Preparing for a Community Assistance Visit from FEMA

1. Preparing for a Community Assistance Visit from FEMA Rhonda Montgomery, CFM NFIP Coordinator Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Water Resources 109 SW 9th St 2nd Floor Topeka, KS 66612 785-296-2513 rmontgomery@kda.state.ks.us

2. Review Items • Floodplain management ordinance • Flood hazard map • Permit files • Floodplain development permit application • Elevation certificates • No-rise analysis documentation • Variances issued • Written administrative procedures • Biennial Report • Repetitive Loss Data

3. Purpose of the CAV • Comprehensive assessment of the community’s floodplain management program • Assist the community in implementing effective flood loss reduction measures • Resolving issues or problems identified • Documentation of deficiencies form the basis for taking enforcement action on behalf of and against the community’s participation in the NFIP

4. Floodplain Management Ordinance • Verify compliance with minimum NFIP requirements. • Does your ordinance meet your needs?

5. Flood Hazard Map • Is it accurate? • Age of map does not indicate inaccurate • History of flooding compared to the map

6. Permit files • Development means any man made change to improved or unimproved development including but not limited to…. • All development in the SFHA shall have a floodplain development permit on file • Final elevation certificate shall be provided for all new construction and substantial improvements

7. Variances issued • Documentation of variance and compliance with criteria and conditions for granting variance • Documentation of letter to applicant notifying them of increased risk to hazard and increased cost of flood insurance

8. Written administrative procedures • If the local floodplain administrator were gone tomorrow, how would the community handle issuing floodplain development permits?

9. Biennial Report • Number of permits issued • Number of variances granted • Need for updated mapping • Need for technical assistance • Need for training

10. Repetitive Loss Data • Two or more flood insurance claims totaling $1,000 or more in a consecutive 10-year period

11. General documentation • Number of building permits granted in the floodplain • Number of variances granted • Number of insurance policies (state can provide this information) • Population growth • Annexations and boundary changes • Letters of Map Changes • Submit-to-rate applications • Number of repetitive loss properties (state can provide this information)

12. Probation • Identification of violations • One year to correct violations • Increased risk to flooding in the community • Potential for legal action against municipality by flooded property owners • $50 surcharge on all flood insurance premiums

13. Suspension • No flood insurance is available • No federally backed loans in the SFHA • No federal disaster assistance • Other federal agency loans and grants may not be available • Governing body may be held liable • Denies the ability for property owner to purchase flood insurance • Does not take positive steps to reduce risk to flooding given the knowledge of the flood hazard

14. Purpose of CAV • Provide technical assistance • Identify potential violations • Mitigate identified violations • Identify weakness in community’s floodplain management program • Strengthen the efforts of the community for flood reduction • Provide guidance to assist community in educating elected officials and the community

15. Questions?