City seeking public input at open house Wednesday on Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan in La Crosse

The city of La Crosse is looking for public input on flooding.

A Flood Hazard Mitigation Planning (FHMP) session is scheduled from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday at the Black River Beach Neighborhood Center (map).

The city hired SEH/JEO consulting to prepare an FHMP and that development is ongoing.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently completed a Nonstructural Flood Mitigation Assessment for the La Crosse.

They will be at Wednesday’s public input/open house, along with city reps and SEH/JEO consulting to answer any questions about the FHMP.

In a statement, the city stated:

Developing a Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan is important for four primary reasons:

• To assess flood risk and vulnerabilities (current planning phase)
• To identify strategies to reduce flooding impacts and damages
• To prioritize and plan implementation of flood risk reduction projects according to feasibility, community priority, and potential for grant funding
• To increase community flood resiliency

Along with the open house, there are two areas on the project website (click here) to provide input into this planning process.

One way — under “Map Your Ideas” — is to provide info as to where flooding is occurring and community members identify as hazards and vulnerable assets — such as buildings or infrastructure. Also, what places should be the focus for future investments.

The other — under “Your Story” — is providing details about flooding events experienced in the community, and information in relation to that. Have you experienced damage from a flood event? Was a claim filed with the flood insurance provider? Do you have pictures to share?

This info will help the city come up with a flood mitigation plan that will provide guidance for floodplain management.

“A Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan will both assess flood risk and vulnerabilities, and it will also start to identify mitigation actions to reduce flood risk and impacts,” Brea Grace, Senior Community Development Specialist with SEH said in a statement. “With this plan in place, the city will be better positioned to seek funding for future mitigation strategies.”

Other questions about the project may be directed to:

• Sarah Rafajko, Floodplain Manager/Chronic Nuisance Technician, City of La Crosse, (608) 789-8678, [email protected]
• Becky Appleford, Planner, JEO Consulting Group, (402) 392-9915, [email protected]