Photo By Emily Helton | Community members listen to government agency representatives as they discuss flood...... read more read more
Community Planners from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Chicago District, recently facilitated two Flood Resilience Workshops for both south and west side Chicago communities affected by severe flooding disasters in July and September 2023. Approximately 120 people attended the events held at both Foster Park and Intentional Sports, in Chicago.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Interagency Recovery Coordination (IRC) requested support from USACE to provide subject matter experts, community-focused resilience, discuss hazard mitigation, and help build foundational relationships. The workshop brought together Long-Term Recovery Groups (LTRG’s) represented by community members, as well as federal, state, and county agencies involved in flood-risk management.
“We are grateful for everyone being here. We are here to learn, be informed, and collaborate. We want to have everyone’s voices heard”, said USACE Community Planner, Kira Baltutis.
LTRG’s highlighted their recovery efforts during the floods to include working with disaster recovery agencies on clean up and providing supplies and volunteers to respond to the immediate needs of flood victims. Representatives from Good Neighbor’s Coalition, Westside Long-Term Recover, Southside Resilience Recovery Coalition, and the South Suburban Recovery Group shared their experiences, challenges, and needs with the agencies present and explained the still existing flood challenges.
“All the LTRG’s continue their important work in the communities for those affected by floods in 2023. This includes mold removal, cleaning out flooded or damaged homes, and making necessary repairs. Additionally, the LTRGs are supporting residents affected by the storms in July 2024, following the Cook County disaster declaration”, said Ja’Von Cotton, Public Assistance Appeals Coordinator for FEMA and Voluntary Agency Liaison.
As of October 7, 2024, FEMA has received over 125,000 registrations for assistance for the 2023 flood events.
Representatives from FEMA, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), Chicago Department of Water Management (DWM), City of Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communication (OEMC), Department of Water Management (DWM), and Cook County Emergency Management and Regional Security (EMRS) discussed resources available for before, during and after emergencies and were available for questions and discussions after the presentations. They shared future planned projects to mitigate flooding and discuss long-term planning solutions.
For information on flood mitigation:
https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_dr-4728-il_resilience_hm-nfip-resources.pdf
https://mwrd.org/community-action/you-can-help-prevent-flooding-and-protect-water-quality
| Date Taken: | 10.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.07.2024 17:19 |
| Story ID: | 482706 |
| Location: | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 97 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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