged during the June 2006 flooding were designed to a higher standard. Using the higher standard may have made them less vulnerable to future flooding.

Thanks to a New York State and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) policy, extra funding is provided to mitigate against future damages to public infrastructure.

CAÑON CITY, CO – Cañon City officials completed an acquisition project after being motivated by a home that was subject to frequent flooding. The 2011 acquisition was funded by FEMA’s repetitive flood claims program.

Property acquisition can be a cost-effective and long-term solution for community floodplain managers and owners of flood-prone properties. The house that previously stood on the now empty lot was subjected to flooding not long after it was built. For decades, flooding of the Cañon City home continued after almost every rain storm.

MISSISSIPPI - Repetitive loss sites have been prevalent in several flood prone counties across the State. In an effort to prevent or minimize future losses, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency decided to develop a customized Geographic Information System (GIS) application that would allow them to query and map the repetitive loss sites.

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.

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY, WV - In 1993 the Unger family had purchased a former vacation cabin to use as a permanent residence to escape renting. They had, at the time, two infants and were glad to get affordable housing. The salesperson assured them that the structure was out of the floodplain. But after the birth of their third child, they were forced from their home by the January 1996 flood event on the North River.

SANTA BARBARA, CA - On the morning of January 10, 1995, the staff of the United Way arrived at their facility in downtown Santa Barbara to find 3 feet of water in their offices. Flooding destroyed computers, carpet, furniture, workstation partitions, electrical wiring, and irreplaceable documents. Elevators, the alarm system, cabinets and interior walls were also damaged.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, OR - On May 12, 2000, the Unified Sewerage Agency of Washington County, Oregon (USA), signed a Partnership Agreement with FEMA under the Cooperating Technical Communities (CTC) initiative (now the Cooperating Technical Partners [CTP] initiative). Under that Agreement, USA and FEMA agreed to work together to ensure flood-hazard information for the incorporated and unincorporated areas of Washington County served by USA is kept up to date and accurate.

NORTH DAKOTA - During the spring flood of 1997, much of the damage was caused by sewer back-up after the city's lift station failed. This resulted in tremendous damage to personal property in lower levels of buildings throughout the city, including the University of North Dakota.

The University of North Dakota installed several backflow valves in buildings that suffered substantial damage during the 1997 flood.

TANGIER ISLAND, VA - As a third generation Tangier Island resident, Sarah Crockett is no stranger to storm tides and the damages they create. “With [Hurricane] Floyd [1999] the water got into my house, ruined the carpets and floor and stuff. Tide came in once before, too, but that was long ago.” After floodwaters broke into her home, she decided it was time to put a stop to it.