NJ Association for Floodplain Management News & Announcements Blog

PlanSmart NJ Hurricane Sandy Resiliency Summit

Richard Franks — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:38:52 GMT

PlanSmart NJ hosted a daylong Summit on Hurricane Sandy recovery and resiliency on April 30th, a day after the State of New Jersey and the federal government announced the adoption of the Hurricane Sandy NJ CDBG Action Plan governing $1.8 billion in federal disaster recovery spending. Over 200 land use planners, engineers, attorneys, local officials, academic and non-profit leaders attended PlanSmart NJ's 2nd Annual Regional Planning Summit: Investing for the New Normal at the War Memorial in Trenton. The day-long event featured panel discussions on community rebuilding and infrastructure investment.

NJAFM was represented by Legislative Committee Chair John Miller, who acted as moderator for the afternoon breakout session.

For the full press release, please click on the link below:

PlanSmart NJ Summit on Hurricane Sandy Resiliency

Harvey Cedars v. Karan Court Case: NJFM Files Amicus Curiae

Richard Franks — Thu, 02 May 2013 00:26:21 GMT

On April 23, 2013 NJAFM filed an Amicus Curiae (friend of the court) brief in relation to the Harvey Cedars v. Karan court case, in which a couple owning an oceanfront property denied an easement for an engineered dune. After Harvey Cedars obtained the easement through Eminent Domain, the couple sued the town for $500,000 to cover loss of use and ocean views, and were awarded $375,000 by the jury. The case was appealed to the appellate court, which upheld the original decision, so the next appeal will by heard by the NJ Supreme Court. The NJAFM position is that we disagree that the property owners received no special benefit rather than just the community’s general benefit from the dune. If the appeal fails a precedent would be set whereby all similarly affected property owners would expect comparable compensation, thereby jeopardizing the viability of future dune projects (and other flood/storm damage reduction projects).

Copies of the key documents can be accessed by clicking on the links below:

Amicus Brief

Amicus Motion

Sure! I'll move out of the floodplain! (Webinar)

Richard Franks — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:48:36 GMT

Pam Yost, NRCS Economist from West Virginia will present the results of a successful voluntary buyout project in which 100 buildings have been purchased and removed to restore the natural floodplain.

For more details including how to register for the webinar, please click on the link below:

http://www.conservationwebinars.net/webinars/sure-i-will-move-out-of-the-floodplain

Gulf to Shore: Disaster, Recovery and Rebuilding Lessons Learned from the Gulf Coast

Richard Franks — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:26:25 GMT

May 15, 2013

Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ

The Gulf coast has been on the front lines for years thinking about preparedness, rebuilding, and recovery. Their lessons learned can be invaluable to lawmakers in New Jersey facing the same challenges. This workshop will be an opportunity to share lessons learned and have a dialogue with people who have lived through htese challenges and work with communities to be resilient for the future.

Please click on the links below for the agenda and registration details:

http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102587585619-56/Gulf+to+Shore.agenda.pdf

https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?llr=tczov8cab&oeidk=a07e78709d3310e8f99&oseq=a023d5hek6a3r4

NJ Climate Adaptation Conference

Richard Franks — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:10:58 GMT

New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance (based at Rutgers) will be holding a conference on May 22, 2013:

Climate Change Preparedness in New Jersey: Leading Practices & Policy Priorities.

More information and registration information is available here:

http://climatechange.rutgers.edu/may2013conf.html.

The purpose of this conference is to highlight climate preparedness and resilience activities underway in New Jersey,as well as leading practices throughout the United States, in order to enhance climate change adaptation capacity in New Jersey.

New Jersey Coastal Flood Mapper Now Available

Craig Wenger — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 22:25:08 GMT

Through a partnership with the JC NERR and Rutgers Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis, an interactive flood mapping website is NOW available. The new Google Maps-based website allows users to view sea level rise scenarios from 0 to 6 feet, while overlaying GIS layers such as critical municipal facilities, evacuation routes, and floodplain layers.

http://www.njfloodmapper.org/

ASFPM nominates NJAFM for White House Award

Craig Wenger — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 22:22:31 GMT

ASFPM has decided to nominate the NJAFM for the White House Champions of Change Award for all of its hard work following Hurricane Sandy. NJAFM is honored and thrilled about the nomination. Thank you to all of our members for their hard work and support.

