City Receives $180,000 Flood Grant

The City of Fort Wayne has received a $180,000 flood mitigation assistance grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to purchase three homes.

The homes have been damaged by flooding in recent years. Two of the homes are located in the Junk Ditch area. The other home is in the Eastbrook/Westbrook neighborhood. The properties will be demolished and returned to green space.

Fort Wayne has experienced numerous floods in the past few years. Since 2003, several steps have been taken to improve flood fighting.
* The City has purchased and demolished more than 40 flood-prone properties through voluntary buyouts.
* A stormwater rate increase approved by City Council in 2005 has allowed the City to issue a $17 million stormwater revenue bond to begin planning and constructing flood protection projects along the Spy Run watershed, St. Marys River and Fairfield Ditch. Additional work will include improving drainage problems in several neighborhoods experiencing chronic problems.
* $500,000 is set aside each year to buyout chronically flooded properties.