"Engaging Missouri River Communities on Flood Mitigation Policy"

A presentation of the Big Muddy Speaker Series hosted by Missouri River Relief.

Presentation by Angela J. Catalano, a research social scientist and PhD Candidate at Northeastern University. Angela is also a social scientist at the Missouri Department of Conservation. The presentation was originally recorded at the Riechmann Pavilion at Stephen's Lake Park in Columbia, MO on August 12, 2025.

Increasing frequency and intensity of flooding along rivers has brought attention to national flood mitigation planning policies and their implementation at regional and local scale. In response to the historic 2019 floods in the Lower Missouri River Basin in the U.S., the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) received Congressional authorization to conduct a system-wide feasibility study to identify flood mitigation options that includes input from the states involved – Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska. To focus on communities particularly vulnerable to the impacts of flooding, the state recommended three spin-off study locations to pilot local engagement: Jefferson City, Brunswick, and Holt County.

As part of her doctoral research, Angela worked with a team of researchers to interview over one hundred riverfront community members at these three sites and analyzed their experiences and opinions about flooding in their area. Angela will provide an overview of her study and highlight the recommendations for agencies to incorporate the science, policy, and community needs in flood mitigation planning into public meetings and community outreach and education.

For more information, including links to deeper research, see - https://bigmuddyspeakers.org/event/engaging-missouri-river-communities-on-flood-mitigation-policy/

Find out more about Missouri River Relief here - https://riverrelief.org/

Видео "Engaging Missouri River Communities on Flood Mitigation Policy" канала Missouri River Relief