[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Page 26329]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        FLOOD MITIGATION EFFORTS

  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, last week I was in Findlay, OH, and toured 
the banks of the Blanchard River with the Northwest Ohio Flood 
Mitigation Partnership, a nonprofit organization comprised of elected 
officials, business leaders, and community foundations.
  Mayor Pete Sehnert, former mayor and current president of the Flood 
Mitigation Partnership Tony Iriti, and other community leaders briefed 
me on the flood mitigation efforts in the aftermath of one of the worst 
floods in northwest Ohio history.
  Two years ago, a torrential downpour resulted in the massive flood of 
the Blanchard River and its tributaries, wreaking havoc in Findlay, 
Shelby, Bucyrus, and Ottawa in northwest Ohio.
  Shortly after the flood, I traveled to the region with Governor Ted 
Strickland and officials from Homeland Security and FEMA.
  While we saw the flood's devastation, we also saw the communities of 
northwest Ohio work together to clean up debris and rebuild the homes, 
schools, and businesses that suffered terrible damage.
  Today the partnership is working to put into place a flood control 
plan in 3 years, when nationally similar plans have taken 5 years to 
develop. I saw that work in action last week in Findlay, where they 
advanced or accelerated their efforts much faster than almost any other 
community in the country has been able to do after natural disasters.
  Implementing a plan so efficiently saves taxpayer money, while 
spurring economic development earlier and protecting community safety 
if another flood occurs. It is an example of how a bipartisan and a 
public-private effort among local, State and Federal governments, 
businesses, and community foundations is making a difference for 
Findlay and other communities across northwest Ohio.
  In Findlay, we are establishing a national model in flood prevention 
planning. The Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA have worked closely with 
my office and Senator Voinovich, Congressmen Bob Latta and Jim Jordan, 
and other local officials. Corporations, community foundations, and 
county commissioners are working to develop flood control strategies to 
protect neighborhoods and businesses alike.
  Local leaders are working to attract new businesses and create jobs 
once the cleanup is completed--and they have come a long way from my 
fairly regular visits to the community and seeing what happened, 
strengthening the economy's tax base to keep taxes lower in the future.
  Working together, we have secured a $1.5 million FEMA grant to 
continue recovery and flood mitigation efforts. This grant matches the 
$1.5 million national emergency grant that Findlay was recently 
awarded.
  NEG funding in northwest Ohio will help provide job training and 
increase opportunities for permanent employment for more than workers 
in the region. These workers earn good wages and make up the crews that 
are removing blockages from rivers and waterways and reducing the risk 
of future flood damage. NEG funding also alleviates the burden faced by 
local governments with already stretched budgets.
  While the public-private partnership is vital for the flood recovery 
efforts, we know there is much more work to do. It has been my honor to 
work with Governor Strickland, members of Ohio's congressional 
delegation, and community leaders in Findlay, Shelby, Bucyrus, and 
Ottawa to ensure that northwest Ohio has the resources needed to 
rebuild and protect their communities.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Texas is 
recognized.

                          ____________________