December 2015 The Official Newsletter of the Louisiana Floodplain Management Association Chairman’s Message 2 Director’s Desk 3 Mitigation Corner 4 Stormwater Runoff 5 HMA Guidance Updates 6 Dam Safety Class 7 Terrebonne Parish Grant News 8 Rodney Emmer Award Nomination 9 Calendar of Events 10 Membership Renewal 12 Flood Parties 13 CFM Corner 14 Board of Directors 15 FLOODWATCH INSIDE Educating, Planning, Protecting From the Louisiana From the Louisiana From the Louisiana Floodplain Management Floodplain Management Floodplain Management Association Association Association
Transcript
December 2015 The Official Newsletter of the Louisiana Floodplain Management Association
Chairman’s Message 2
Director’s Desk 3
Mitigation Corner 4
Stormwater Runoff 5
HMA Guidance Updates 6
Dam Safety Class 7
Terrebonne Parish Grant
News
8
Rodney Emmer Award
Nomination
9
Calendar of Events 10
Membership Renewal 12
Flood Parties 13
CFM Corner 14
Board of Directors 15
FLOODWATCH
INSIDE
Educating, Planning, Protecting
From the Louisiana From the Louisiana From the Louisiana
From the Chair We are nearing the end of another year, and I hope that we have served you well in educating, planning, and protecting your community. In October, LFMA along with the City of Natchitoches co-sponsored the Fall Floodplain Management Workshop at the Natchitoches Arts Center. We were welcomed to the beautiful City of Natchitoches by Mayor Lee Posey. We had great attendance with over 60 registered members and guests. Topics discussed were: Detached accessory structures, Developing BFE’s in
un-numbered A Zones, the Importance of participating in the NFIP, the LSU Flood Map Portal, and Levee Seclusion. The speakers engaged the audience with interactive presentations and there was a lot of discussion on the topics. We ended the day with a little bit of floodplain trivia with door prizes from some local shops. If you have never been to this area of the state, you are missing out. Thank you to all of our speakers and a special thanks to Juanita Fowler for her outstanding work in preparation for the workshop. James Demouchet was on hand to distribute the 2016 LFMA “Save the Boot” Calendars. The drawings were part of a LFMA Poster contest amongst high school children in Terrebonne Parish. They were printed in cooperation with the FEMA Region VI (CAP Program) and the State NFIP DOTD. If you would like a calendar, please contact your local Regional Representative. There is a listing on the last page of the newsletter. In January, we will be partnering with Dave Chapman in a booth at the AMS WeatherFest in New Orleans with a 3D Flood Plain model to present demonstrations and be on hand to talk to participants and hand out material on flood safety. LFMA is also busy making preparations for the Annual Conference which will be held in Baton Rouge, April 13 – 15, 2016, at the Embassy Suites. Ted DeBaene and Toby Fruge are working diligently and have some exciting things in planned. Stay tuned as more information becomes available. One of the other ways LFMA shares information is through our website: www.lfma.org and this newsletter. I am pleased to announce that we have a new Editor. I would like to personally thank Vicki Holmes for graciously volunteering to take on this important task. Please help her by sending in contributions. All of these activities are benefits of being a member of LFMA. Currently our membership is at 322 members. Renewal notices will be sent out December 1 – 7, so please complete the form and return your dues as soon as possible, no later than February 15th. Renewal rate is $50.00. I would like to wish each of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you in Baton Rouge!
Keeping Louisiana Safe through Effective Floodplain Management
By: Theodore DeBaene, P.E., CFM Executive Director
ANNUAL LFMA CONFERENCE
The 33rd annual LFMA is coming. April 13-15, 2016 are the dates. It's hard to believe that it is the 33rd and they keep getting bigger and better.
This year we are really pleased to have the Embassy Suites as the site. When the committee was looking for a place, we were greeted enthusiastically by the Embassy Suites - their Director of Sales, their Catering Manager and the General Manager.. They made us feel like they really want us. Their facilities are excellent. They even treated us to breakfast which was so good that Hunnicutt will be pleased. The breakfast is complimentary with the room and all the rooms are suites. I would suggest that you book early so that you don't get left out! Just tap the redirect http://group.embassysuites.com/LouisianaFloodplainMgmtAssoc.
