Yesterday’s post on the Disaster Safety Blog, hosted by the Institute for Business & Home Safety, highlights the process behind rebuilding smarter after disasters. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is the subject of this post.

“Since the 1993 floods, Iowa has initiated more than 46 acquisition or relocation projects, according to state records. More than 1,000 properties have been removed from flood-hazard areas in the state. The best examples of smart rebuilding in Iowa were in Cedar Falls and Independence, where a total of 126 families were relocated to higher ground. In all, $54 million has been spent, said Julie Rochman, IBHS president & chief executive officer.” More >> 

BCLC continues to participate in the long-term recovery of Cedar Rapids after last spring’s devastating floods. At a Recovery Best Practices event we held last month, an official from the Safeguard Iowa Partnership updated the audience on the steps being taken there to rebuild better.

Our executive director, Stephen Jordan, will be in Cedar Rapids on the 18th and 19th of this month to meet with business and community leaders to determine the next steps BCLC will take to support long-term recovery and rebuilding in that community. One aspect we’re working on is the creation of a coalition to advance recovery, resiliency, and sustainability. We’ll report on our progress after his trip.

We’ve been involved with Cedar Rapids’ recovery from the beginning – check out the details of our Economic Impact Assessment, our recovery recommendations, and the actions taken within the community based on our recommendations.