Dear Policy Makers:
PLEASE: No more building in the floodplains. Or in the predicted future 1% floodplains.
New structures – homes, commercial, industrial, institutional and governmental buildings and roadways – have an average lifespan of 100 – 300 years if reasonably maintained. Approvals of new structures, or any consideration of alterations, expansions or reuse of existing structures, must consider the predicted increase in flood levels over their lifetime. Ignoring those predictions is a recipe for larger and larger disasters, and places huge risks on future occupants, owners, and the taxpayers who will be asked, literally, to bail them out over time at huge costs.
Remove existing structures from within the existing and prospective floodplains to avoid future damages and losses.
Protect and flood-proof only the critical and non-water-dependent infrastructure that cannot be removed.
Anything else does not belong in the predicted path of sea-level rise.
These changes in policy would put us in line with the national policy directives from the 1994 Galloway Report, following the 1993 Great Mississippi R. floods.
Details at: http://www.floods.org/PDF/Sharing_the_Challenge.pdf
A great deal of policy work and issue history is also located at: http://www.floods.org/
Thank you for your responsible and creative thinking and policies for our safe and successful future.
Sincerely,
David Keller