Tennessee should better protect its rural communities from natural disasters | Opinion – The Tennessean

Recently, Gov. Bill Lee and his staff listened as the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Economic and Community Development, and others laid out their budgets for the next fiscal year.
Flood Ready Tennessee tuned in eagerly awaiting mention of flood resilience initiatives in response to a historically deadly year for flooding in our state. 
In total, 29 Tennesseans have lost their lives just this year to horrific and devastating flooding. That surpasses the total deaths in 2010, which is still preeminent in the minds of Tennesseans when thinking about devastating floods. 
After more than a year of unprecedented natural disasters in the state, one stark fact stands above all others: our most vulnerable communities are not prepared for the next big flood. Thankfully, both TEMA and TDEC signaled a need to prioritize mitigation and resiliency projects and ECD is focused on lifting our struggling rural communities. 
TEMA announced that in addition to 23 project managers, the agency sought to add five more positions to their existing mitigation team, including a hydrology and hydraulic engineer to help with water resources and flood studies. 
Director Patrick Sheehan stated, “How many times have we seen small communities in Tennessee flood? […] Part of what we’re asking for in this budget is helping us meet those local jurisdictions where they are so that they can access expertise, so they can access someone to help them shepherd and guide them through the thorny issues of complying with bureaucratic things that part time, civic local leadership has a hard time navigating […] We think we can help them build more resilient communities where they are.” 
TDEC’s budget includes continuing work in tandem with the Army Core of Engineers on the Reelfoot Bayou project in Northwest Tennessee which experiences regular flooding due to the Mississippi River and tributaries, that will have flood control benefits for the region, including downstream in Dyer County where flood resilience work is ongoing. 
In ECD’s testimony, leaders reinforced the commitment to rural communities stating that they are in lockstep with Governor Lee’s goals in creating the same kind of economic prosperity in Tennessee’s rural communities that our urban communities enjoy. In working with our coalition members, we have seen that frequent flooding is increasingly making economic development more difficult in rural areas of the state.  
What we heard from TEMA, TDEC, and ECD is encouraging, but we believe more is needed. As a coalition focused on creating more flood-prepared communities across the state, we are advocating for legislative and administrative action to put Tennessee’s flood-prone, rural towns in a better place to weather the coming storms.
While our small towns don’t have the staff, resources, or funding to navigate the bureaucratic red tape and technical hurdles that often accompany opportunities to execute projects critical for flood preparedness, the state is in a unique position to help.
To do so, we call on Tennessee’s leadership to incorporate the following in their priorities: 
From the recent budget hearings, the agencies with the most hands-on experience with floods are beginning to lay the groundwork for these actions to help our neighbors ahead of the next flooding event.
As Governor Lee, his staff, and the state legislature work on the upcoming budget, it is clear that flood resilience must be prioritized to protect rural, flood-prone communities, eliminate repetitive recovery spending, and save lives. 
Dwain Land is the mayor of Dunlap, Tennessee.

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