Chelsea Iowa: The town that wouldn't move

A Town That Looked at Leaving the Floodplain but Stayed On

Excerpts:

In 1993, when floodwaters inundated Chelsea, population 297, and thousands of other communities across the Midwest, killing 50 people and damaging 50,000 homes in nine states, the people here, unlike those in most places, decided to think long and hard about moving the whole community to higher ground.

Despite the heartache involved, moving out of the floodplain in Tama County seemed like a good idea, and the City Council voted to move as much of Chelsea as possible out of harm’s way.

But the reality of the move proved much more contentious than the idea, and just a few homeowners ended up taking advantage of the federal aid available for relocation and buyouts.

Now here is Chelsea again, under about six feet of water at the lowest point, second-guessing everything but also staunchly defending its right to exist exactly where it wants to.

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After the 1993 flood, the Federal Emergency Management Agency spent more than $150 million in the nine affected states, buying and tearing down nearly 12,000 houses, moving more than 300 to safer places and elevating 31.

In Chelsea, the owners of more than 40 houses left. A majority stayed put after considering the options. Some said they could not bear another flood, but many more said they would not sacrifice the rich history of their community for the certainty of staying dry in a new, generic place.

Comment: Kathee and I love the small towns of Iowa. I feel badly for all of the flood victims, but in this case they should have moved out of the floodplain.

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