QC Flood Resiliency Alliance to host flood prep meetings

The Quad Cities Flood Resiliency Alliance will host two events on Thursday, Feb. 20, and Saturday, March 1, to discuss and learn to prepare the upcoming flood season. 

The Quad Cities Flood Resiliency Alliance was launched at River Action’s 2018 Upper Mississippi River Conference. The alliance provides a platform for sharing flood prevention and mitigation strategies across communities in Iowa and Illinois.

Members collaborate on:

• Flood damage mitigation and floodplain restoration.
• Community Rating System (CRS) education and enrollment.
• Training and certification for floodplain managers.
• Pre-disaster communication and resource-sharing.

The alliance covers parts of Scott, Clinton, Muscatine, and Louisa counties in Iowa, as well as Rock Island, Whiteside, Mercer, and Henry counties in Illinois. Currently, only three Quad Cities communities (Moline, Davenport, Rock Island County) participate in the CRS – earning flood insurance discounts.

The next quarterly meeting will be 3 p.m.,  Feb. 20, at the Riverdale City Hall Community Room, 110 Manor Drive in Riverdale, Iowa. It will include  a special presentation by Kate Giannini, program manager, Iowa Flood Center, “Collaborative Flood Resilience: Community-Driven Solutions to Flood Challenges.” A question & answer session will follow. The event is free. 

City/county/village leaders and administrators; emergency management personnel; floodplain managers; public works personnel; local and state-level elected officials; residents and property owners in the region and anyone with general interest are encouraged to attend.  For more information, visit riveraction.org/qcfra/meetings.

There also will be a free Flood Preparedness Workshop from 10 a.m to 2 p.m., March 1, at  Modern Woodmen Park in downtown Davenport, to help QC residents prepare for floods and learn how to respond effectively if disaster strikes. City representatives from across the Quad Cities will be on hand to provide resources, answer questions, and share floodplain maps to help residents understand and implement floodproofing measures.

Additionally, first responders will provide vital information for those affected by extreme weather events. Representatives from the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), and Volunteers in Police (VIP) will discuss their services and volunteer opportunities. Werner Restoration will also be present to offer expertise on water damage restoration.