2003-02-13_AgendaPacket - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

STAT~P~IEiVT of NEE® The overwhelming majority of the attendees at the May 2nd workshop strongly expressed the need to develop a high resolution DEM and floodplain mapping program. The State of Minnesota, like the State of North Carolina, needs to expeditiously initiate a program of developing ahigh-resolution DEM and floodplain mapping program in order to correctly identify and map flood hazard areas and enable local governments and state and federal agencies to efficiently and effectively manage land and water resources as well as infrastructure. In 1993 and 1997, flooding caused $1.7 billion and $1.5 billion in damages, respectively, to homes, farmlands, commercial and industrial structures and to transportation and drainage infrastructure. Focusing on 1997, a total of $830 million, about half of the total estimated damage, was spent thereafter by state, federal and private agencies towards recovery. The City of East Grand Forks has spent $75 million to acquire and demolish or relocate homes and commercial buildings out of the floodplain and to rehabilitate or build new homes and businesses. An additional $135 million will be spent in the next 2-3 years to provide the city with a system of permanent flood protection levees. ~~ ~ ~~ ix :`~- : ,- Furthermore, counties, cities, townships, private firms, the DNR, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) spend millions of dollars every year to collect high-resolution elevation data in order to plan and implement programs mandated by state and federal agencies. Most data collection is done by traditional methods which is extremely expensive and comparatively slow. The current estimated cost of developing a DEM and floodplain mapping program in Minnesota is about $80 million. Two thirds ($53 million) of the cost is for the DEM development and one third ($27 million) is for floodplain mapping. FEMA will contribute as part of their floodplain map modernization program as discussed below. Minnesota's floodplain management program will potentially obtain a total of $15-20 million in cost share in the 2003, 2004, and 2005 federal fiscal years, without a DEM. If the 2003 Minnesota Legislature authorizes ahigh- resolution DEM and floodplain mapping program, there is a window of opportunity for FEMA's contribution to potentially be $25-30 million, based on North Carolina's experience of FEMA contributing 34 percent. In addition, the DEM will reduce the costs by 35% for develop- ing hydrologic and hydraulic analysis. 3