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®CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK <br /> issues and hopefully we hit the areas you want us to hit.If not,we will gladly take questions.Then, <br /> Dr. Boyles will finish with talking about projects we have on our queue for 2018 and what we are <br /> doing for some of the flood mitigation studies. <br /> Mr. Horvath continued, To start off, our first priority when the event hit was really just public <br /> safety and trying to minimize losses. We were in emergency response mode for the first couple <br /> weeks. Although the flood came very quickly, it didn't recede as quickly as it came so it took a <br /> while for us to get down to normal levels. It has just been within the last couple of weeks we are <br /> at the point to completely open the roads again and start assessing some of the damage that <br /> happened.From there,we moved into recovery mode and got the Emergency Management Agency <br /> (EMA)to make sure we had everyone reporting. We were also looking at the public infrastructure <br /> and the immediate issues needed to be addressed. We are still currently in recovery mode right <br /> now. We have had pretty good reporting of flood damage throughout the County. We just had a <br /> meeting to walk through all the damaged areas to try and make sure we are able to meet that public <br /> assistance threshold number and qualify for some assistance in the area. I know FEMA is here and <br /> will be in this area the next couple weeks. They are also looking at Marshall County and a few <br /> other surrounding Counties. In addition, there are other groups out and around the State that will <br /> help assess the damage so that we can look at having a Declaration from FEMA. In addition to <br /> that,we are also starting on the next stages which are mitigation and preparedness.Those are some <br /> of the lessons learned type things of how to communicate better with folks next time something <br /> like this happens. We are also looking to see if there are measures we can take to help mitigate <br /> future instances. We also have a meeting in late April with the Army Corps of Engineers to sit <br /> down and talk about potential funding sources for mitigation measures and possible ways of <br /> partnership. <br /> Mr. Horvath went on, Speaking to the event itself, as you know, we crested at twelve point seven <br /> (12.7) feet. It was a historic crest. In 2016's event, we had flash floods. That event is completely <br /> different from this event. In the 2016 event we had a tremendous amount of rain, it was over nine <br /> (9) inches of rain in under twenty-four(24)hours. We had a 1,000 year rain event but, at the same <br /> time,the river crested at four point four (4.4.) feet so it handled a lot of the flow. That was due to <br /> a lot of the other conditions that were present. In this recent particular case,we had less than three <br /> (3) inches of rain, but, combined with the snow on the ground and frozen ground, it created a <br /> situation where the river ended up cresting at twelve point seven (12.7) feet which is almost two <br /> (2) feet higher than our previous record. So, this was a significant event. Dr. Hamlet at the <br /> University of Notre Dame studies Climate Change and Climate Models.He went back through the <br /> data collected since 1931. When we say the phrase `one hundred (100) year storm,' it means you <br /> have a one percent (1%)chance of exceeding that during the year. So the likelihood of having a <br /> one hundred (100) year storm in one hundred (100) years is one (1), you will have one (1). So <br /> when you look at that and you take the peak flow we hit, and translate it using the probabilistic <br /> algorithms he put together, he concluded it was a 2,500 year flood. So, this is a really epic <br /> proportion. Our systems are not designed for that and we won't be able to have a system that will <br /> completely mitigate an issue like this in the future. I think that is important for everyone to <br /> understand as we go through his process of looking at measures we can take to make things better <br /> in the future. If we get another extreme event of this nature,there is nothing we can do. <br /> Mr. Horvath continued, This (referencing a slide of the presentation available in the City Clerk's <br /> Office) is our watershed area. You can see South Bend is about forty (40) square miles. Our <br /> watershed area is almost 4,700 square miles. So all of that water was going to the St.Joseph River. <br /> EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT <br /> 455 County-City Building 1 227 W.Jefferson Bvld I South Bend,Indiana 466011 p 574.235.9221 If 574.235.91731 T M 574.235.5567 lwww.southbendin.gov <br /> 2 <br />