The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed a checklist to help communities prepare for floods based on the experiences of communities in Vermont's Mad River Valley.
In a report and checklist released Tuesday, the EPA released details of planning for floods being done in the towns of Waitsfield, Warren, Fayston and Moretown. The checklist offers steps communities can take to prepare for flooding.
The project was developed in the aftermath of flooding from Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.
The checklist includes questions such as whether communities have identified areas prone to flooding and if they have developed plans to reduce flood damage.
The plans developed by Waitsfield and Warren include zoning changes, reducing stream-bank erosion and a number of other measures to reduce stormwater runoff.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.