See Nomination Here: Champions of Change Nomination

Governor Christie Outlines Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Regulations

Richard Franks — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 21:55:03 GMT

Taking action to give New Jersey families, businesses and local governments the best available guidance to quickly and more durably rebuild from Hurricane Sandy, Governor Chris Christie today signed emergency regulations to adopt the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) updated Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFEs) maps as the rebuilding standard for the entire state.

These regulations establish requirements and more efficient procedures for residents and businesses to construct, reconstruct, relocate and elevate buildings and other structures in flood hazard areas.

For the full text of the release, please click on the link below:

http://www.state.nj.us/governor/news/news/552013/approved/20130124c.html

Post-Sandy Academic Research Survey

Richard Franks — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 23:21:55 GMT

Professor Ken Mitchell of Rutgers University has asked for help from NJAFM to promote an academic research survey investigating human responses to risk, the results of which could potentially be useful to NJAFM. Please take the time to participate in the survey by clicking on the link below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6HQJVV5

Western Technologies Group Opens Up Floodplain Searches

Craig Wenger — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:48:23 GMT

This link provides access to NJPropertyFax. This product provides free access to Property Information, assessment data, CMA’s and additional insured reports for purchase. All Flood Plain Managers are encouraged to contact Property Fax, LLC directly for additional features and services. (908 725-1143) or email: info@njpropertyfax.com .

This will allow anyone public access to the NJ Property Fax website http://njpropertyfax.com/account/guest_login?mls_search=N

NJAFM in League of Municipalities Magazine

Craig Wenger — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:33:07 GMT

NJAFM continues to be a leader in providing information and advice to the rebuilding effort of sandy: http://www.njslom.org/magazine/2013-01/pg-22.html

Hurricane Sandy Page and ABFE Page are still being updated!

NJAFM Hotline to answer questions in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy

Heidi Hoppe — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 19:24:49 GMT

NJAFM Hotline for local floodplain managers...call 609-203-8935!

Hurricane Sandy Web Page Added to the NJAFM Website

Heidi Hoppe — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 19:23:17 GMT

For more information, visit www.njafm.org

Important Update for Local Floodplain Managers

Craig Wenger — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 20:11:03 GMT

The Office of Management and Budget approved the revised Elevation Certificate and Floodproofing Certificate with a new expiration date of July 31, 2015. The old forms that originally expired March 31, 2012 and were extended to July 31, 2012, may continue to be used until July 31, 2013.

If you have any questions please contact your FEMA Regional Office or ISO/CRS Specialist.

EMI Course: Managing Floodplain Development Through the NFIP

Craig Wenger — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 19:51:19 GMT

E273: Managing Floodplain Development Through the NFIP
FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (EMI)
November 5-8, 2012

There are still seats available for EMI's Fall E273 Managing Floodplain Development Through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) course offering November 5-8, 2012 at the beautiful Emmitsburg, MD campus. If you are a state or local government employee you may attend the training for FREE with all expenses covered except meals (meal tickets approx. $100/week). This 4 day course has been pre-approved for 12 core Continuing Education Credits (CECs) for CFMs.

To Apply
Act quickly - this course is less than one month away! Complete a FEMA Form 119-25-1, General Admissions Application with student signature and signature of supervisor or sponsoring agency official. Submit the application through the State emergency management training office who will fax it to the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) Admissions Office at (301) 447-1658. The need to attend this training must be documented in block 16 of the application.

For more information, go to http://www.training.fema.gov/EMI/ or contact the EMI Admissions Office at 301-447-1035.

Description
This course is designed to provide an organized training opportunity for local officials responsible for administering their local floodplain management ordinance. The course will focus on the NFIP and concepts of floodplain management, maps and studies, ordinance administration, and the relationship between floodplain management and flood insurance.

