"UN6L10 PAGE 2.. Flood Mitigation Techniques Floods are the number one natural disaster in the United States. Flooding can occur in any part of the country, and no area is immune to the possibility of floods. In fact, about 25 percent of flood insurance claims come from areas of low to moderate flood risk. Flood mitigation techniques are strategies used to manage and control the movement of floodwaters. There are specific techniques and responsibilities that homeowners, cities, and state and federal governments can implement in order to assist with flood mitigation. Answer What is the definition of flood mitigation techniques? Answer: strategies to manage and control the movement of flood waters"

Question

"UN6L10 PAGE 5... Federal Government's Responsibility The federal government has a responsibility to the citizens of the United States to assist with flood mitigation. Nationally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) helps state and local governments to reduce damages from floods and promote flood management. Additionally, the USACE takes action to educate the public about flood risks and ways that citizens can decrease their risks. The USACE also manages about 700 dams across the country, including in Puerto Rico. Flood control dams work by trapping floodwaters. Dams release floodwater in a controlled manner to the river below the dam, or they store or reroute water for other purposes. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also works with state and local governments to assist with flood mitigation. In addition to contributing funds to the costly recovery efforts after floods, FEMA works with communities to find solutions, such as flood diversion, to help reduce flood damages. Flood diversion includes rerouting floodwater from rivers, streams, or other bodies of water into green spaces (such as wetlands or floodplains) by means of canals and tunnels. Diverting water to green spaces helps reduce overflowing of rivers and allows the floodwater to infiltrate the soil and replenish aquifers. Ultimately, this can increase water supply and water quality. Answer What is the definition of aquifer? Answer: an area of rock that absorbs and holds water that exists below the water table"

"UN6L11 PAGE 7... Costs and Benefits of Flood Mitigation There is no question that flood mitigation efforts are expensive, and yet it is cheaper to fund efforts to prevent flooding than to pay for damages after a flood has occurred. Studies have shown that $1 invested in flood mitigation can produce $6 in economic return. Effective mitigation strategies can guard against the loss of property, infrastructure, businesses, and lives. These strategies can also provide a sense of safety for current residents and help attract new ones, thus ensuring a stable tax base. Flood mitigation strategies can have both benefits and costs. They can mean lower costs for flood insurance, while also creating higher taxes. The projects themselves provide employment, but their location may damage a business or industry. They can generate public spaces, such as the Greater Grand Forks Greenway, but also result in the relocation of homes. They can revitalize certain industries, such as tourism and fishing in New Orleans, but require continual maintenance costs."

"UN6L11 PAGE 8.. Answers Think about the differences in each city's location and the causes for potential future flooding. Why was a major approach in Grand Forks to move people away from the river, while the main approach in New Orleans was to build or reinforce structures? Possible response: Grand Forks has flat land located near a river. The city's main concern was the overflowing of the river onto the floodplain where houses were located. Moving these houses off of the floodplain helped mitigate future damage to homes. New Orleans is located next to the Gulf of Mexico. Its main concern was future hurricanes and storm waves. The city needed to build and reinforce structures in order to protect itself. Consider the points made by the blogger. How do the benefits of flood mitigation compare to the costs for both Grand Forks and New Orleans? Possible response: In Grand Forks, many people had to relocate their homes as part of the flood mitigation efforts. Some had to move to a completely different home. The town spent $409 million on projects to protect itself from flooding. However, the benefits of protection from future floods and as well as not needing to relocate homes will almost certainly outweigh the cost of flood mitigation. In New Orleans, over $20 billion was spent on flood mitigation projects. The benefits of these projects include the prevention of loss of life and property. Important industries such as fishing and tourism benefit from people's confidence in the flood mitigation projects' ability to keep the city safe."

>Paragraph Sentence Starters – Just fill in the blanks, then copy/paste into the essay box on your test! Remember to copy/paste the source we give you below in your answer! Cite your source: U6L10 PAGES 2, 5-6 AND U6L11 PAGES 7-8
Flood mitigation is _______. (give the definition)
Strategies to help control flooding include _______.
Floodplain management is _______.
Detention basins are an important part of flood control. The benefits are _______.
The federal government can manage stormwater by _______.
The federal government (name the department) works with local governments to fund projects by _______.

Answer 1

Flood mitigation is strategies to manage and control the movement of floodwaters. Strategies to help control flooding include flood diversion, building flood control structures, and educating the public about flood risks. Floodplain management is the responsible stewardship of floodplains to minimize flood damage and protect natural resources. Detention basins are an important part of flood control. The benefits are they temporarily store floodwater, reducing peak flow and allowing for gradual release, which helps minimize downstream flooding. The federal government can manage stormwater by implementing flood control projects, such as dams and green infrastructure. The federal government (name the department) works with local governments to fund projects by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which provides financial assistance for flood mitigation efforts.

Cite your source: U6L10 PAGES 2, 5-6 AND U6L11 PAGES 7-8.