Lessons from Grand Forks: Planning Nonstructural Flood Control Measures

Abstract

Even though the flood of 1997 at Grand Forks, North Dakota, did not take a single life, the people suffered enormous economic damage and such large intangible losses that the city considered itself damaged to the “core.” Losses were exacerbated by five surprises. People working to protect themselves as flood stages rose and then to salvage their possessions as waters receded were frustrated by official policies to protect public health and safety. Disruptions to cultural setting, social structure, and regional economy destroyed critical relationships. Individuals working to restore normalcy to their lives were frustrated by slow-paced government programs. Introduction of long-term arrangements for living with floods was mired in delays and costs that raised doubts and shattered hopes. In order to reduce these surprises, communities need nonstructural programs that are firmly grounded in information technology within a basinwide program to minimize large-scale flood impacts. The use of spatially distributed flood risk information in urban land use zoning and for flood proofing is particularly important for cities with large areas on floodplains.