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The communities along the Tonawanda
and Oatka Creek in Genesee and Wyoming Counties have experienced several
floods in the past, resulting in severe damage to residential, commercial,
and public property as well as risks to the safety of residents and
others. Lu Engineers, in association with the G/FLRPC was asked to prepare
26 Flood Mitigation Plans for the 24 participating municipalities and two
counties in the project area.
The goals of the Project were to
develop a watershed-wide and municipal approach for mitigating and
reducing flood hazards along the Oatka and Tonawanda Creeks in Genesee and
Wyoming Counties and to adopt plans for participating communities that
identify the most effective means of implementing measures to eliminate or
reduce the impacts of flood hazards.
Beginning in November 2002, the Joint
Flood Mitigation Planning Committee was formed. It initially included
representatives from each county’s Emergency Management Office, Planning
Department and Soil and Water Conservation District. The Committee
expanded its membership to include a representative from each
participating municipality to review flood risks and hazards, encourage
public involvement, develop mitigation activities, and recommend action
steps to alleviate flood-related problems. The Flood Mitigation Plan for
each county and municipality describes and summarizes the Committee’s
process, findings, and recommendations.
A flood hazard and risk assessment was
completed for each community in 2003. General hazards, in the communities
along the Tonawanda and Oatka Creeks in Genesee and Wyoming Counties,
include structural damage, floodplain development and impervious surfaces,
in-stream debris, stream-bank erosion and associated siltation, culvert
maintenance and sizing, and issues associated with existing dams.
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