Analyze the Grand Forks flood mitigation Cost and Benefits explained in chart below and determine if benefits outweighed the cost
cost $409 million was spent on flood mitigation
$22 million alone was spent on the greater grand forks greenway
Benefit the city's flood mitigation techniques were tested in 2009 and 2001 when the red river again rose to dramatic levels but the city experienced no flood damage unlike 1997 flood damages of $1.5 billion
A. The benefits of flood mitigation were greater than the costs
B. The costs of flood mitigation efforts were more than the benefits
C. No comparisons can be made
A. The benefits of flood mitigation were greater than the costs
The cost of $409 million spent on flood mitigation efforts may seem high, but the benefits of preventing flood damage in 2009 and 2001, which would have resulted in damages of $1.5 billion, far outweigh the initial costs. Additionally, the fact that the city experienced no flood damage during those years shows that the flood mitigation techniques were effective. The $22 million spent on the greater Grand Forks Greenway contributed to this success. Therefore, it can be concluded that the benefits of flood mitigation outweighed the costs.