Out of the floodplain : A partnership that worked - The Fort Fairfield, Maine, acquisition/relocation initiative

ABSTRACT

On April 16, 1994, a major ice jam transformed the main street of Fort Fairfield, Maine, into a river of rushing flood waters and large chunks of ice. The towns's commercial center sits about 100 yards south of the Aroostook River, which, on that day was jammed with ice, sending its waters out into the adjancent floodplains. On the north side of the river, raging flood water and cascading blocks of ice devastated a neighborhood containing about 30 homes and several businesses. The flood recovery effort successfully carried out in the Town of Fort Fairfield offers a model for other recovery initiatives involving local, state, and federal government partnerships. A high degree of independence and skepticism about the federal government exist in rural areas and small towns. A recovery plan or mitigation strategy that is dictated by federal and state agencies is likely to fail. A more appropriate role for federal and state agencies can be to assist local officials and citizens in clearly identifying recovery options and the benefits and costs of each