Editing Austin, Minnesota (section)

===Major floods===
[[File:Cedar River.jpg|thumb|Cedar River and Ramsey Dam]]
Austin has a long history of flooding. The Cedar River, along with [[East Side Lake|Dobbins Creek]] and [[Turtle Creek (Minnesota)|Turtle Creek]], flow through Austin, and many homes and businesses were constructed in [[floodplain]]s. A series of floods between 1978 and 2010 resulted in a major flood mitigation program. This involved the purchase and demolition of buildings within the floodplain, converting low-lying areas of town to parks, and the installation of a [[flood wall]] to protect downtown.<ref name="floodreport" />

After two major floods in July 1978, city officials and local residents decided to take action. Locals organized the Floodway Action Citizens Task Source (FACTS), which met with local and state leaders, as well as members of the Army Corps of Engineers, but it was decided that major flood prevention measures would not be cost-effective. A Community Development Block Grant was won from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, allowing for the buyout of homes lying in the flood plain. City planners also vowed to no longer build new structures in the existing flood plains. In 1983 and 1993 major floods again damaged many Austin homes and businesses. Over 400 homes were affected and a new round of buyouts took place through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).

The worst flooding on record came when the Cedar River crested at {{convert|23.4|ft}} in the spring of 2000. Many of the worst-hit parts of town were now void of homes and businesses, but there was still damage and extensive clean-up was required. Flooding came again in September 2004, resulting in two fatalities. Additional protection (dikes) were added along the Cedar River as a result.

The most recent round of serious flooding came in 2010, after which a plan was developed for a permanent flood wall to protect downtown from the floodwaters of the Cedar River and Mill Pond. The wall was completed in 2014.<ref name="floodreport">{{cite web |url=https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/hsem/hazard-mitigation/Documents/bestPracticeDetailmowerPDF.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408235501/https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/hsem/hazard-mitigation/Documents/bestPracticeDetailmowerPDF.pdf |archive-date=April 8, 2016 |url-status=live |title=On the Move: A Minnesota City Creatively Battles Repetitive Flooding |author=<!--not stated--> |website=Federal Emergency Management Agency |access-date=March 23, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ci.austin.mn.us/public-works/flood-mitigation-program |title=Flood Mitigation Program |author=<!--not stated--> |website=City of Austin |access-date=March 23, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2013/09/council-moves-ahead-on-flood-project/ |title=Council moves ahead on flood project |last1=Mewes |first1=Trey |date=September 18, 2013 |website=Austin Daily Herald |access-date=March 23, 2016}}</ref>