Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Natomas Basin Flood Protection Improvements Act of 2011. This legislation will authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to improve the flood control infrastructure in the Sacramento area, safeguarding many thousands of homes and businesses. There is a pressing need to improve levees in Sacramento, a city that is perpetually cited as one of our Nation's most at-risk for severe flooding. But even in this high-risk city, there are priority areas. Natomas, which lies between the American and Sacramento rivers, is the top priority for Sacramento flood control. More than 100,000 people in the Natomas flood plain are at high or moderate risk of flooding. The vast majority of these homes would be inundated with over 10 feet of water should a levee break. In some places, inundation levels would exceed 20 feet. The risk is clear. Estimates by the Army Corps of Engineers put the risk of levee failure at 1 in 3. Damages from a single flood could top $7 billion. Recognizing the need to upgrade the levees in Natomas, the Corps of Engineers completed a Chief's Report in December 2010 that identified $1.1 billion in essential levee improvements. According to the report, the principal levee modifications include the widening of 41.9 miles of existing levees; installation of about 34.8 miles of soil bentonite cutoff wall; installation of 8.3 miles of seepage berms, and bridge remediation on State Route 99.…”