I would also suggest that you include Tuesday night in your schedule because Wednesday morning will include both our usual golfing expedition and also a tour of the Rural Life Museum.
The Thursday night social will be at a park adjacent to the hotel so you won't need to drive anywhere. Sammy's will likely be the caterer again. Back by popular demand. Entertainment will be by Steven Junot who did such a super job last year, that we wanted him back and he agreed.
Naturally, the best part of the conference are the speakers. Michael Hunnicutt is lining up an excellent array of experts in all phases of floodplain management. The final agenda will be on the LFMA website http://lfma.org when it is released.
Another feature of the conference is the presentation of the seventh Rodney Emmer award. This is presented to an individual or organization in recognition of meritorious activities in Floodplain Management within the state of Louisiana. The Nomination Form is contained elsewhere in this Newsletter.
THE MITIGATION CORNER By: Michael D. Hunnicutt, CFM
This issue of the “Mitigation Corner” will focus on FEMA’s Unified Federal Environmental and Historic Preservation Review Guide for Federal Disaster Recovery Assistance Applicants (Applicant Guide) Release.
FEMA, in coordination with the inter-agency Steering Group comprised of the Department of Homeland Security, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the Council on Environmental Quality, released the Unified Federal Environmental and Historic Preservation Review Guide for Federal Disaster Recovery Assistance Applicants (Applicant Guide). The issuance of this Applicant Guide is an important step in the implementation of the Unified Federal Review (UFR) Process, established in July 2014 through an interagency Memorandum of Understanding.
On January 29, 2013, President Obama signed into law the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 (SRIA) which amended the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act by adding Section 429, by directing the Administration to “establish an expedited and unified interagency review process to ensure compliance with environmental and historic requirements under federal law relating to disaster recovery projects, in order to expedite the recovery process, consistent with applicable law.” The process aims to coordinate environmental and historic preservation reviews to expedite planning and decision-making for disaster recovery projects. This can improve the federal government’s assistance to states, local and tribal governments, communities, families and individual citizens as they recover from future presidentially-declared disasters. The UFR Process provides federal agencies with opportunities to expedite environmental and historic preservation (EHP) reviews through enhanced coordination for all presidentially declared disasters. The Applicant Guide will assist applicants, (state and local agencies, Indian tribes, small business owners, individuals) in complying with EHP requirements when multiple agencies may be involved in funding or permitting a disaster recovery project. It also outlines the type of information applicants should submit to federal agencies to assist in expediting the EHP review. FEMA’s mission is to support the citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. If you have any questions about the Mitigation Section of FEMA or any of its programs, you can contact your Local FEMA Regional Office, or visit FEMA’s website at www.fema.gov, or call LFMA Representative Michael Hunnicutt, CFM, at 504-278-4223.
Stormwater Runoff What can we do with all of that increasing stormwater runoff? This question lingers over the City, Par-ish and State offices that many of our Louisiana Floodplain Management Association members occupy in their careers. The expanding developments in formerly vegetated areas results in less permeable surfaces and increased amounts of runoff entering drainage networks. Innovative thinking and new planning is called on all fronts to deal with the expanding flooding problems. Some of our counterparts up in the northern reaches of this country are venturing out on a new path. The City of Milwaukee is planning on making use of flooded basements as a source of relief in the near future. The City recently released a feasibility study showing a plan to turn the basements of fore-closed homes into stormwater detention facilities. Their pilot project will have basement structures capture runoff during heavy rains, relieving pressure on the City’s drainage network and alleviating flooding on nearby below-ground structures and basements. The reclaimed basements could also be topped by urban gardens as a part of the City’s other “green” efforts. Although we probably don’t have any basements in Louisiana ready to be included in our stormwater storage system, Milwaukee’s forward thinking is a valid example for local floodplain management ad-ministrators to consider. In southern Louisiana, the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) is studying a somewhat similar approach to flooding prevention. “Stormwater Lots” are individual resi-dential lots that were abandoned after Hurricane Katrina and acquired by the Authority in the Gentilly Woods and Ponchartain Park neighborhoods. The plan is for the cleared lots to be degraded to a lower elevation. This would allow for some collection and storage of stormwater runoff throughout the area, thus reducing flooding of adjacent properties. Other features considered by NORA are pervious land-scaped alleyways, bioswales and improvements to drainage structures. Challenges in addressing stormwater issues are all around areas of new development. Looking for new avenues to improve our flood prevention methods will enhance the protection of the public that the LFMA is trusted with. Bruce Dyson, PE, PLS, CFM Region 2
The HMA Program Digest is an easy-to-read, easy-to use, summary of the basic HMA program elements. The Digest was updated to include program changes resulting from the publication of the 2015 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance.
