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Davenport residents get advice for flood preparation at public meetings

This week's public presentations came just four years after the historic flood of 2019, which caused extensive damage to businesses and homes.

DAVENPORT, Iowa — Four years after the historic 2019 flooding in Davenport, the city is working with businesses and people living in flood zones to prepare them for future potential disasters.

The city hosted a public informational meeting on March 20 at the Davenport Police Department's main downtown building to help residents get ready for flood season.

"The less risk you put to your personal property, the better you'll be able to come back from a flood," development and planning administrator Laura Berkley said. "You know your house best, you know how things flood."

The presentation covered the city's plans and measures for mitigating flood damage. Depending on the flood level predicted and observed by the National Weather Service, different actions would be taken, such as deploying sandbags and temporary barriers.

Officials also talked about cleanup assistance and how to stay financially afloat, discussing insurance options and simple solutions.

"Generally, try to remove things that have value to you out of potential flood areas in your house," Berkley said. "Whether that be physically removing them, put them in a safety deposit box, putting them higher on your home -that's completely up to you."

But some people voiced concerns — still worried about how prepared the city will be for another major flood. City officials reassured residents that extensive research was conducted in 2021 and that current planning reflects the results.

"After having the Corps of Engineers take a look at what had happened during [the 2019 flooding], they had some suggestions for how we placed the barriers on the road," communications and preparedness manager Robbin Dunn said.

She explained that recommendations included an 'L' shaped configuration for the barriers, among other planning.

"We'd rough up the concrete a little bit to prevent some of that barrier fail, but also place plastic sheeting that protects those barriers," Dunn said.

Resources for businesses and homeowners in flood zones are available on the city of Davenport's website.

City officials also encourage people in flood zones to sign up for Alert Iowa notifications, which send text, phone and/or email alerts in case of flooding issues.

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