Minnesota’s Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Assistance Program Building Community Resilience Through Flood Risk Reduction since 1987 Pat Lynch, CFM Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Manager Minnesota Department of Natural Resources National Adaptation Forum 2019 Madison, Wisconsin
Today’s Conversation • Flooding history in Minnesota • Minnesota’s Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Assistance Program • Notable flood mitigation successes • Where we go from here
Flooding History City of Rushford, 2007 Between 1957 and 2018, there have been 49 flood-related presidential disaster declarations in Minnesota. Nineteen of those have occurred since 2004. Mississippi River Headwaters Red River of the North, 1897 at Itasca State Park City of Minneapolis 2014 Oslo, 2019
Flooding History Red River of the North, 1897
Flooding History Oslo, 1997 Red River of the North, 1897
Flooding History Red River of the North, 1897 Mississippi River Headwaters at Itasca State Park
Flooding History Mississippi River at St. Paul, 1965 Red River of the North, 1897
Flooding History Roseau, 2002
Flooding History City of Rushford, 2007 Red River of the North, 1897 Mississippi River Headwaters at Itasca State Park
Flooding History City of Rushford, 2007 Mississippi River Headwaters Red River of the North, 1897 at Itasca State Park
Flooding History City of Rushford, 2007 Mississippi River Headwaters at Itasca State Park Oslo, 2019 Red River of the North, 1897 Newport, 2019 City of Minneapolis 2014 Oslo, 2019
Flooding History City of Rushford, 2007 Mississippi River Headwaters Oslo, 2019 at Itasca State Park Red River of the North, 1897 Newport, 2019 City of Minneapolis 2014 Newport, 2019 Oslo, 2019
Flooding History By the mid-1980s, Minnesota leaders said, “Enough!”
Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Assistance Program • Established by the Minnesota Legislature in 1987 to help make flood risk reduction locally affordable.
Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Assistance Program • Established by the Minnesota Legislature in 1987 to help make flood risk reduction locally affordable. • Provides state cost share funding to local units of government to plan and implement a host of measures that reduce flood risk to public and private improvements.
Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Assistance Program • Established by the Minnesota Legislature in 1987 to help make flood risk reduction locally affordable. • Provides state cost share funding to local units of government to plan and implement a host of measure that reduce flood risk to public and private improvements. • Eligible projects include acquisition and removal of flood prone structures, levees, diversions, floodwalls, pumping stations, impoundments, flood mapping, warning systems, etc.
Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Assistance Program The program works because…. • Flexibility & allocation discretion ensure the funds are directed to those at greatest risk, and ready to act. • Projects are locally grown, locally managed. • Partnerships = possibilities, key to program success
Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Assistance Program
Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Assistance Program • Facilitated by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety – Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management • ad hoc group of federal, state and local agencies working together to efficiently and effectively coordinate disaster recovery.
Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Assistance Program Minnesota Funding for Flood Hazard Mitigation 1988 - 2018 $544 million in state funding since 1988, in addition to close to $700 million in federal and local matching funds Historic 1997 Red River flood
Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Assistance Program Enabling legislation requires an equal non-state match from grantee Local match can be in form of in-kind contribution, federal or other local funds, private donations, local option sales tax, assessment to benefitted properties. Cannot match state funds with state funds.
Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Assistance Program Rider language in the past several appropriation bills has limited the local share for municipalities, making flood mitigation a reality in many places that otherwise could not afford it.
Mitigation Successes So... what have we accomplished since 1987?
Mitigation Successes • Acquisition and removal of at-risk structures • Levees • Diversions • Floodwalls • Flood and multi-purpose impoundments • Structural flood proofing • Ecological restoration of floodplains
Mitigation Successes • Improved mapping, including statewide LiDAR • Communicating risk • Better land use planning and watershed management • Improved flood forecasting • Promotion of higher floodplain standards • Actively encouraging flood insurance
Mitigation Successes 1987 – 2018: 290 Projects Red River Basin Completed & 35 In-Progress ~85% of funding awarded in the Red River Valley TC metro area, St. Croix, Minn. and Mississippi Rivers 290 Complete 35 In Progress
Mitigation Successes Flood Mitigation is Cost Effective Study suggests that on average, $7 in future savings for every $1 invested in flood mitigation.* 7.47 - 48 buyouts 3.18 – 27 buyouts 2.65 – 165 buyouts * National Institute of Building Sciences Multihazard Mitigation Council, 2017
Mitigation Successes Rural flooding
Mitigation Successes Agassiz Valley multi-purpose impoundment Agassiz Valley Flood Control Impoundment Middle-Snake-Tamarac Rivers WD
Mitigation Successes Over 270 rural home and farmstead ring dikes constructed with $5.1 million state grant assistance, equally matched
Mitigation Successes Community flooding Rochester , 1978
Mitigation Successes Acquisition and removal of flood prone structures is a high program priority BFE vent vent Over 3,600 structures physically removed from the floodplain. Thousands more protected by elevation, diversions, floodwalls, levees, pumping stations and flood storage.
Mitigation Successes City of Moorhead moorhead holdout
Mitigation Successes City of Moorhead Year Flood Stage Claims Paid 1997 39.57 $2.22 Million 2009 40.84 $1.45 Million 2011 38.81 $0.87 Million Moorhead used 60% fewer sandbags in 2011 for same level of protection in 2009 because of flood reduction projects and use of LiDAR.
Mitigation Successes Granite Falls partnership, planning, patience & persistence April 1997
Mitigation Successes East Grand Forks
Mitigation Successes East Grand Forks 1997 Agassiz Valley Flood Control Impoundment 2002 Middle-Snake-Tamarac Rivers WD
Mitigation Successes East Grand Forks East Grand Forks 1997 Agassiz Valley Flood Control Impoundment Middle-Snake-Tamarac Rivers WD
Mitigation Successes 67 structures removed from the floodplain since the 1997 flood through voluntary sale Post-acquisition and removal Montevideo 2001
Mitigation Successes Red River of the North, 1897 Oslo, 1997
Mitigation Successes Red River of the North, 1897 Oslo, 1997
Mitigation Successes Montevideo 67 structures removed from the floodplain since the 1997 flood through voluntary sale Post-acquisition and removal Perley, 1997 levee and gate wells 2001
Mitigation Successes City of Austin
Future Challenges 44
Future Challenges 45
Future Challenges Atlas 14
Future Challenges 47
Future Challenges • Memories are short ….. Flood amnesia. • Climate change may necessitate additional risk reduction efforts, or higher levels of protection. The old design standards may no longer be good enough. Is the 1% chance flood the appropriate level of protection? • Continued commitment of the legislature. The funding appetite is waning. When does it end? The most vulnerable/at-risk communities in Minnesota have some level of flood risk reduction. • Impoundments are a tough sell. Nameless & faceless. Less impact to the legislature than a family sobbing in front of a destroyed house with their wet belonging piles at the curb. 48
Future Challenges • Communities with aging flood risk reduction infrastructure may face changing standards /requirements to maintain certifiable flood protection, but can they afford it? • Changes to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) increasing flood insurance premiums may burden those living in high-risk areas • Development pressure 49
Thank you for your interest and attention this afternoon If you have any questions or comments about today’s presentation or the grant program, please contact me. Pat Lynch, CFM Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Assistance Program pat.lynch@state.mn.us 651.259.5691
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