Development in the Upper Mississippi Basin: 10 years after the Great Flood of 1993

Abstract Flooding in the Upper Mississippi River Basin during the summer of 1993 caused between US$ 12 and 16 billion worth of damage. Since 1993, millions of dollars of new development have poured into the flood-impacted areas contrary to the recommendations of Interagency Floodplain Management Review Committee, among others. Tracking development has been difficult. A diverse set of regulations and land use controls have caused varying amounts of development in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, with Missouri leading the way with over 17.31 km 2 of new development. This study documents the changes in the basin affected by the 1993 floods 10 years after the event by conducting an analysis to identify new development within the 500-year floodplain and in the floodwater inundated areas. This study used Landsat satellite data to identify areas experiencing development.