Tester Announces More Than $9 Million for Flood Plain Mapping in Montana

$9,282,000 to help prepare for, mitigate catastrophic flooding

U.S. Senator Jon Tester today announced more than $9 million has been awarded to help Montana floodplain managers map and prepare for potential flooding each spring.

Tester secured the $9,282,000 through the National Flood Insurance Program, which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Administration and will help make sure Montana’s flood plain maps are as up-to-date and accurate as possible.

“Flooding is unavoidable in Montana, so we have to be prepared,” Tester said. “This money will give Montana’s floodplain managers as much data as possible, and help them keep our homes, businesses, and families safe.”

Floodplain mapping uses tools to chart elevation and assess other risk factors such as proximity to bodies of water like lakes and rivers for areas prone to flooding, to give floodplain managers prepare for and mitigate potential hazardous flooding.

Tester has fought continuously to keep Montanans secure from natural disasters like flooding. As Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Tester secured $85 million to update flood hazard mapping last year, and he delivered $17 million to fix roads damaged in 2017’s historic flooding.