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Future floodway puts Burlington resident in bind

Jill Schramm/MDN Burlington City Auditor Diane Fugere and city engineer Patrick Samson review a flood plain map with a resident at a FEMA flood map informational event in Burlington Tuesday.

BURLINGTON — Jane Abel was faced with totally rebuilding her house near the Souris River in Burlington after the 2011 flood. With work unfinished six years later, Abel has discovered a new, preliminary flood plain map places her home in a floodway – a no-build zone likely to impact her future plans.

“I am still rebuilding from the flood,” said Abel, who has been doing the work as money and time are available. The no-build rules would prohibit erecting a wood fence, installing a deck or constructing a storage shed, which she hopes to do.

Lance Meyer, Minot’s city engineer and flood plain manager, said the current floodway lies only within the river channel so people can build without restriction at this time.

When a new flood plain map with wider floodway is implemented, that’s when restrictions would take effect for residents in that new floodway. The Federal Emergency Management Agency expects implementation would not occur for at least the next 18 months because of the time necessary to finalize and prepare to implement its new map.

That allows some time for residents to continue to build. Also, any restrictions would be lifted after a proposed flood protection project is built and FEMA adopts the resulting map change.

Jill Schramm/MDN Jane Abel stands on the front steps to her home in Burlington’s floodway, which she continues to rebuild from the 2011 flood.

The floodway is that portion of the flood plain that would carry water flow. The building restriction is meant to preserve carrying capacity in areas where water depths and velocities are the greatest and the flood hazard is generally highest.

Floodway building codes allow interior renovations, but only up to 50 percent of the value of the structure.

Burlington has adopted no-build ordinances for new floodway areas and approved elevation standards for construction within new flood plains, which will restrict development once the updated map is finalized. The city adopted the rules through its participation in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which outlines various steps cities and counties can take to earn points toward discounts on flood insurance premiums for residents.

Visiting with FEMA and North Dakota officials at an information meeting for Burlington area residents Tuesday, Abel described a difficult recovery from the flood, including struggles with finding assistance, unreliable contractors, tight finances and meeting city demands. She moved back into the house in December 2012.

Abel said flood control agencies initially indicated her property would be needed for the new flood protection project, but in the end, the city choose not to acquire it based on the plan eventually developed for Burlington. FEMA had encouraged her to rebuild. She did and continues to do so.

“So here I am in this pickle,” she said of the upcoming no-build rules.

The state is looking into whether her property still might qualify under any existing acquisition program. Although it’s been her home for about 19 years, Abel said she would welcome the relief a buyout would bring.

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