FEMA releases funds for Findlay-Hancock flood projects

FINDLAY — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has released the money from a long-awaited $24 million flood mitigation grant, giving Findlay and Hancock County the green light to put two major projects out to bid this summer. The announcement was made earlier today, and the city of Findlay has received official notice that the funds are now obligated, which means work can move from planning to construction. The projects heading to bid are Downtown Phase 2 Benching and the Eagle Creek Dry Storage Basin, a 765-acre basin that stays dry under normal conditions and holds back water during major storms. City modeling shows the basin could lower flood levels near the Blanchard River and Eagle Creek by about 2.2 feet during a 100-year storm. The downtown benching project will widen the north bank of the Blanchard River between North Cory Street and the CSX Railroad, remove the pedestrian bridge, and add two in-river riffles. The city says this work could lower water levels by up to 0.3 feet at Main Street during a 100-year storm, with added benefits during smaller storms. These projects build on earlier work, including Phase I benching, dam removals and riffle construction. After Phase I, the city submitted a Letter of Map Revision identifying 1,080 parcels that could be removed from FEMA's flood zone and about 1,500 parcels with reduced flood levels. Local officials say the community has been working toward this point for decades, following repeated flooding since the 1990s. When all major projects are finished, the full program is expected to reduce a 100-year flood by up to three feet in downtown Findlay and remove more than 2,000 parcels from the floodplain.