Officials Plan Series of Floodplain Technical Assistance Visits 

Release Date: April 29, 1999
Release Number: 1270-05

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ST LOUIS, Mo. -- State and federal floodplain management officials will meet with Fredericktown and Marquand floodplain managers, and with Madison County elected officials on Monday, May 3rd to discuss post-disaster floodplain management issues.

Madison County (MO) was designated to receive state and federal disaster assistance because of severe storms and flooding from April 3-14 after President Clinton declared a major disaster for Missouri.

"We plan to offer technical assistance to Fredericktown and Marquand floodplain administrators on their post-disaster mitigation duties such as damage assessment, checking for substantial damages and issuing floodplain permits in the 100-year floodplain," said George Riedel, floodplain officer for the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

"We will have discussions with Madison County officials about mapping the 100-year floodplain in Madison County and providing the commissioners information about joining the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)," Riedel added.

Throughout the next several weeks, mitigation specialists from SEMA and from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will conduct a Community Program Assistance Visit with at least 15 communities that participate in the flood insurance program throughout Iron, Franklin and St. Francois counties.

"During a normal community assistance visit, officials discuss current local ordinances, the number of floodplain insurance policies in the community, floodplain administration, permitting and annexation issues," said Robert Bissell, FEMA Region VII's Community Mitigation Branch Chief.

Missouri conducted an extensive statewide buyout program following the 1993 floods. Information gleaned from these community assistance visits will be used to help the state define future mitigation projects to prevent future flash flooding disasters.

Last Modified: Thursday, 18-Dec-2003 10:05:01