Mitigation Best Practices Public and Private Sector Best Practice Stories for All Activity/Project Types in All States and Territories relating to All Hazards August 10, 2011 Table of Contents Tuscaloosa Business Partners with F EMA in helping to Create a Safer Alabama 1 Home Alone...Emergency Plan Saves S isters 2 Safe Room Withstands EF-4 Tornado 3 Helping to Build a Safer, Stronger Alabama 4 In-Ground Safe Room Protects Jefferson County Family 5 Pleasant Grove Church Offers Hope Through Education 6 Tuscaloosa Resident Grateful for Storm Shelter 7 Bibb County Provides Shelter for Its Communities 8 Northport Housing Authority Educates Residents on Preparedness 9 Mitigation Solves Road Washout Problem 10 Park and Campground Spurs Local Economy in Acquisition Neighborhood 11 Building Bridges Better: Keeping Roads Open with Mitigation 12 Is It Time for a Safe Room? 13 WolfAlert: Keeping the Wolfpack Aware 14 Tornado Sirens Proved Beneficial in Rural Communities 15 Major Mitigation Effort Proves Its Worth 16 Happy Trails in St. George, Utah; How FEMA's HMGP Funds Helped 17 Tobin Wash in Gunlock, or is it Gridlock? 18 Enabling Residents to Hear and Heed Severe Weather Warnings 19 Village of Thiensville Channelization Project 20 Teamwork Gives Rise to a Comprehensive All Hazards Mitigation Plan 21 Freeboard Saves Town from Additional Flood Losses 22 Best Practice: Life Outside the Floodplain for Thousands of Flood Survivors 23 "Flood Amnesia" Cured by Public Education 24 Village of Frankfort Stays Ahead of Development for Urban Flood Control 25 Successful Storm Sewer System Improvement 26 Securing the Steele Building 27 Buyout Resolves Flood Hazards for Many Homeowners 28 Detention Ponds, Not Homes, Played Host to Recent Flood Event 29 Elevation: Mitigation Through Flood Insurance 30 Flood Survivor Decides Buyout Program Best Choice 32 Flood Wall at Iowa State University Passes the Test of Recent Flooding 33 Flood Buyout Eases Homeowners' Worries 34 Small Village Executes Large Mitigation Project 35 Acquisition Makes Way for New Community Park 36 Acquisition Project Beneficial as Safety Measure and Recreational Avenue 37 Mitigation Gives School, Community a Safe Place to Ride Out the Storm 38 Mitigation Promotes Disaster Preparedness for Families 39 The City of Rio Bravo Focuses on Mitigation 40 Flood Control Mitigation Saves Employment 41 Mitigation Measures Turn the Table on Two Centuries of Flooding 42 Wimpole Drive – Moving From Waterway to Greenway with HMGP 43 Emergency Levee Repair Saves a Lot of Grief 44 Get 'em Up: Scituate's Grant Committee Gets Homes in the Air 45 High Marks for Building Higher: Hull’s Freeboard Incentive Program 46 New Culvert Works: No Flooding at East Street 47 New Culverts Lower Flood Risks at Converse Lane 48 New Drainage System Averts Flooding in Melrose 49 Several Small Steps Lead to Safety 50 Landgraff Property Acquisition - Effective Mitigation Prevents Flood Damage 51 Soil Nailing Protects Roads from Flood Damage 52 Venice Park Bulkhead Project 53 Snake Creek Diversion Channel 54 A Home Above the Rest: Homeowner in City of Galveston Elevates Home 12 feet 55 Homeowner’s Mitigation Projects Spared Home from Mudflow Damage 56 Lost Valley Acquisition 57 Buyout Saves Two Families from Another Flood 58 Rising from the Ashes: Mobile Home Park Rebuilding Safer and Stronger 59 Elevating Furnace Avoids Damage 60 Moving HVAC from Crawlspace to Attic Makes All the Difference 61 Safeguarding the Special Needs Population 62 Mitigating a Break in the Road: Geo-Textile in Erosion Control and Embankment Stabilization 63 From Overhead to Underground: It Pays to Bury Power Lines 64 Moving Out of Harm's Way Proves Advantageous and Gives Rise to Widely Used Park 65 The Water Flows Through It: City’s Stormwater Drainage Project Beneficial 66 Mitigating County Road 207: Providing a Way Out 67 Saving Our Road: Box Culvert Helps Increase Water Flow during Heavy Rain Events 68 Stormwater Pump Stations Alleviate Flooding on Barrier Island 69 Creative Financing Removes New Jersey Residents from Harm 70 Flood Insurance and Mitigation save Taxpayer Dollars for Tidewater and Poquoson 71 Local Mayor Grateful for FEMA Assistance 72 For the Town of Palo, Little Things Make a Big Difference in Flood Protection 73 Spreading the Word Saves Lives 74 Cowboy City Corrals Stormwater 75 Buyout Brings Peace of Mind 76 Buyout in Bulk: The Jackson Square Condominium Acquisition 77 Mitigation Measures Alleviate Drainage Problem 78 Reason to Cheer: Detention Pond Offers Neighborhood Relief from Flooding 79 Buyouts in Mott, ND, Reduce Risks, Return Revenue 80 Georgia Couple Rises Above Two Major Floods 81 When the Waters Rise, Flood Insurance Speeds Recovery 82 Floyd County Prepares Citizens for Future Disasters with New Mass