Sends letter to FEMA outlining negative economic impacts of new maps
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) highlighting the negative economic impacts that the proposed flood maps for the Teton River would have on Choteau, Montana.
“The provisional maps presented to the public for comment in November included considerable expansions of the acreage and number of structures within the floodplain. As a result, homes, businesses, and development in these areas would be subject to costly flood insurance requirements, local floodplain regulations, and a lengthy permit process for construction or renovation. Further economic development in the city would be threatened at a time when efforts are already underway to protect Choteau from an event like the 1964 flood. The Montana Department of Transportation is currently engaged in a project to improve U.S. Highway 89, whose breaching nearly 60 years ago led to the most devastating flood in Montana’s history. Through raising the highway’s elevation and better mitigation work, the threat of another major flood can be substantially reduced,” Daines wrote.
“While I appreciate your efforts to keep people and their property safe from flooding, I urge you to engage with the local community, consider the ongoing efforts to mitigate flood risk, and make the necessary changes to the proposed flood maps to limit their economic impact on the community of Choteau,” Daines continued.
Read the full letter sent to FEMA Region VIII Administrator Nancy Dragani HERE.