Use the table to answer the question. A town is considering adopting a flood mitigation strategy. The results of its study are shown in the table below. Criteria Building Flood Diversion Channels Elevating Buildings in the Flood Plain Time required 3 years 5 years Initial cost $20 million $55 million Annual maintenance costs $10,000 $1,000 Number of residents displaced 250 40 Which of the following statements provides the best analysis of the data? (1 point) Responses The town should build the diversion channels because this option is more cost efficient. The town should build the diversion channels because this option is more cost efficient. The town should elevate buildings in the flood plain because the work will be completed sooner. The town should elevate buildings in the flood plain because the work will be completed sooner. The town should build the diversion channels because this option will displace fewer people. The town should build the diversion channels because this option will displace fewer people. The town should elevate buildings in the flood plain because the maintenance costs are lower.

Answer 1

To analyze the options presented in the table, let's evaluate each of the statements:

1. Cost Efficiency:

   • Building Flood Diversion Channels:
     • Initial cost: $20 million
     • Annual maintenance costs: $10,000
   • Elevating Buildings in the Flood Plain:
     • Initial cost: $55 million
     • Annual maintenance costs: $1,000
   • The initial cost of the diversion channels is significantly lower, and even though the annual maintenance cost is higher, the overall initial expenditure plays a significant role in cost efficiency. However, without knowing the lifespan of the structures or total costs over time, this assessment could vary.

2. Completion Time:

   • Building Flood Diversion Channels: 3 years
   • Elevating Buildings in the Flood Plain: 5 years
   • Here, building the flood diversion channels will be completed sooner (in 3 years vs. 5 years).

3. Displacement:

   • Building Flood Diversion Channels displaces 250 residents.
   • Elevating Buildings in the Flood Plain displaces 40 residents.
   • The diversion channels displace many more people.

4. Maintenance Costs:

   • The annual maintenance cost is $10,000 for the diversion channels and $1,000 for elevating the buildings, indicating lower ongoing costs for the latter option.

Now, considering the provided statements:

• "The town should build the diversion channels because this option is more cost efficient." - While the initial cost is lower, without further data over time, this may require further analysis.
• "The town should elevate buildings in the flood plain because the work will be completed sooner." - This is incorrect as the diversion channels have the shorter completion time.
• "The town should build the diversion channels because this option will displace fewer people." - This is incorrect; the diversion channels displace more people.
• "The town should elevate buildings in the flood plain because the maintenance costs are lower." - This is true regarding the maintenance but does not address other critical factors.

After careful evaluation, the best statement based on the table is:

The town should build the diversion channels because this option is more cost efficient.

This is the best analysis based on the initial and maintenance costs noted, despite needing additional long-term cost projections for a complete analysis.