Description

1) Major Infrastructure in Major Cities: Challenges and Lessons Learned Navigating Flood Control Projects Funded through HMA
Jamelyn Austin Trucks, CFM, PMP, CGM, Atkins, jamelyn.trucks@atkinsglobal.com
Co-presenters: Ryan Wiedenman, AICP, CFM, ryan.wiedenman@atkinsglobal.com

Abstract: As one of the largest cities in the United States, the City of Houston metro encompasses a large geographic area that is mainly urbanized and includes a great deal of impervious surface area. In this urbanized environment, flooding has become a major issue throughout many areas of the city. Frequently, when major flood issues impact complex, urban environments a wide variety of unique, large-scale solutions are required. In recent years, as the Federal Emergency Management Agency has increased its emphasis on funding major infrastructure projects to address flooding issues in highly urbanized areas, the City of Houston has pushed to be a leader in implementing major infrastructure improvements. Through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program the city has received approval of project applications for 4 major infrastructure projects to reduce the impact of flooding on homes, businesses, and other key resources. Phase I of these projects has required significant investments of time to design and develop technically feasible solutions that also reduce risk and remain in compliance with FEMA requirements such as showing cost-effectiveness through a FEMA-approved Benefit-Cost Analysis. As Phase I: Design is completed on phased projects, FEMA requires that the community demonstrate that the project will remain cost-effective before awarding Phase II: Construction dollars. In this session, presenters will describe the efforts taken to collect and document quantitative project benefits within a major urban area that included tens of thousands of structures using GIS tools and detailed spreadsheet calculations to demonstrate cost-effective projects. This session will include many of the challenges that the city faced as well as lessons learned and successes that were achieved through partnerships with the Texas Division of Emergency Management and FEMA Region 6 that led to award of Phase II and project implementation.

2) Using BRIC for Utility Protection & System-Based Mitigation in North Carolina
Edward Fernandez, ICF, edward.fernandez@icf.com
Co-presenters: Rachel Bradley, CFM, ICF, rachel.bradley@icf.com; Robert G. Cloninger, III, robertcl@cityofgastonia.com; David DePratter, david.depratter@kci.com

Abstract: This presentation will discuss two case studies where municipalities successfully leveraged novel federal resilience funding for projects incorporating system-based mitigation and nature-based solutions to protect critical infrastructure in North Carolina. In 2020, the City of Hickory, North Carolina was awarded two Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grants totaling over $8.9 million in Federal share. These projects will protect a wastewater treatment facility and a pump station from flood damage. In 2021, the City of Gastonia, North Carolina, was awarded over $5.9 million in BRIC funding to protect a vulnerable public utility, municipal infrastructure, and at-risk properties from heavy rain events and significant erosion. The project will implement nature-based solutions in a disadvantaged community to restore and stabilize a stream bank and address growing climate risks. Both the Hickory and Gastonia projects mitigate impacts to multiple critical community lifelines and facilities and anticipate future conditions—key elements of FEMA’s new programmatic focus on projects that incorporate system-based mitigation. Through these case studies, attendees will walk away with an understanding of system-based mitigation and how it can be incorporated into federally funded hazard mitigation projects. This presentation will also explore nature-based solutions, partnership engagement, and equity considerations and how they can be incorporated into a mitigation project’s scope and design. These two projects exemplify the forefront of innovative hazard mitigation and resilience planning, generating beneficial outcomes in their communities.

3) Southerly WWTP: A look at protection of critical infrastructure for the future
Chad Boyer, ms consultants, inc., cboyer@msconsultants.com
Co-presenters: None

Abstract: The Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant, located in Columbus Ohio, was constructed in the early 1960’s and has continued to expand through the subsequent decades. The treatment plant serves approximately two-thirds of the City of Columbus’s and surrounding community’s treatment needs with an average daily flow of around 114 MGD, and a peak of 330 MGD. Portions of the Southerly WWTP are currently located with the Special Flood Hazard Area for the Scioto River. The City is looking to make significant expansions to the treatment trains in the near future and in an effort to protect critical infrastructure, as well as create areas outside of the Special Flood Hazard Area, the City, selected ms consultants, inc. and their team to develop a Stormwater and Floodplain Management Master Plan, including an accredited levee, stormwater management controls, conveyance improvements and compensatory excavation to account for fill placed within the floodplain to mitigate flood risk to upstream properties. The project has currently wrapped up the preliminary engineering, and is moving into detailed design for the items need to protect this critical infrastructure into the future of the City of Columbus. This presentation will discuss the preliminary engineering completed to date, including floodplain management, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, compensatory excavation, culvert improvements, stormwater peak discharge and quality management, as well as other aspects of this complex expansion into the City’s future expansion.