Description

What’s [in] the Plan? What Floodplain Managers Need to Know about FEMA’s Mitigation Planning Policies
Cathleen Carlisle, MPA, CFM, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Cathleen.Carlisle@fema.dhs.gov
Co-presenters: Shubha Shrivastava, shubha.shrivastava@fema.dhs.gov

Abstract: Last year, we reached a milestone: 20 years of mitigation since the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. In that time, tens of thousands of communities have used mitigation planning as the foundational step to understand and act to reduce their risk. Now, in 2022, the National Mitigation Planning Program is releasing the next generation of the State and Local Mitigation Planning policies. The updated policies reinforce that resilience is a whole-community effort that builds state and local capabilities to plan for long-term risk reduction, climate change and equitable outcomes. Through these policies, FEMA encourages state, local, tribal and territorial partners to plan for and implement diverse mitigation actions, including nature-based solutions, capability-building actions, land use and building activities that increase resilience and can be implemented using a range of resources. Floodplain managers have been and will continue to be an important partner in the mitigation planning process. This session will cover the background on the policies (what they are and how they are used); discuss specific changes, highlighting places where floodplain managers have a role; and share more about how the floodplain management community can get more involved in the mitigation planning process and implementing the plan.

Planners Unite! The Rise of Planners in Floodplain Management
Stacy Wright, AICP, PMP, CFM, APA HMDR, stacy.wright@atkinsglobal.com
Co-presenters: Christine Caggiano, ccaggiano@mbakerintl.com

Abstract: Since the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, planning in hazard mitigation has grown exponentially and the field of practice continues to expand. There is still much work to do across the US, as floods, wildfires and climate change continue to impact us each year and planners are front and center battling these issues. Planners are frequently called upon to advise municipalities, counties, regions, states and federal agencies concerning risk reduction and disaster recovery. But the work of planners cannot happen in a vacuum. Planners work with communities to set the long-term vision for land use and development, and floodplain managers execute that vision through development permitting and other regulations. The American Planning Association (APA)’s Hazard Mitigation and Disaster Recovery Planning Division is a gathering place for members that all have an inherent and significant interest in making communities safer from natural and man-made hazards and in planning recovery from resulting disasters. The Division fosters professional communications on these topics and builds a stronger knowledge base for use by planners through professional development, mentoring and networking.
This presentation will:
1. Introduce you to the role of planners in hazard mitigation planning and disaster recovery.
2. Discuss ways floodplain managers and planners can better collaborate to create more resilient communities nationwide.
3. Provide an overview of the resources available through APA’s Hazard Mitigation and Disaster Recovery Planning Division. Join leadership from the APA’s Hazard Mitigation and Disaster Recovery Division to learn more about how our disciplines can work together for a safer future.

Integrating Hazard Mitigation Planning and Floodplain Management Programs
Tony Subbio, CEM, CFM, PMP, Tetra Tech, Inc., tony.subbio@tetratech.com
Co-presenters: None

Abstract: Hazard mitigation- the long-term reduction in vulnerability to natural and non-natural hazards- is a function that should be integrated throughout a municipality’s programs and normal operations. Where flooding is the #1 hazard a community faces, which is common across the country, it is especially important to reduce vulnerability to flooding through strong floodplain management practices. Many of these vulnerability-reducing projects and practices can be implemented relatively easily, with little or no outside funding required. Other enhancements require significant funding assistance. To access that funding, projects will need to be identified in existing community plans, such as a FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plan (HMP). This presentation will describe how hazard mitigation can be integrated into a community’s holistic floodplain management program and vice versa. It will help attendees identify mitigation actions that they can take in their communities to reduce their risk from flooding. Finally, it will describe how a floodplain administrator can be involved in a single- or multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation planning process, which is often led by an emergency manager or planner, to ensure that their identified mitigation actions can be funded by grants and other funding streams.