Last month, communities in the central Susquehanna Valley, PA commemorated the 50th anniversary of Hurricane Agnes. The storm killed at least 128 people in several states, including 48 Pennsylvanians. It destroyed 70,000 homes and left hundreds of thousands without electrical power, telephone service or clean drinking water. President Richard Nixon declared that it was “the greatest natural disaster in the history of the United States.”
Association of State Floodplain Managers, Inc. (ASFPM)
Environmental Services
Madison, Wisconsin 6,419 followers
World’s leading voice for floodplain management, with 19,000+ practitioners, 11,000 CFMs and 38 chapters.
About us
The Association of State Floodplain Managers is an organization of professionals involved in floodplain management, flood hazard mitigation, the National Flood Insurance Program, and flood preparedness, warning and recovery. ASFPM has become a respected voice in floodplain management practice and policy in the United States because it represents the flood hazard specialists of local, state and federal government, the research community, the insurance industry, and the fields of engineering, hydrologic forecasting, emergency response, water resources, and others. The mission of ASFPM is to promote education, policies, and activities that mitigate current and future losses, costs, and human suffering caused by flooding, and to protect the natural and beneficial functions of floodplains - all without causing adverse impacts.
- Website
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http://www.floods.org
External link for Association of State Floodplain Managers, Inc. (ASFPM)
- Industry
- Environmental Services
- Company size
- 11-50 employees
- Headquarters
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 1984
Locations
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Primary
8301 Excelsior Dr
Madison, Wisconsin 53717, US
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1201 Braddock Pl
Alexandria, Virginia 22314, US
Employees at Association of State Floodplain Managers, Inc. (ASFPM)
Updates
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FEMA is gathering public feedback on ways the agency can improve the CRS program to: ⏺ incentivize communities to take measurable actions and make sustained progress that reduce current and future flood risk; ⏺ embed equity as a foundation of the CRS program; ⏺ incentivize communities to promote property owners to purchase flood insurance to reduce their financial exposure to flood risk; and ⏺ deliver a community participant-centered and modernized program. Comments are due Sept 9. In the meantime, you can attend one of three webinars slated for August. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e5D-Nj_d
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When there’s good flood-related news to share, you need to shout it from the rooftops [of your house located well outside the floodplain]. FEMA has published its Final Rule to implement the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS). The new rule, which takes effect on Sept. 9, 2024, will result in higher-elevated and better-fortified buildings, and could help break the cycle of destruction and reconstruction that has cost taxpayers billions of dollars over the past few decades. ASFPM will have more details for members in our next newsletter, but here are likely the big three takeaways: ◾ The Standard will apply to projects FEMA funds under all its grant programs involving new construction, substantial improvement, or repairs to address substantial damage. ◾ FEMA is using the climate-informed science approach to implement the rule. This allows FEMA to consider best available and actionable climate science, which is unique to the community and proposed project locations. ◾ This rule requires FEMA to incorporate natural features or nature-based solutions into project design wherever possible. ASFPM has been involved in the FFRMS since it was first introduced during the Obama Administration. One of the important things this time around is the availability of the Federal Flood Standard Support Tool which can help anyone determine the FFRMS floodplain (both vertical and horizontal): https://lnkd.in/ewmtSZBM View Federal Register announcement of final: https://lnkd.in/gQmHfsmS This is exciting news as FEMA is now the second major agency to implement a strict FFRMS standard. HUD did so back in April. 👏
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The final rule, which will be published tomorrow, will enhance resilience by ensuring that actions subject to the FFRMS are designed to be resilient to both current and future flood risks to minimize the impact of floods on human health, safety, and welfare and to protect Federal investments by reducing the risk of flood loss.
A HUGE win for FEMA and flood resilient communities! Congratulations on finalizing the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard rule! The Standard is designed to make communities more resilient and help reduce the damage caused by both current and future flooding. For the incredible folks that have been a part of this FEMA FFRMS journey spanning over a decade, across Administrations, it is safe to say this is a MONUMENTAL achievement! Thank you to all of your efforts to make this happen!!! A couple highlights: The Standard will apply to projects FEMA funds under all its grant programs involving new construction, substantial improvement, or repairs to address substantial damage. FEMA is using the climate-informed science approach to implement the rule. This allows FEMA to consider best available and actionable climate science, which is unique to the community and proposed project locations. This rule requires FEMA to incorporate natural features or nature-based solutions into project design wherever possible. For the Federal Register folks: FEMA FFRMS Rule: https://lnkd.in/emMHRHd5 FEMA FFRMS Policy: https://lnkd.in/ehXRk6Vw NYT Article by Christopher Flavelle: https://lnkd.in/euZxWfkY Association of State Floodplain Managers, Inc. (ASFPM) NAFSMA (National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies) The Nature Conservancy Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) BuildStrong America National Institute of Building Sciences Smart Growth America The Pew Charitable Trusts Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative Chad Berginnis, CFM Sunny Simpkins Sarah Murdock Rob Moore Joel Scata Cameron Adams Katharine Burgess Natalie Enclade Jiqiu (JQ) Yuan, P.E., Ph.D., PMP Velma Smith Mathew Sanders Jomar Maldonado Crystal Bergemann Victoria Salinas Kristin Leahy Fontenot Eric L. Donna DeFrancesco Sara Lopez Amanda Lyon Chris Clavin Michael McManus Kristin Ludwig Maria Honeycutt, PhD, CFM Michael Godesky
As Climate Toll Grows, FEMA Imposes Limits on Building in Flood Plains
https://www.nytimes.com
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The application deadline for NAFSMA (National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies) Annual Awards for Excellence in Communications and Innovative Water Projects is approaching fast. You have until July 31, 2024 to submit your nomination. The Excellence in Communications awards program highlights award winning communication and outreach programs and provides examples of successful initiatives highlighting flood awareness, pollution prevention and environmental protection that are being carried out throughout the country. The Innovative Water Project Awards Program recognizes community flood risk and/or stormwater and water quality management projects that accomplish multiple benefits.