Climate Resilient Mitigation Activities
The President’s 2015 Opportunity, Growth, and Security Initiative (OGSI); Executive Order 13653 Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change; the President’s 2013 Climate Action Plan; FEMA’s Climate Change
Adaptation Policy; and the 2014‐2018 FEMA Strategic Plan, all identify the risks and impacts associated with climate change on community resilience to natural hazards, and direct Federal agencies to support climate resilient infra-structure. FEMA is helping communities to incorporate methods to mitigate the impacts of climate change into HMA funded risk reduction activities by providing guidance on Climate Resilient Mitigation Activities. FEMA has developed initial guid-ance on Climate Resilient Mitigation Activities including green infrastructure methods, expanded ecosystem service benefits, and three flood reduction and drought mitigation activities: Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR), Floodplain and Stream Restoration (FSR), and Flood Diversion and Storage (FDS).
FEMA encourages communities to use this information in developing eligible HMA project applications that leverage risk reduction actions and increase resilience to the impacts of climate change.
Cost Estimating Principles for HMA Applications Presentation Slides
FEMA is sharing slides from a previous webinar on cost estimating for project applications. The presentation provides a general overview of the principles of reviewing cost estimates for HMA projects (throughout the grant lifecycle). The presentation provides a process for determining “reasonable costs” as part of grant application review, and discusses the bidding process and contract types. States and local communities are encouraged to use these training materials to help prepare HMA project applications.
HMA Home Page: http://www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-assistance
Recently, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Insurance Mitigation Administra-tion (FIMA) published several new documents in the FEMA Resource & Document Library to support the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) programs.
When: Thursday and Friday, February 25 & 26, 2016; 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Where: Leaonard Rice Engineers, Inc. training room. 1221 Auraria Parkway Denver, Colorado 80204
Cost:
Cost for this two-day class is $675.00 with early registration fee of $525 until January 29th. CASFM Member fee is $585.00 with an early registration fee of $560 until January 29th. These discount are possible because this class is in-part sponsored by Urban Drainage & Flood Control District
CEU’s: You will be eligible to receive 1.5 CEU’s or 15 PDH’s for this course. This course is also eligible for 12 CECs towards ASFPM CFM Certification. Why Take This Class: If you are involved in the design or design review of regional or sub-regional detention basins or flood control or wa-
ter inpoundment dams in general, you will definitely want to take this class. It will cover the fundamental concepts,
principles and techniques of behind the designs of impounding structures and their hydrologic design that lead to
safe water inpoundment facilities. Among other things, you will learn about the current state-of-the-art and state-of-
practice in dam design and analyses to prevent a number of potential failure modes. For complete details about
this class Click Here
Instructors: Dr. S. Samuel Lin, PhD, P.E., D.WRE has been a Federal and State dam safety regulator for 25 years. He also
worked in a consulting practice as water resources engineer specializing in planning and design of dams in the as-
pect of hydrology and hydraulics (H&H). He currently specializes in the H&H safety and risk analyses of dams.
Dr. Hui-Ming “Max” Shih, PhD, P.E., CFM serves as a task leader and project manager for dam hydrology and hy-
draulics (H&H), surface water, and sediment transport projects in the AECOM Denver office. He has more than 14
years of experience in H&H and has completed many dam and reservoir projects.
A Word About Computers: Bring your Own!
This is the best time to ski in Colorado!
The size of the classroom will be limited to about 24 students. To assure a space go to the full class descrip-
tion page and then click the "Register".
