The Galloway Report: New floodplain management or business as usual?

Excerpt

Although the Midwest flood of 1993 has been called a “hydrometeorological event without precedent in modern times” (4) its magnitude has also been described as “probably exaggerated” (7). In fact, in her report, Revisiting Flood Control, Nancy Philippi states that “while the flood was very big and did a great deal of damage, it was neither unique nor unpredictable. In some respects it was outdone by prior events, and there is every reason to believe it will be outdone by future events.”

For people living in the Midwest, it's hard to imagine another flood outdoing the one experienced in 1993. Thirty-eight deaths resulted from the flooding; tens of thousands of people were evacuated from their homes and more than 10,000 homes were destroyed. Total damage estimates range from $12 to $16 billion, more than half of those being agricultural losses. In terms of cost, it was the most severe flood in U.S. history since records have been kept (7).

During the crisis, live television reports, daily newspaper stories, and magazine articles focused on the events of the flood and its aftermath. Groups like the Association of State