The data and information that the SAST has provided to policymakers and floodplain managers assisted them in recovery and restoration from the flood of 1993 and will allow them to establish effective river basin and floodplain management practices for preventing or lessening the effects of future floods. The SAST recommended that these management techniques incorporate the needs of both the natural ecosystem and human activity. The analysis, results, and recommendations of the SAST have influenced long-term policy on many issues in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The SAST serves as an example of a comprehensive Federal approach to planning and emergency preparedness. Crop disaster payments by county in the Upper Mississippi River Basin.
Red area show greatest dollar payment amounts.
This change will save the Flood Insurance Program millions of dollars while still providing coverage to program participants. Parts of the SAST data base were used to help find suitable sites to relocate the entire town of Valmeyer, Ill., from the floodplain to the uplands. Valmeyer was almost entirely destroyed in the floods of 1993. The SAST data base is used to delineate priority habitat areas for restoration. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of Missouri have used these data extensively to identify and purchase land of high natural habitat value.