Association of State Floodplain Managers, Inc. (ASFPM)

As noted in this piece, "No state currently has the capacity to absorb the capacity or function of the federal government in disaster recovery. Shuttering programs that provide help directly to state and local governments will hit hardest in places that are already struggling..." Read the article and then take a deep dive into the Disaster Dollar Database to see FEMA IHP & PA, and HUD CDBG-DR data from Sept 2003 to Jan 2025: https://lnkd.in/gJzRNYgn

Any article that begins by quoting Gilbert White will always get a repost from us 👏

💡Big Ideas Wanted! 💡 The ASFPM Foundation has extending the deadline for flood-related project applications through April 4. This is could be your chance to get your idea off the ground. Need inspiration? Past funded projects include the No Adverse Impact Initiative Toolkit (https://lnkd.in/gPe-hetz) and Understanding and Managing Flood Risk: A Guide for Elected Officials (https://lnkd.in/gy_h_QeC). Learn more at the link below ⬇️

This article by Thomas Frank provides a good explanation as to what is happening with grant funds at FEMA right now. "The Trump administration is blocking states from getting millions of dollars in federal disaster aid and flood assistance, according to a new court filing that argues the actions violate a federal judge's order to resume spending. At least 140 FEMA grants … have been frozen or otherwise rendered inaccessible in 16 states, some of which cannot submit reimbursement requests because the system blocks them from doing so, the filing said. Part of the blocked FEMA money is from well-established grants that help states address climate change, such as the BRIC program. Some of the money is from smaller grant and loan programs that help states prepare for catastrophes, improve mapping of flood zones and undertake general hazard mitigation to reduce disaster damage."

Yesterday an important hearing was held in the US House of Representatives. The House Homeland Security Committee’s first hearing of this Congress, chaired by Representative Dale Strong, was an excellent dialog on the future of FEMA. Many areas of reform are complimentary to ones Association of State Floodplain Managers, Inc. (ASFPM) has identified. Here are some key takeaways: FEMA is necessary and indiscriminate staff reductions are problematic and contribute to long-standing staffing issues. FEMA's whole workforce is essential. Consideration should be given to once again make FEMA an independent agency whose leader is cabinet level. Mission creep has led to a focus on non-core areas stretching the workforce impacting effectiveness. Community resilience and hazard mitigation programs are essential.  Hazard mitigation investments provide an excellent ROI on taxpayer dollars.   Stafford Act programs such as public assistance and mitigation can be reformed, streamlined and made more effective. The NFIP is essential and complimentary to private insurance approaches. So too are strong building/development codes and standards. Climate threats are real and must be taken into account. I urge anyone who is concerned about the future of FEMA to listen to the hearing and read the written testimony. Thank you Daniel Kaniewski, Carrie Speranza, CEM, and the other witnesses for your thoughtful testimony!

ASFPM is proud to be among the nearly 500 organizations and businesses calling for Congress to #SaveNOAA

What should be the future of FEMA? I look forward to testifying before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Tuesday alongside fellow emergency management leaders Jeffrey Smitherman, Carrie Speranza, and Tim Manning to help answer that question. What should we say to Congress? Comment below! What: A Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology hearing entitled “Future of FEMA: Perspectives from the Emergency Management Community.” When: Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 10:00 AM ET    Where: 310 Cannon House Office Building #emergencymanagement Marsh McLennan

From the Kentucky floods to Helene and back again, people throughout Appalachia are using their experiences to help others through disaster.

HUD has just issued a one-year partial waiver to its FFRMS rule, relaxing the higher flood elevation requirement of the updated Minimum Property Standards applying to FHA mortgages.. 

ASFPM members are invited to join the policy team this afternoon for its monthly webinar on the most pressing national policy issues of interest to the floodplain management community. Thursday, Feb 27 at 2 pm Central  https://lnkd.in/gQ6nf5MZ