Awards Program — National Association of Flood & Stormwater Management Agencies
nafsma.org
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In today's E&E News: More than 100,000 Texans have dropped federal flood insurance policies in recent years, likely making it costlier to homeowners and taxpayers to recover from Hurricane Beryl. “The national numbers, they’re going the wrong way,” said Chad Berginnis, CFM, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers. Part of the problem, Berginnis said, is that Congress has taken no action on a FEMA proposal in 2018 to help lower-income households pay for flood coverage.
Texas double disaster: Beryl's deluge and receding flood insurance
https://www.eenews.net
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Association of State Floodplain Managers, Inc. (ASFPM) reposted this
FEMA Assistant Administrator, Federal Insurance Directorate, Resilience; Distinguished Presidential Rank Award Recipient
Kudos to the Association of State Floodplain Managers for hosting another first-rate conference this year in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was honored to contribute to the FEMA Plenary with a message on why the NFIP must endure if we are to defend against the flooding that continues to wreak havoc across the nation fueled by climate change. We need more insured survivors and less disaster suffering now more than ever before. FEMA’s Resilience Leader Victoria Salinas led our team discussion by laying the groundwork for the Agency’s All-Hazards Approach, where flood insurance, flood mitigation, floodplain management, and flood mapping remain crucial elements in our efforts to reduce disaster suffering now and for generations to come. Thank you, Victoria! This was my last conference representing FEMA as I prepare to exit federal service. A heartfelt thank you to my ASFPM friends for their generous recognition of this bittersweet moment in my career. The work goes on, folks! I encourage each of you to expand your spheres of influence to build strong coalitions that will help build safer, more resilient, and better prepared communities for all because nature is not waiting for us. Check out www.floodsmart.gov to learn more. #ASFPM24 #FloodSmart #WhereItCanRainItCanFlood
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Even before waters began rising last week, the integrity of the Rapidan was in doubt. The hydroelectric dam built in 1910 hasn’t been generating power since floods that damaged it in 2019 and 2020. There has been debate over whether to repair or remove it ever since.
‘Not prepared’: Why the Midwest floods are a warning for the nation
washingtonpost.com
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FEMA announced today the selection of 656 BRIC subapplications. This year’s selections cover a variety of natural hazards, including extreme heat, flooding and earthquakes. The top three funded project types are: ◾ Flood control for $395 million across 28 projects, designed to eliminate or reduce flood damage; ◾Utility and infrastructure protection for $237 million across 30 projects, like elevating pumping stations, enhancing power poles, strengthening water towers and floodproofing utility plants; ◾Building code-related projects for $55 million across 129 projects for enforcement and adoption of more modern, hazard-resistant building codes. This is the greatest number of projects FEMA has ever selected for building code-related activities in a grant cycle. These funds were reserved as a non-competitive set-aside for states, Tribes and territories, resulting in a 180% increase in requests for adoption and enforcement funding. Geography Summary ◾80% of subapplicants selected to receive funding from the National Competition are new subapplicants from several available funding categories. ◾West Virginia is a first-time recipient of the National Competition funding opportunity in this grant cycle
Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant Program Fiscal Year 2023 Subapplication and Selection Status
fema.gov
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Looking to score some BRIC funding? This post explains why project scoping might be the surest and swiftest pathway.
Another #ASFPM theme that kept coming up. How to get more TRANSFORMATIONAL projects and how to get them awarded more quickly. The short answer is PROJECT SCOPING and ADVANCED ASSISTANCE. Project Scoping is the largest BRIC set-aside project type but remains seriously underutilized in HMGP (where it is called Advanced Assistance). This is because many jurisdictions think lining up all the funding or scoping, design, and construction up front is the lowest risk since if they select a scoping grant first, they might not get funding for the full project. Project Scoping also is quite flexible and can fund anything from alternatives, feasibility, and economic analysis to full design and environmental. This view misses some key nuances. I'm using Project Scoping below to refer to both it and Advanced Assistance. 1) Project scoping REDUCES your risk of an ineffective project that is poorly designed and has to substantially change before it gets awarded for construction. 2) Project scoping is a super straightforward application, at least relative to a full application. 3) Project scoping is a smaller total award, so that means less local/state match! 4) Project scoping allows you to take your time on design and environmental review and then when you submit for a full project, you are MUCH likelier to get to a faster award. This helps you avoid the terrible risk of cost inflation that is negatively impacting other phased projects. 5) Project scoping is faster to obligate so you can get to work faster. 6) When you submit your project resulting from project scoping, you can submit for the MAXIMUM award - $50M for BRIC - without knowing you'll spend 10% of that money on design. FEMA also currently prioritizes these projects. 7) You can use the project design resulting from a scoping grant for another program if you want. This means you could scope and then finance construction via local, state, EPA, DOT, HUD, or any number of other fund sources...no duplication of programs! There is a concept "plan slow to go fast" that I now adhere to. Take your time to plan and design a good project. It will LOWER your risk and SAVE YOU MONEY in the long run. Please consider using this tool for your next transformational hazard mitigation project. #BRIC #Hazardmitigation #climateadaptation #resilience