For more information, you may call UWRI directly at 303-728-4449 or e-mail the Institute at [email protected].
In the last month, Terrebonne Parish was awarded $7.3M for 54 houses under Gustav/Ike HMGP and $2.3M for 23 properties under the PDM program. The kickoff meeting will be the 5th of No-vember. Changes to the contracts with our project managers and voluntary participation agree-ments are intended to encourage faster implementation of these projects. This is an experiment employing greater communication between the parties and deadlines for each step of the process to motivate people to act in a timely fashion.
The new Federal Flood Risk Management guidelines were approved by the Water Resources In-stitute and the agencies will have to start their public hearings to respond. ASFPM has an inter-pretation in News and Views for members. It seems from a quick read that the Federal govern-ment has elected not commit itself to either the new FFRMS or state and local regulations that ex-ceed NFIP standards. Some summary points are available from FEMA at https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/106303.
Terrebonne hosted the second public hearing for our second Repetitive Loss Area Analysis. The draft report was published, and those results were presented to gather input from the commu-nity. Public comments will be incorporated prior to the final publication of the RLAA. French Wetmore presented along with Tara Lambeth from CHART providing unprecedented public ac-cess to one of the authors of and experts on the Community Ratings System. Community mem-bers and the development community came out to hear the results and provide feedback.
State Floodplain Managers, SHMOs, Chapter Leaders:
CNT/RainReady is holding Flood Parties in your state. Details below.
We’re creating a Flood Party in more ways than one and need your help.
1. If you have friends in any of the towns and cities listed at the bottom of this email, please forward this message
to them. Congress is currently considering legislation, the Urban Flooding Awareness Act, aimed at reducing damage to properties caused by sewer backups and flooding caused by severe weather. CNT/RainReady is collecting stories from af-fected home and business owners in these cities (identified because they can help bring critical votes in Congress) or any other cities. Sharing the story can be done at this link, and will take 5 minutes. Personal stories are critical to our success.
2. CNT/RainReady helps residents affected by flooding advocate for action. If you live in the Chicago area, and are
affected by flooding or want to get involved, we invite you to join us this Thursday for a small informal party that brings flood victims and partners together with drinks and food. If you live in another U.S. city affected by urban flooding, please get in touch with Burrell Poe ([email protected]), and we’ll help you host your own flood party.
Let’s get partying!
Key Flood Party cities…
Illinois: Chicago, Aurora, Rockford, Joliet, Naperville, Springfield, Peoria, Elgin, Waukegan, Cicero Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Reading, Scranton, Harrisburg, Fayette California: San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Fullerton, Yorba Linda, Diamond Bar, Inglewood, Lawndale, Torrance D.C. Texas: Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, El Paso, Arlington, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Abilene Rhode Island: Providence, Warwick, Cranston, Pawtucket, East Providence, Woonsocket, Coventry, Cumberland, North Providence, West Warwick Alabama: Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Hoover Idaho: Boise, Nampa, Meridian, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Caldwell Tennessee: Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Clarksville, Murfreesboro Louisiana: New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Metairie, Lafayette, Lake Charles Ohio: Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, Dayton New York: New York, Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, Syracuse, Albany New Jersey: Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, Edison, Toms River Virginia: Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Richmond, Newport News, Alexandria, Hampton, Roanoke, Winchester, Fairfax Florida: Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Hialeah, Tallahassee, Fort Lauderdale Please follow me on Twitter! https://twitter.com/harrietcnt
ASFPM has made some significant changes to the CEC policy! Hopefully this will clear up any confu-sion and make it easier to understand how to maintain your certification.
Here is a summary:
- You now just need a total of 16 CECs over the 2 year cycle. No more year one/ year two division.
- No more parallel/ core, although training must be floodplain management related. Every CEC submitted is reviewed for CEC acceptance.
- In the prior policy you could only submit a duplicate training once every 5 years but now it is once each renewal cycle.
L ou i s i an a F loo dp la i n M an ag em en t As s o c i a t ion
LFMA Board Members and Regional Representatives
Floodwatch is published by the Louisiana Floodplain Management Association. Information and opinions contained herein do not necessarily reflect the views of all members. Items for publication and other editorial matters should be
