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Yellowstone Mitigation Project BACKGROUND Park County experienoed a record flood on the Yellowstone River in June of 1996. The River stayed at a very high flow for over a week causing massive bank erosion and a number of houses being flooded. In June 1997, the Yellowstone River decided to produce yet another record flood. More bank erosion occurred, and the same houses were flooded again. Both floods were equal to the 100-year, 1% frequency flood. Mitigation was obviously needed for the residential structures, yet relocation was out of the question due to the price of land/lots in this area, which is known as Paradise Valley. Many property owners did not have the resources necessary to mitigate the flooding problem. But thanks to FEMA and the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (FMAP), funding was available to assist in mitigating hazards. One property owner, Mr. Jerry Centers, took advantage of this program. He worked with the County, who acted as the applicant and applied for a grant to elevate his house. Park County applied for a FMAP grant to the DNRC Floodplain Management Program. The Grant was awarded in the middle of February, 1998. PROJECT The project consisted of simply elevating the house to the standards identified in the Park County Floodplain Management Ordinance. The structure was elevated so the lowest floor was at least two feet above the BFE. The Centers contracted with a house mover to elevate the structure and place a new foundation under the structure. Once the foundation was completed, the house was set back down and the fill material was placed around the structure for foundation protection. The project was completed in less than a month, except for final landscaping. BENEFITS The benefits are simple. The structure, now elevated two feet above the l00-year flood elevation, will not experience flood damage to the structure, even during a 500-year event. Thus, there should be no future flood insurance clairns. The Benefit Cost Ratio should prove to be greater than 1:1. PROJECT COST $18,304 FUNDING SOURCE Flood Hazard Mitigation Program (FMAP) Grant funds of $13,728; Property owner match of $4,576.