Andrew W. Fowler’s Post

When we invest taxpayer resources in new infrastructure, it makes sense to avoid areas prone to flooding. We want our investments to withstand future storms and serve our communities for decades to come. Last week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency took an important step toward smart and proactive flood resilience by finalizing their Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS). FFRMS ensures that federal agencies account for climate impacts like sea level rise and stronger storm surge when considering development in flood-prone areas. The more agencies that implement the standard, the bigger the impact in protecting our communities and environment. “We're excited to see FEMA adopt commonsense policies that will help the agency build in a safer and more resilient way, and we urge more agencies to do the same,” said Liz Zepeda, SELC Federal Regulatory Director. “This will save taxpayer money and protect lives in the long run by reducing risky development, and more immediately, it improves protections for existing communities facing increased flooding and more intense storms.” Learn more about FFRMS: https://lnkd.in/eVt-QCcu Photo by Lauren Petracca #Floodrisk #ClimateChange #FEMA #DisasterResponse #EmergencyManagement #Flooding

Starting today, Florida’s new flood disclosure laws are in full effect, now providing homebuyers with critical information about their flood risks. As climate-driven flooding increases across the state, these laws will empower Florida homebuyers to make more informed decisions when buying property and will help build resilient communities. Learn more about why flood disclosure matters: https://bit.ly/4dRG77y

Flood mapping is becoming an interesting conversation among some home owners. It is something which affects all tax payers when disasters occur."Because when people get affected by a flood disaster, they look for government to help with disaster assistance, and that comes from everybody's taxes as well,”... https://lnkd.in/eSf4WSgA

After seeing so many devastating floods and the increasingly common occurrence of 100-year storms, this is an important reminder that life will not get easier by removing the guardrails to protect society. Rolling back these standards to make a chest-thumping announcement has led to ruin for many citizens, further reducing the trust people have in government. Who is governing for the world ahead and who is governing for a bygone era? https://lnkd.in/gwCYNkTr

Last week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Development (HUD) finalized a flood risk rule that moves us closer to a better policy on flooding and smarter decisions about federal investments. The Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) rule requires the agency to account for climate impacts like sea level rise and stronger storm surge when considering whether to fund housing in flood-prone areas. The Biden administration directed all federal agencies to implement this rule in 2021, and HUD just became the first to cement it into regulations. “We applaud HUD for finalizing their FFRMS rule and leading the way for other agencies to keep development out of the floodplain. HUD’s rule will help preserve floodplains and wetlands, make our communities more resilient to flooding, and save taxpayer dollars, but we will only see the full benefit from this new standard once all federal agencies commit to investing taxpayer money responsibly, in infrastructure that will stand the test of time.” Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eVt-QCcu

🌪️ **Serious News Alert** 🌪️ FEMA is taking a stand on post-hurricane rebuilding, tightening regulations to secure that homes meet flood safety standards in the face of increasing storm threats. 🔎**What does this mean for homeowners?** 1. **Stricter enforcement:** Homes must adhere to higher flood safety standards to receive FEMA funding. 2. **Peace of mind:** Residents living in these homes will have better protection against future storm-related damages. 🏡**Given the rising storm risks, it’s clear that FEMA’s actions are a critical step towards safeguarding communities.** 1. **Preventative measures:** Upholding stricter rules now can potentially mitigate future disaster impacts. 2. **Educational opportunities:** This initiative could spur awareness about the importance of resilient infrastructure. 💡**Here's a prediction:** As FEMA intensifies its checks, we may see a shift towards more sustainable and disaster-resilient construction practices. This is not just about rebuilding homes; it's about building safer, more resilient communities for the future. 🛠️**Takeaway for stakeholders:** 1. **Builders and contractors:** Adapt to the new guidelines to ensure compliance and eligibility for FEMA aid. 2. **Homeowners:** Stay informed about these changes to make informed decisions about rebuilding efforts post-disaster. 🌟**Exciting times ahead as we collectively work towards creating safer living environments in the face of escalating climate challenges. Let's build stronger for a resilient tomorrow.** #FEMA #HurricaneRecovery #ClimateResilience #DisasterPreparedness #CommunitySafety #BuildingStrongerTogether

The coastal flooding destruction in Houston, Norfolk, Florida and increasingly across the US is in part due to the actions of two or three American dredging firms trying to protect the #DredgeActof1906 which prevents America from affordably protecting its coast and deepening its ports. #AmendtheDredgeAct. Keep the #JonesAct if you need, but for gosh sake, amend the #DredgeActof1906, and save U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars and save American lives. https://lnkd.in/g7HzV2t8

If FFRMS were on the books for the last seven years, would it have made a meaningful difference? Maybe? It sparks hope to hear about the wastewater treatment plant built to a higher flood risk standard and withstood the storms – we should follow this example and build on it. But elsewhere? Its hard to imagine a more stringent floodplain standard could have spared Asheville, and that is hard to grapple with as an advocate for smarter floodplain policies. So how do I contextualize “resilience” policy in the face of storms like Helene and Milton? The reality is that every floodplain management, stormwater control, hazard-resistant building code, is already trying to prevent damage to a certain design storm (usually somewhere between a 25-year and a 500-year storm, though we could have a separate conversation about how those are measured). And there is a wide margin between the status quo design storm and the Helene-level design storm (to which would be impractical to build). There is plenty of flood risk in that chasm that we *can* address. So shouldn’t we close the gap and mitigate the damage where we can? And focus on emergency management operations where we can’t? Or another way to think about it, when we do (re)build, should we at least strive to not make the flood damage worse?   TLDR, FFRMS doesn’t solve for Hurricane Helene (but its nice to hear the preventive actions that did work). But there is plenty of flood risk we can solve for. https://lnkd.in/ex7rFkZM

It is about time. #FEMA will take new steps to ensure that the structures it funds — including schools, hospitals, police stations, libraries, sewage treatment plants and bridges — are protected from flooding. The agency said Wednesday that projects constructed with FEMA money must be built to prevent flood damage, whether by elevating them above the expected height of a flood or, if that’s not feasible, by building in a safer location. The rule also clarifies that building decisions must reflect risks now and in the future, as climate change makes flooding more frequent and severe. “We are going to be able to put a stop to the cycle of response and recovery, and rinse and repeat,” Deanne Criswell, the FEMA administrator, said during a call with reporters. The new rule will “enhance resilience in flood-prone communities by taking future flood risk into consideration when we rebuild,” she said. Climate resilience experts have long called for FEMA and other federal agencies to ensure federal tax money isn’t wasted on vulnerable projects. Flood damage is likely to reach $40 billion in average annual losses this decade, according to Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers. “We’re on this trajectory of losses doubling every decade, which should be scary as hell,” Mr. Berginnis said. “We can't ignore this problem anymore.” The history of the new rule demonstrates the complicated politics of managing flood risks and the slow pace of change when it comes to federal agencies.

CNBC: FEMA has spent around $4 billion assisting in the purchase of about 45,000 to 50,000 damaged homes since 1989. These homes have been marred by floods to the point where the homeowners decide to move away. To encourage homeowners not to sell to new buyers and stop what Siders calls “that terrible game of hot potato,” FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program supports local and state governments in purchasing the homes, demolishing them and turning the property into public land, in what are called floodplain buyouts. . Read more: https://ow.ly/maPz50RlcVU