Resilient Flood Protection
UPDATE: FEMA has recognized the Oyster Lake Outfall Improvement project as a nature-based solution in its Mitigation Action Portfolio, which highlights mitigation best practices. Based in Walton County, FL, this project utilized ARMORMAX® Engineered Earth Armoring System™ “to provide resilient and environmentally friendly slope stabilization and erosion control while promoting vegetation growth.” In addition to preserving the rare ecosystem of this coastal dune lake, this installation was able to withstand the subsequent nearby impact of Hurricane Michael (Category 4), protecting several homes, a critical state highway, and a bridge. Click here to download the FEMA Mitigation Action Portfolio
Floods are the most common natural hazards in the United States. With the frequency of extreme precipitation events constantly increasing and showing no signs of slowing, it is in the public’s urgent interest to shift focus away from flood recovery and toward solutions that mitigate or prevent flooding in the first place.
Fortunately, FEMA supports states, local communities, tribes, and territories as they undertake these disaster mitigation efforts through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. Since its rollout in 2020, BRIC has endeavored to enable innovative, large-scale infrastructure projects in floodplains and other flood-prone areas across the United States.
State and local governments must think beyond traditional erosion control and hard armoring solutions. Concrete, gabions, and rock riprap not only underperform during hydraulic events, but also negatively impact ecosystems, and unnecessarily increase project costs and timelines. To this end, Propex has developed a range of solutions utilizing High-Performance Turf Reinforcement Mats. HPTRMs present a range of economic, ecological, and environmental advantages that enable communities across the United States to implement innovative, large-scale, research-supported projects to create a resilient, thriving landscape and a more stable future.