Alert System 83 FEMA Projects Lower Flood Risks in Cogswell, North Dakota 84 Tolls Collected No Longer a Drop in the Bucket after Booth Hardening 85 Elevation Turns a Weekend Getaway into Home 86 Matheny, Wyoming County Mitigates by Acquisition 87 Elevated House Protects Couple From Flooding 88 Grants and Forward Thinking Prevent Sewer Backup 89 Brenton, Wyoming County Pre-Disaster Mitigation 90 Flood Insurance is a Smart Choice 91 Voluntary Elevation Pays Off for Office Condo: Builder Wanted to Avoid Liability 92 Let a Tree Fall, We’ll Have Power to Hear It: Lake County Converts Power Lines 93 Mitigation Plays Strategic Role in Local Land Use Planning 94 Mitigation Prevents Disaster Declaration for Montevideo, Minnesota 95 Snoqualmie Home High and Dry 96 Homes Built on Slab Foundations Can Be Elevated, Too 97 Water on the wrong side of the levee? 98 Don't Drop the Ball: See Your Agent About Flood Insurance 99 FEMA Helped Local Officials with Home Inspections and Technical Assistance 100 Harris County Flood Control District: Continuous Updates Program 101 School Continues to Serve as a “Beacon of Hope” 102 Flood Insurance Helps Speed Up Recovery 103 Flood Insurance Helps Texas Couple Recover After Apartment is Destroyed 104 Flood Mitigation Project Will Help Allamakee County Save Thousands of Dollars 105 FEMA Grant Helps Town Rebuild Road, Improve Safety for Residents 106 FEMA Grant Helps Town Up Size Culvert, Insures Access, Improves Safety 107 Gainesville, Texas Acquisition Project Saves Millions of Dollars 108 Multiple Mitigation Measures Ease Town's Trouble 109 Fully Mitigated University is Prepared for Disasters 110 Kennebunk Acquisition, Demolition, and Elevation 111 Multiple FEMA Grant Programs Ease Flood Worries 112 Relocated Road Prevents Washouts, Promotes Safety 113 Culvert Upgrade: Prevents Flooding, Provides Safety 114 Computerized Warning System Replaces Word of Mouth 115 KPRC Weatherman Builds Above Hurricane Ike Storm Surge 116 Missouri Flood Buyout Saves Lives, Heartache, and Money 117 Researching Prior to Building is a Smart Move 118 Using Grants to Help Convert Overhead Electrical Lines to Underground 119 Building Codes Helped Bolivar Peninsula Homes Survive 120 Hazard Mitigation Saves Historic Galveston Home 121 Read All About It: Galveston Newspaper Never Misses a Beat 122 Homes Built With Love -- and Lots of Extra Nails 123 1907 Elevation Saved Galveston Church From Flooding 124 Galveston Neighborhood Gets High Marks in Hurricane Test 125 FEMA HMGP Funding Provides Security in Port Neches 126 Mayor Steers Tiki Island Turnabout 127 House Built Above Building Codes Stood Strong Against the Wind 128 Storm Shutters Cause for Celebration 129 Elevation Saved Family Home from Hurricane Ike 130 Mitigation Measures Keep Hospital Afloat During Storm 131 Beaumont Winning Flood Fight With Help from Texas and FEMA 132 Quick Reopening of Supermarket Served Hurricane Survivors 133 Hurricane Rita Sparks Need for Mitigation 134 Storm Proves Surfside Beach Buyouts Were Good Investments 135 Multiple Measures Protected University from Floods 136 Shutters Provide Peace of Mind During Storm 137 Ruidoso Resident Thankful For Flood Insurance 139 Successful Rebuilding After Previous Ruidoso Flood Proves it Can be Done 140 Village of Ruidoso Wildfire Hazard Mitigation 141 Austin Pre-Disaster Mitigation Saves Homes 142 Moving People Out of Harm's Way 143 Multiple Mitigation Measures Give Darlington an Elevating Experience 144 NFIP Compliance Coverage Helps Homeowners Stay Dry 145 Code Enforcement Plays Major Role in Floodplain Management 146 Mitigation Project Reunites a Town Divided 147 Pulling the Plug on Monroe's Water Problems 148 South Padre Island: Living with Mother Nature's Wrath 149 A Small Village With Big Concerns 150 Couple Executes Elevation Project in Combating Flood 151 Illinois County Applauds Buyouts 152 Liberating Independence 153 Rio Grande Valley Buyout Moves Floodplain Residents Out of Harm’s Way 154 When Enough is Really Enough 156 Doing Something About the Floods 157 Historic Town's Flood Concerns Alleviated With Buyouts 158 San Benito's “Safe Box” Shuttered Against the Storm 159 Three Island Homes Pass Hurricane Dolly's Test 160 Brownsville's “Blue Ribbon” Resacas Reduce Hurricane Dolly Flood Losses 161 Mitigation of Essential Structures Helps to Keep Waste Water Treatment Plant Ope 162 FEMA Mitigation Leaves Bridge Standing Strong Through Repeated Flooding 163 Flood Control Projects Revamp Communities 164 Multi-Agency Flood Mitigation Effort Transforms, Beautifies Missouri Community 165 One Little Room Provides a Big Sense of Security 166 Residential Buyout Program Eliminates Repetitive Flood Loss 167 Arkansans Get Ideas on Combating High Winds 168 A Bridge Over Powered Water in Duncan, Oklahoma