With a backlog of thousands of unfunded federal projects and being caught red handed fudging 100 and 500 year flood levels to augment an ailing cost benefit ratio, how can local leaders be considered honest when they continue to disseminate that the Fargo Dam and FM Diversion is one of second most important projects in the nation?
FEMA published its most recent Disaster Declarations Summary on August 9th, 2013
The report containing 16,383 declarations touts a staggering 7,295 relating to flooding.
Here are the Top 10 reporting entities with flood disaster declarations:
#1 – 540 declarations: Iowa
#2 – 393 declarations: North Dakota
#3 – 356 declarations: Puerto Rico
#4 – 333 declarations: Minnesota
#5 – 319 declarations: Texas
#6 – 280 declarations: Virginia
#7 – 280 declarations: Missouri
#8 – 269 declarations: Pennsylvania
#9 – 257 declarations: Kentucky
#10 – 243 declarations: California
20 percent of the U.S. state comprise nearly 20 percent of the flood disaster declarations.
45 percent of all federal disaster declarations involve flooding.
Ironically, of the 393 flood disaster declarations for North Dakota only 13 are attributed to Cass County. A rather stark fact in light of Fargo’s pity party for “exceeding flood stage” 48 of the past 109 years and every year except 2012 since 1993. Perhaps exceeding the 18′ foot flood stage and the 37′ level needed to impact Fargo’s lowest properties leaves a lot of wiggle room for the Red River in terms of flood prevention?
The report goes on to outline a wide range of federal disaster declarations that affect a much greater portion of the U.S. population over a greater area than the natural flood plain that Fargo is attempting to develop via taxpayer subsidies.
As Fargo, Cass County and the Diversion Authority contrive various public relations selling points to solicit sympathy for the proposed Fargo Dam and FM Diversion, consider a little perspective on Cass counties meager 13 flood disaster declarations of the 7,295 in FEMA’s most recent report.
Fargo, Cass and Diversion Authority leaders never seem to miss a chance to tell their woeful tale of water and how it paralyzes the community, yet these same leaders quickly forget their role in sanctioning the very encroachments that create greater flood threats to the metro area.
When you step outside the self induced mind fog created by Fargo / Cass leaders and flush the Fargo/Cass kool-aid from your system, the fervor for funding that Fargo and Cass believe is coming in the form of congressional authorization and any appropriations that Washington may drop hints about…, wanes.
Odd…? Darrel Vanyo, Keith Berndt and Dennis Walaker have all reassured taxpayers that congressional approval and funding is just around the corner.
It does beg the question…, “If Fargo is such a big important city then why didn’t Cass county (Fargo) make the list when they have repeatedly self professed that the Fargo Dam and FM Diversion is the second most important project in the nation?”
Even more important…, if lawmakers look at the bigger national picture, how can they justify funding economic development of a natural flood plain when Fargo and Cass county recklessly drag their feet on completing internal flood protection while they irresponsibly sanction the creation of greater flood risks and water displacement onto others?
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