Flood Damage Reduction: What Minnesota Has Done and Still Needs To Do...

Though the flooding in Minnesota in 2001 in some areas was often as serious as or worse than 1997, investments made in flood mitigation by the Legislature through the Waters Division of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources greatly reduced the damage. The state was much better prepared for the historic floods of 2001. For example, the flood mitigation project built for the city of Oslo in 1984 at a cost of $2 million dollars, prevented almost 31 million in damages since construction. This kind of project is a powerful testimonial for spending money to protect the safety of citizens and economic stability of their communities in the state. Since the Flood Damage Reduction Grant Assistance Program was established by the State Legislature in 1987, communities across Minnesota have experienced less damage from floods than they would otherwise have expected. Working in partnership with local, state and federal resources, incidents of repetitive loss to structures and communities are going down, but numerous mitigation projects remain to be done throughout the state.