In January 2010 the small farming community of Wenden, Arizona was hit by its second 100-year flood in 10 years when heavy rains caused water flows that breeched the banks of the Centennial Wash. At the crest of the flood, three-quarters of the town was underwater. You have been tasked by the La Paz County Board of Supervisors to evaluate alternative hazard mitigation actions. Two alternatives have been identified for your review: (1) constructing a dike along the Centennial Wash to divert the flow of floodwaters, and (2) move the town to higher ground.
In a paper of 1,000-1,250 words, provide the following:
- Describe the demographics of the town of your choice (two to three paragraphs).
- Describe the nature of the flooding problem in the town of your choice (two to three paragraphs).
- Write an assessment of the two alternatives using a set of criteria that is used for screening planning decisions identified by the acronym STAPLE (E): social, technical, administrative, political, legal, economic, and environmental. You will find an explanation of these criteria in IS-242.a and IS-242.b, p. 4-9. How do your methods compare to the mitigation actions used in the case you chose?