# Presentation: 410950

## ALL HAZARDS MANAGEMENT and MITIGATION IN A NEW BUREAUCRACYNATURAL HAZARDS WORKSHOP JULY 14, 2003

- presented by
- Larry Larson, CFM
- Executive Director
- Association of State Floodplain Managers

**Notes:**
ASFPM  is 25 years old, formed in the Midwest in the 1970’s

Credit for much of ASFPM success is due to our members volunteering many hours
ASFPM  office staff is 4.75 positions

## Association of Professionals

- 5,500 members
- 16 Chapters
- Several pending chapters / state Associations

**Notes:**
This  shows 16 existing Chapters in red
Pending Chapters/ State Associations are in blue
5,500 members nation-wide

## ASFPM Mission

- Mitigate the losses, costs, and human suffering caused by flooding.
*and*
- Protect the natural and beneficial functions of floodplains.

**Notes:**
Flooding causes the majority of declared disasters, occurring week in and 
week out, affecting many citizens in this nation

This two pronged approach recognizes the need for many forms of mitigation, and that retaining or restoring natural riverine of coastal  systems can be some of the most effective means of reducing flood losses and disaster costs. 

## ASFPM Activities

- Promoted hazard mitigation from beginning
- Advocate for improved mapping & Mitigation
- Certification of floodplain managers--FEMA, NOAA, COE, NRCS---and EMI for training
- Input to Congress and Administration
- Fed budgets,NFIP & Disaster Mitigation Acts, WRDA
- Internationally recognized

**Notes:**
=Mitigation focus of ASFPM from beginning
=Mapping major issue for our local and state members (20,000 communities)
      Organized Mapping coalition--realtors, bankers, home builders	
=Certification of Floodplain Managers (CFM) now 1,500 CFMs
	Space at EMI---DHS competition---need to deploy to field
=Annual conference has over 900,  Many regional technical workshops on
     matters such as Floodproofing, River restoration, Mitigation, legal issues
=Working with other Countries on warning and mitigation

## FLOOD HAZARDS HISTORY in U.S.

- 1930--60’s---mostly structural
- NFIP--HUD from 1968 to 1979
- First major non-structural national mitigation program
- Tried to implement nation-wide, no pilots
- FEMA from 1979 to 2002
- Both Floodplain Management and Disaster Mitigation
- DHS since 2002

**Notes:**
HUD---program started very slow.  HUD big agency, so attention on flood loss reduction limited.   HOUSING was their PRIMARY mission. 
Hurricane Agnes in 1973 made flood insurance mandatory for loans--improved

FEMA---like DHS, the creation of FEMA threw together many different agencies---
	Floods
	Earthquakes
	Wind--Hurricanes, Tornadoes
	Wildfires
While a national security function, it diminished  with the cold war

DHS---collapsed varied functions related to terrorism, national security, immigration, customs and border concerns,airline security, coast guard, secret service, disaster relief and natural hazards.
Natural hazards now a small part of huge agency

## DISASTER ACT HISTORY

- 1980’s and 90’s
- Issue--should we include technological hazards, like chemical spills--planning and implementation
- Response significantly enhanced in 90’s--rapid deployment of resources--even before the disaster
- In 1988, for first time Disaster Act recognized we should not rebuild only as was, but mitigate the structure while rebuilding

**Notes:**
Many discussions, even at this workshop with concern about combining natural hazards with others.  
Discussion was not in opposition to planning for all hazards to include tech hazards, but concern that limited pot of money would seriously reduce funding for natural hazards which occur day in and day out

The 1990’s were an especially active period for natural hazards---floods,  lots of hurricanes with high damage, tornadoes and wildfires and earthquakes

Response to all disasters was significantly enhanced, with rapid deployment of resources, even before the event occurred.

Post disaster mitigation, (rather than only rebuild as was) proved effective.

## MITIGATION PROGRAMS HISTORY

- Mitigation planning was pushed to all hazards, but funding for implementation usually came from specific hazard---usually post disaster
- 1994 increases to post-disaster mitigation funding (impetus from Andrew and 93 floods)
-  15% of most disaster costs
- 75/25 cost share
- Great incentive for citizens, communities and states to participate

**Notes:**
Andrew in 1992 and Midwest floods of 1993 led to these improvements because 
  Adm and Congress realized Post-D we have attention of citizens, locals and state legislators to leverage fed dollars and get mitigation

Cost share to 15% and 75/25 great incentive for citizens/communities/states

This heightened awareness of natural disasters, combined with few homeland security threats allowed growth in natural hazard mitigation.

Creating incentives is an appropriate federal role.  It leverages funds, gets citizen and community buy-in---and state legislators see the connection post disaster

## HOW ARE NATURAL HAZARDS FARING NOW?

- Floodplain map modernization continues to be a budget priority--added $200 M in FY04
- Map  Implementation slow--some delays related to DHS added layers for approval
- Mitigation funding mixed bag.  OMB continues to equate pre-and post disaster $
- HMGP (post-D) cut from 15% to zero
- In DHS, FEMA has many layers for approval

**Notes:**
Map mod continues with strong support---but implementation is very slow, and some delays created by more layers of approval for grants and contracts--DHS

ASFPM suggests:
Use PDM for planning. (communities cutting back on planning--- no HMGP)

Use HMGP for implementation which will convince homeowners to volunteer and communities and states to commit cost shares

--In  DHS-----FEMA no longer empowered to be first in response.  Many layers of approval will create culture of asking permission---will it take away ability to be proactive?   IN PAST DIRECT WHITE HOUSE ACCESS

## WHAT MIGHT BE THE THREATS TO NATURAL HAZARDS IN DHS

- Primary Mission
- HUD--primary mission was housing
- DHS--primary mission is terrorism
- Public and Political Recognition
- FEMA name issue--will we lose decades of branding?
- FEMA still alive in this Administration, but what happens with future--Adm and Congress
- SCS/NRCS example---Jamie Whitten was Champion

**Notes:**
MISSION--In a small agency, the FEMA mission was reduce loss of life and property through risk based EM program of mitigation, response, prep, recovery

Floods were lost in HUD, and we should all expect there will natural hazards will be de-emphasized---that is simply a reality--despite the good intentions of many

Hill staff and members will be overwhelmed by all the DHS issues.

