330 likes | 471 Views
Flood Risk Reduction. Taunnie Boothby, CFM State of Alaska Floodplain Manager Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs. 2014 Preparedness Conference Anchorage, Alaska April 16 , 2014. Alaska Floodplain Management.
E N D
Flood Risk Reduction Taunnie Boothby, CFM State of Alaska Floodplain Manager Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs 2014 Preparedness Conference Anchorage, Alaska April 16, 2014
Alaska Floodplain Management Floodplain Management Program’s mission is to reduce public and private sector losses and damage from flooding and erosion. DCRA provides coordination, compliance reviews and technical assistance to local governments to facilitate informed decision-making for flood hazard reduction and promoting resilient communities.
Managing the Floodplains in Rural Alaska Fort Yukon, Alaska
Ice Jam Flooding Galena is seeing major flooding caused by ice damming on the Yukon River. Photo by David Lee, AK DHS&EM May 27, 2013
Eagle Circle Circle
Eagle - 2009 Height of Ice Approx. 70 – 80 feet
HWM 5/7/2009 HWM 5/5/2009
Flood Resiliency • Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grants • Elevations • Relocations • Buy-outs • Regulatory and building standards – (NFIP) • Natural and Beneficial Functions • No Adverse Impact • Nonstructural Flood proofing • Community Rating System (CRS) – Higher development and regulatory standards
Prevent loss of life, safety, and reduce economic loss caused by flooding: Create a partnership Map the flood risk and assign insurance rates; Set minimum floodplain management standards; Make flood insurance available; Promotes sound floodplain management practices. Purpose of the NFIP
The National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 - Made flood insurance available but was not mandatory The Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 - Made insurance mandatory in Standard Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) The National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 - established a grant program (HMGP) - authorized Community Rating System (CRS) NFIP Legislation
NFIP Legislation Cont. Biggert-Waters Act of 2012 - change to the flood insurance rates – Risk Rated policies & Grandfathering - changes to the FMA grant Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 - change to the flood insurance rates – Risk Rated policies - changes to the FMA grant
Three Aspects of NFIP Risk identification and mapping Availability of flood insurance Community compliance Accomplished in partnership with the Federal, State, and local community. 24
BFE 10' LOWEST FLOOR 12' BFE 10' LOWEST FLOOR 5'
Who in Alaska participates in the NFIP? Municipality of Anchorage Fairbanks North Star Borough Haines Borough Juneau, City & Borough Kenai Peninsula Borough Ketchikan Gateway Borough Lake & Peninsula Borough Matanuska-Susitna Borough Northwest Arctic Borough Municipality of Skagway Sitka City & Borough Aniak, Bethel, Cordova, Delta Junction, Dillingham, Emmonak, Fort Yukon, Galena, Homer, Hoonah, Kotzebue, Koyukuk, Kwethluk, McGrath, Nenana, Nome, Petersburg, Seward, Shishmaref, Togiak, and Valdez
Who in Alaska participates in the NFIP? Sanctioned City of Kenai City of Soldotna SUSPENDED City & Borough of Wrangell
Besides having room to discharge the flood it includes habitat for Salmon Riparian processes affect all Need for floodplain and off-channel habitat vary by species General Rule: 10 percent of the habitat produces 90 percent of the fish… Natural & Beneficial Functions of Floodplains
No Adverse Impact NAI is a Policy Goal promoted by Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) to: • Ensure the actions of one property owner or community do not adversely impact others • Incorporate multi-objective and watershed planning principles NAI doesn’t mean “no development” NAI means that any adverse impact caused by a project must be mitigated, preferably based on a community or watershed-based plan.
Types of adverse impacts: Increased flood stages, velocities, flows Increased potential for erosion and sedimentation Increased cost of public services Degradation of water quality Impacts may occur anywhere in the watershed NAI Background. . .
Building Blocks grouped according to: Basic Better NAI Source: ASFPM, No Adverse Impact: A Toolkit for Common Sense Floodplain Management (2003) www.floods.org/NoAdverseImpact/NAI_Toolkit_2003.pdf NAI Building Blocks • Tools in the building blocks: • 1) Hazard Identification and floodplain mapping • 2) Education and out reach • 3) Planning • 4) Regulation and development standards • 5) Mitigation • 6) Infrastructure • 7) Emergency Services
Reduce flood losses over time in your community Reduce likelihood of your actions increasing flood damage to others Reduce successful lawsuits against communities Receive recognition through the Community Rating System Incorporate multiple objectives Protect natural resources and values of floodplains Benefits of NAI
“Sustainability is the melding of economic, environmental, and societal values to ensure that the needs of the present are met without compromising the needs of future generations…” Brundtl and Commission 1987