Description
1) Desert to Coast and In Between: Tailoring Flood Planning Approaches Across Texas
Tressa Olsen, CFM, Texas Water Development Board, tressa.olsen@twdb.texas.gov
Co-presenters: Morgan White, morgan.white@freese.com
Abstract: In 2019, in the wake of historic flooding in Texas, the Texas Legislature authorized and established the regional and state flood planning processes. As we near the conclusion of the first cycle of regional flood planning, we will reflect on how flood planning groups across Texas approached the planning process differently according to their region’s unique characteristics and needs. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) will provide an orientation to the Texas regional flood planning program, including a brief overview of each planning task and how the regional planning process will come together to create Texas’ first State Flood Plan in September 2024. Freese and Nichols will present case studies from their work in 12 out of the 15 flood planning regions to demonstrate how Texas’ varying geographies, socio-cultural landscapes, and flood risk type and history have impacted regional approaches to planning tasks and activities, such as stakeholder engagement, goal setting, project identification, and flood risk analyses. The impact of varying levels of data quality and availability will also be discussed through case studies from select data-rich and data-limited areas. Attendees will hear how the TWDB created a regional flood planning framework that provided enough flexibility to meet each region’s needs while ensuring the consistency required to compile all regional plans into a state-wide plan. This session is intended to be a companion to Reem Zoun’s (TWDB), which will provide an overview of findings from Texas' first cycle of regional flood planning.
2) Flood Risk in Nature’s Wonderland: A Strategy for a Resilience in Buchanan County, VA
Christina Hurley, AICP, Stantec, christina.hurley@stantec.com
Co-presenters: Charlie Westbrook, cwestbrook@res.us
Abstract: This presentation will focus on a strategy developed to reduce flood risk in the hard-hit communities within Buchanan County, Virginia. The county has a history of devastating floods, including major events in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Topics to be addressed include:
- Challenges around engaging stakeholders and the public in economically disadvantaged communities that have been repeatedly engaged for various flood mitigation efforts, all while recovering from destructive flood events;
- Topographical, environmental, and social complexities in assessing flood risk and considering potential actions to reduce risk, such as increasingly extreme rainfall events, a history of mining impacts, presence of endangered species, and steep slopes that limit most developable land to flood-prone areas;
- Understanding community capabilities and capacity to implement potential flood risk-reduction measures in a county where most officials balance multiple roles as several state and/or federal flood mitigation initiatives are underway; and,
- Developing flood-risk reduction strategies with a focus on nature-based project solutions with additional environmental co-benefits.
3) Planning for Progress: Developing Regional Resilience Portfolios for North Carolina’s Eastern Counties
JaLeesa Tate, CFM, Tetra Tech, jaleesa.tate@tetratech.com
Co-presenters: None
Abstract: North Carolina’s eastern coast is vulnerable to a combination of hazards anticipated to increase in frequency and intensity over the next 30 years. Assessing the adaptive capacity of the region provides a pathway for adapting to a changing climate. The community engagement aspect of the Regional Resilience Portfolio Program (the Program) sets it apart from traditional resiliency and flood risk reduction planning efforts as communications and outreach strategies are tailored to align with the actual vulnerabilities and risks within the community. The Program divides the eastern half of North Carolina into nine regions to focus on the unique characteristics and community composition of each region and develop recommendations and projects specific to each region. The Program prioritizes combining technical data with local knowledge and experiences to ground truth what is occurring in the State. With community engagement at the forefront of the effort, local leaders served as a decision-making body to guide the development of a vulnerability assessment and project portfolio. The vulnerabilities and weaknesses identified in the vulnerability assessment served as the basis for developing regional projects to address current and future hazards. To ensure actionable outcomes, each project was developed with a full implementation guide that identified responsible agencies, anticipated benefits, required permits and approvals, and anticipated permitting and legislative challenges. An equity lens was utilized to prioritize projects with considerations for vulnerable populations, environmental impacts, and socioeconomic benefits as part of the process. This presentation will use the Program as a case study to showcase how climate change impacts and adaptation can be addressed at a regional scale to build community resilience. This presentation will also highlight how community engagement and outreach strategies must be driven by community leaders to build buy-in for projects at the initiation of the effort rather than once it is shovel-ready.
Contributors
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Tressa Olsen
Tressa Olsen is the State Flood Planner at the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB). Tressa started at the TWDB as a regional flood planner, providing project management support to three out of the fifteen flood planning group responsible for developing regional flood plans, and has transitioned to leading the State’s effort in developing the first-ever State Flood Plan in 2024. Tressa earned a Masters in Community and Regional Planning and a Bachelors in Biology - Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from University of Texas at Austin. Tressa is passionate about equity, resilience, and sustainability.
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Christina Hurley
Christina Hurley is a Senior Resilience Planner with Stantec. She has been helping communities reduce their risk to natural hazards for almost a decade, with an emphasis on natural solutions and climate change adaptation. She is passionate about helping communities at all levels and across all geographies find tailored solutions to enhance resilience.
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JaLeesa Tate
JaLeesa Tate is experienced in hazard mitigation, floodplain management, and urban planning. She serves as a Senior Community Resilience Professional in Tetra Tech’s TDR Division. Her hands-on experience in emergency management and urban planning has positioned her to be a leader in developing strategies and recommendations to build resilient communities. JaLeesa is a recognized thought leader and has contributed to flood resilience initiatives with the Pew Charitable Trust and Urban Land Institute. She also provided national and statewide resilience guidance through her service as the mitigation committee co-chair for the Maryland Association of Floodplain and Stormwater Managers and chair of the State Hazard Mitigation Officer (SHMO) subcommittee for the National Emergency Management Association. She contributed to FEMA’s policy and program development, as a member of FEMA’s External Stakeholders Working Group. Prior to joining Tetra Tech, Inc., JaLeesa served as the SHMO and Hazard Mitigation Branch Manager for the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM). In this capacity, she spearheaded the development of the State’s Hazard Mitigation Program and secured and managed over $100M for Maryland to invest in resilience activities. Additional prior roles include serving as the City of Baltimore’s Coastal Resources Planner and the Environmental Planner for Wicomico County – City of Salisbury Department of Planning and Community Development. She worked on local water quality improvement and environmental land use in these roles. JaLeesa holds a Bachelor of Science in geography and geosciences from Salisbury University and is a CFM.