U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to present Village of Owego Floodproofing Analysis on August 7

In July 2023, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) initiated a planning-level stormwater and floodproofing study in the Village of Owego. While the stormwater analysis is still underway, the floodproofing study is complete and results will be shared in a public meeting on Aug. 7, at 7 p.m. 

The meeting will be held at the Village Hall on 22 Elm St., and includes the option for virtual participation via Webex at https://usace1.webex.com/meet/karl.kerr. The access code is 1993 59 9036. You can join by phone at +1-844-800-2712.

The Village worked with USACE to identify the buildings studied, including some in the historic district. Specifically, six private homes, four commercial buildings (Historic Society Museum, Ti-Ahwaga Community Players, American Legion, State Farm Insurance), and one religious building (Owego United Methodist Church) were studied.  

The floodproofing options analyzed include acquisition, elevation, and dry/wet floodproofing. Acquisition, or buy-out, is the government purchase and demolition of a home to remove the flood risk. Structural elevation involves raising a building at least two feet above the 100-year floodplain and eliminating the basement.

The two other options evaluated are dry and wet floodproofing. Dry floodproofing keeps water out of commercial buildings at risk of a few feet of flooding. Wet floodproofing allows water to safely flow through a building without the risk of structural damage and can be used for basements, crawl spaces, or garages, provided utilities are dry floodproofed or moved out of harm’s way.

The Village and homeowners are responsible for taking next steps, which could include requesting future studies and/or seeking funding for implementation and construction based upon the recommendation of this floodproofing study. Fortunately, the USACE report will also include information on grant funding possibilities for these flood mitigation projects.

These USACE studies, at a cost of $307,000, were made possible through Planning Assistance to States (PAS). PAS projects are typically a 50/50 cost share between the non-federal sponsor and the USACE. This means the Village and the federal government would each pay $153,500 to fund this project. 

However, this study was 100% federally funded due to the Village’s status as a federally declared economically disadvantaged community. The Section 8119 Amendment of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 waives the PAS program match for such communities. 

The Village of Owego is the first municipality in the country to receive 100% PAS project funding under this 2022 amendment.

The Aug. 8 meeting agenda includes a welcome and introductions, an overview of study scope and purpose, an overview of building surveys, common nonstructural flood proofing techniques, recommended measures, and potential future project funding sources for the village to consider. An update on the Stormwater component of the overall planning-level study will also be given during the meeting.