While watching the news, a student learned that annual flooding of a nearby river causes an average of $1.8 million dollars in damages each year. The student wants to create a proposal for the city council to help address the problem. The student came up with four ideas to submit. Which of the following ideas would best help reduce damages caused by river flooding each year?
A. tearing down all damaged structures and rebuilding structures with steep roof pitches to encourage the floodwaters to be redirected without damaging structures.
B. Using trucks to bring in large amounts of sand to pack the riverbanks and to increase the height of the riverbanks by five feet.
C. Increase the amount of land surrounding the river that is classified as a floodplain to prevent homes and businesses being built there.
D. Issuing a mandatory evacuation of all residents living within ten miles of the river as soon as flooding is predicted.
C. Increase the amount of land surrounding the river that is classified as a floodplain to prevent homes and businesses being built there.
This option would be the most effective in reducing damages caused by river flooding each year as it focuses on preventing development in flood-prone areas. By increasing the amount of land classified as a floodplain, it would discourage building in areas that are at high risk of flooding, ultimately reducing damages to structures and properties.