Joint Flood Mitigation Plan
Press Release
By: Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council
Regarding: Genesee and Wyoming Counties Joint Flood Mitigation Plan for the Tonawanda and Oatka Creek Watersheds
The Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council has been working with Genesee and Wyoming Counties’ Emergency Management Offices on a Flood Mitigation Plan for 24 municipalities in the Tonawanda and Oatka Creek Watersheds in the two counties. We are please to announce that this process, which began in December of 2002, is nearly complete.
There are 26 plans that have been completed. There is one plan for each county, and one for each of the 24 participating municipalities. The remaining task is having the town and village boards of each municipality, along with the Genesee County Legislature and the Wyoming County Board of Supervisors, adopt their respective plans. The recommendations in the plans can then start to be implemented and used to secure additional funding.
What is the importance of flood mitigation planning? It increases public awareness of risks associated with flooding and identifies critical facilities and structures. It creates opportunities for communities to participate in the Community Rating System and be eligible for reductions in National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) premiums. Flood mitigation plans help to access funding to mitigate future flooding problems. Finally, the plan establishes a watershed-wide analysis of the issues and encourages inter-municipal cooperation to solve problems.
An important part of flood mitigation planning is direct input from the people who live and work in the flood-prone areas. Over the course of the planning process, six public meetings where held throughout the two counties. In addition, the Joint Flood Technical Committee, made up of representatives from the municipalities and key county agencies, met monthly in Attica. Finally, in-depth interviews were conducted with officials from all the municipalities and county departments. The observations of all of these groups played a crucial role in the development of the plan and will hopefully ensure that it will remain and active and living document.
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Last Modified: May 02, 2007