Flood Reduction and Resiliency Plan

Purpose

The Windsor Heights Flood Reduction and Resiliency Plans’ primary purpose is to determine effective strategies to minimize flood impact to public and private property and to increase flood resiliency for the City of Windsor Heights. The full plan in storyboard format is available here.

Through a community-based planning process, the City of Windsor Heights reviewed technically feasible and cost-effective flood risk reduction actions along with public input to form actionable steps that not only protect lives and property but also decrease the threat of impact from future flooding events. 

Flooding Risk

Similar to many communities in the Des Moines area, Windsor Heights faces great challenges when it comes to reducing the impact and risk of severe flood events. Following the updates to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) published in February 2019, approximately $15 million in property value was added to the City of Windsor Heights floodplain. Included in these properties were all of Colby Park, the Community Event Center, the Public Works Maintenance Shop, as well as numerous nearby residential properties. Because of the expansion of the community’s floodplain and the apparent flood risks, the City of Windsor Heights has chosen to invest in establishing this flood reduction and resiliency plan to protect residents, property, and the financial resources of the community.

Flood Area

                                          The largest area at risk of flooding is shown above. FEMA Firm maps are available through the Iowa Flood Center


Mitigation Action Assessment

These actions/sites evaluated included:


Programmatic Improvements


  • National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System (CRS)
  • Stormwater management policy/ maintain existing conditions

Non-Structural Improvements

  • Retrofitting structures in the Colby Park neighborhood
  • Retrofitting structures along North Walnut Creek
  • Acquisition of selected properties
  • Re-development of selected properties

Structural Improvements

  • Levee alternatives – A, B1/B2, and C1/C2
  • Channel modifications (cleanout/widening)
  • Upstream flood storage
  • Floodplain Storage Expansion for North Walnut Creek
  • Flood wall for selected properties along North Walnut Creek

While near-term construction of flood barriers or property acquisitions are cost prohibitive, the City is currently undertaking steps to join the Community Rating System which will provide discounted flood insurance to Windsor Heights homeowners. A multifaceted stormwater $10+ million stormwater management plan is also in process and being paid for through stormwater fees that are assessed based on properties impervious surface area. In 2024, the City of Windsor Heights completed a Flood Response Plan which is available here.