## HOW MIGHT ALL OF US ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES IN THE DHS ENVIRONMENT?

- More sophistication in educating Congress and the Administration
- Hill members and staff, OMB overwhelmed by all the programs in DHS
- How to present natural hazards message in meaningful way to staff and others?
- Example: No Adverse Impact

**Notes:**
Decision makers have many programs to address in DHS

How do we get them to focus on actions which can reduce the impacts of natural hazards?

## FLOODS---WHERE ARE WE ?

- The NFIP requirements reduces flood losses by over $1 billion/yr
- Most communities adopt minimum NFIP
- The NFIP standards for development have remained essentially constant for 30 years
- How can we move the nation beyond this?   and Why?

**Notes:**
This example uses Floods as the example

NFIP has reduced flood damages in the nation--majority of the 20,000 flood prone communities use those minimum national standards

Standards like the 1 % flood level, no freeboard, allowing development that causes one foot of rise---were compromises in 1960s which we now have the technology to improve

How many structures exist in nations floodplains?  We don’t know--RESEARCH IS NEEDED

## Trends in Flood Damages

- $6 billion annually
- Four-fold increase from early 1900s
- Per Capita Damages increased by more than a factor of 2.5 in the previous century in real dollar terms

**Notes:**
The key here is that despite what we have done and the money we have
	spent this century, damages continue to go up

	-UNECCECARILY, in our opinion

## What is Influencing the Trend?Increased Property at Risk 

- Current policy is a compromise:
- Promotes intensification in risk areas
- Ignores changing conditions
- Ignores adverse impacts to existing  properties
- Undervalues natural floodplain functions
- FEMA trying to address with CRS, etc

**Notes:**
Current policy we do the following:
allow development in high risk areas
use existing conditions and ignore impact of new development on flood levels
development often results in increased flood stage, flow, velocity: altered sediment and erosion---with no mitigation considered
don’t consider value of storage or benefits of natural functions

CRS helps some but incentives not for community, and vast majority of communities are using minimum NIFP

## No Adverse Impact Approach

**Activities that could adversely impact flood damage to another property or community will be allowed only to the extent that the impacts are mitigated or have been accounted for within an adopted community-based plan.**

**Notes:**
Changing national standards presents real problems---Congress and Administrations very hesitant to do that

How can the federal  government foster broad actions by citizens, communities and states that will reduce damages?

The NAI approach can do that

## Reducing future damages through communities and the private sectorNAI is a concept/policy/strategy that broadens one's focus from the built environment to include how changes to the built environment potentially impact other properties.NAI broadens property rights by protectingthe property rights of those that would beadversely impacted by the actions of others.

- Reducing future damages through communities and the private sectorNAI is a concept/policy/strategy that broadens one's focus from the built environment to include how changes to the built environment potentially impact other properties.NAI broadens property rights by protectingthe property rights of those that would beadversely impacted by the actions of others.

**Notes:**
The last point is critical: NAI brings those impacted adversely into play during
     community development decisions

Right now, only the developer interests show up at Board or Council meetings to decide if permit or variance should be granted.  
If developer had to identify all adverse impacts and those impacted, the community would invite them to the meetings, thus balancing the discussion and protecting every ones property rights.

The Private market would determine what mitigation is needed

## Federal Role

- Federal government
- Update Federal Executive Orders--set example
- Adopt policies with incentives to encourage local actions that prevent future disasters
- Better Disaster Cost share
- Local $ spent to prevent count toward non-fed share of future disasters

**Notes:**
Federal agencies MUST set the example.  No more post offices in floodways.
No more federal funding of hospitals in the 500 year floodplain

Knowing how to evaluate programs is a logical role for federal--for
efficiency and consistency

Incentives should provide more help to those who help themselves--
      -in Technical assistance, cost share, etc.

There are communities that have;  NO DEVELOPMENT IN ALL FPMAP FLOODPLAIN BASED ON FUTURE CONDITION
RESTRICT SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND REMOVE STRUCTURES

FEDS/STATES/  NEED TO REWARD THAT KIND OF S&L ACTION

## Actions Within DHS

- FEMA
- Retain the name and branding
- Empower the agency to act quickly in support not only of disasters, but grants for mitigation, mapping and all other activities

## Natural Hazards in DHS No one argues with having a program or agency to address terrorism in the U.S.The issue is maintaining and improving the nation’s ability to reduce disaster costs and to mitigate from day/day natural hazards

- Natural Hazards in DHS No one argues with having a program or agency to address terrorism in the U.S.The issue is maintaining and improving the nation’s ability to reduce disaster costs and to mitigate from day/day natural hazards

- for more information contact:
- The Association of State Floodplain Managers
- 608-274-0123
- Email: _[asfpm@floods.org](mailto:asfpm@floods.org)_
- Web Site: www.floods.org

**Notes:**
Just a summary of key recommended actions for how we might keep a focus on natural hazards in the DHS environment