A flood-prone neighborhood in Bettendorf will soon lose some more of its residents. Last week, the city received a federal grant that will allow it to buy out up to 22 homes near Duck Creek.
Community Development Director, John Soenksen, says the homes are located next to Duck Creek where it crosses I-74 and Middle Road. The neighborhood was flooded in August of 2018, but most of the residents are still living there.
"When we started this program some years ago, the folks signed voluntary transaction forms, indicating that if Bettendorf ever did receive funding, they would like to be considered for a buyout."
The target area includes parts of Crestview Drive and Crestview Circle, plus Greenway, Parkway, Hawthorne, Holly, and Cypress drives.
"The target area is actually several feet below the base flood elevation, so when the creek comes up, there's very little notice and the folks need to be able to react immediately."
Soenksen says the 2.9 million dollar grant will pay for up to 22 homes, but many more homeowners in the neighborhood would like to be considered for buy-outs.
Five years ago, Bettendorf used a similar grant from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to buy ten properties.
