From Sandbags to Sanity: The Policy Implications of the Midwest Floods of 2008

Abstract

When record floods swept through the Midwest in the summer of 2008, some local government officials put out a call for extra sandbags as their primary response. Others dusted off incomplete and out-of-date floodplain maps or tried to reinstate municipal flood insurance that had expired. As the waters receded, it became clear that localities varied widely in their crisis preparation, response, and recovery practices. State agencies and legislators want to change that. They have turned to the University of Wisconsin System, looking for help and information on everything from hydrology to climate change and intergovernmental collaboration. Organized as part of a partnership with Wisconsin Emergency Management, the Wisconsin Recovery Task Force, the Special Committee on Emergency Management, the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Association of State Floodplain Managers, this April 20 symposium will serve as a forum where members of the academic community and emergency management professionals will combine their expertise and experience to address the needs of policy-makers and practitioners.