Adaptation Planning to Mitigate Flood Risk: Bellevue, Nebraska as a Case Study

Authors

Michael Nti Ababio, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Jaime Lopez

Committee Members

Yunwoo Nam, Zhenghong Tang

Date of this Version

7-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Community and Regional Planning

Major: Community and Regional Planning

Under the supervision of Professor Jaime Lopez

Lincoln, Nebraska. July 2025

Comments

Copyright © 2025, Michael Nti Ababio. Used by permission

Abstract

Flooding remains one of the most pressing natural hazards in the United States, with increasing frequency and intensity driven by climate change. This thesis explores the adaptation planning strategies employed to mitigate flood risks in Bellevue, Nebraska, a city significantly impacted by the 2019 floods in eastern Nebraska. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative analysis of flood vulnerability with a critical review of local planning policies using documents, zoning ordinances and institutional frameworks. Spatial analytical tools such as Global Moran’s I and Hot Spot Analysis (Getis-Ord Gi*) were used to detect clustering of inundated buildings during the 2019 flood event. Results reveal that while only about 1% of the city was inundated, flood damage was spatially clustered all over the city.

The document analysis also showed that Bellevue demonstrates strong foundational planning capacity and regulatory frameworks, including protective overlays and green infrastructure strategies. However, some gaps remain in the integration of long-term climate projections and participation in federal resilience programs such as the Community Rating System (CRS) and StormReady.

Given that there is no framework or tool to assess the adaptive capacity of cities and communities to flooding, the methodology used in this study provides a preliminary base framework that cities and communities could adopt and adapt to evaluate their present level of adaptiveness and identify priority areas to improve resilience. Beyond this, this study is the first to investigate the adaptiveness of Bellevue post the 2019 floods. By leveraging GIS tools, it has also exposed the city’s vulnerabilities to flooding which can direct targeted investments. The study also made further recommendations as to how they can strengthen their adaptation efforts.

Advisor: Jaime Lopez