Continuing Education
12 core CECs for CFMs
3.1 CEUs

Selection Criteria:Local officials responsible for administering local floodplain management ordinances, including but not limited to floodplain management administrators, building inspectors, code enforcement/zoning officers, planners, city/ county managers, attorneys, engineers, and public works officials. Federal/State/regional floodplain managers also are encouraged to attend. The course is designed for those officials with limited floodplain management experience. Attendance will be limited to two participants from any State for each offering. Participants should have less than 3 years of full-time experience in the field of floodplain management.

Required Prerequisites:Participants must have knowledge of computers (basic Windows and spreadsheet programs). Participants must complete the following online tutorials:
1. Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) tutorial at http://www.fema.gov/media/fhm/firm/ot_firm.htm (30 minutes)
2. Federal Insurance Studies (FIS) tutorial at http://www.fema.gov/media/fhm/fis/ot_fis.htm (40 minutes) .

Free Webinar: CRS CREDITS FOR FLOOD WARNING

Craig Wenger — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 15:51:07 GMT

REGISTRATION NOW FREE FOR "CRS CREDITS FOR FLOOD WARNING" WEBINAR!

NHWC-Sponsored Live Broadcast

Rescheduled Date: Tuesday, November 13th

"Revised Credits For Flood Warning In the NFIP Community Rating System"

Al W. Goodman, CFM and Consultant to CRS Task Force

David C. Curtis, NHWC President and Vice President, WEST Consultants, Inc.

IMPORTANT CHANGES TO PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT: In order to make this training opportunity available to the broadest audience of floodplain administrators, Certified Floodplain Managers, and others, the NHWC has decided to drop registration fees. We have also rescheduled the event to allow more time for this revised announcement to be distributed throughout all CRS communities.

PURPOSE: Credits for flood warning will be modified significantly in the upcoming revision of the NFIP Community Rating System Coordinators Manual. Useful information on these revised credits will be presented that could mean big savings for your flood insurance policy holders. Please plan on attending.

START TIME: 11 AM ET / 8 AM PT

DURATION: 1 HOUR

REGISTRATION: FREE (However, participation is limited. So, register soon!)

Certified Floodplain Managers (CFMs) who participate in the webinar will earn one Core Continuing Education Credit (CEC).

INSTRUCTORS:

Mr. Al W. Goodman, Jr., CFM - Principal of AWG Consulting, LLC serves as a Consultant to FEMA’s National Floodplain Insurance Program’s Community Rating System Task Force. Before retiring this past year, Al was the Mississippi NFIP State Coordinator and served as the Chair of the Association of State Floodplain Managers from 2007-2009. Al lives in Brandon, Mississippi.

Dr. David C. Curtis is the current President of the NHWC. Dave is also Vice President of WEST Consultants. For more than three decades, Dave has been involved in the design, development, and implementation of award-winning innovations in more than 50 automated environmental and flood monitoring systems across the US and in eighteen countries abroad. Dave lives in Folsom, California.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The webinar agenda will include:

Background to the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) 600 Series: Warning and Response
Proposed changes to the CRS credits for flood warning & response, levees, and dams
Linkages between floodplain management and emergency management
CASE STUDY - What qualifies a Flood Warning System for earning CRS credits?

Participants will gain knowledge that will increase their ability to help protect people and property from flood hazards. The communities, where participants live and work, will benefit from the added safety and resiliency. These communities will also gain economically as the various activities described in the training are implemented, credits are attained, and flood insurance premiums are reduced.

Click here for more information and online registration.

The National Hydrologic Warning Council (NHWC) mission is to support emergency and floodplain managers, and others in their understanding and use of real-time, quality hydrologic information from automated remote systems for the protection of lives, property, and the environment.

To learn more, or, to join the NHWC, please visit our website www.hydrologicwarning.org.

Wharton's Risk Center's Newsletter - Great insight on flooding

Craig Wenger — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:30:07 GMT

Find their newsletter here: http://opim.wharton.upenn.edu/risk/review/WhartonRiskCenter-newsletter_2012.pdf

Great Article: "We need a regional approach to fight flooding"

Craig Wenger — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 15:50:53 GMT

Check this great article out: http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2012/10/flood_meeting_in_morristown_ca.html

FEMA’s 2012 Community Resilience Innovation Challenge

Heidi Hoppe — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 18:20:25 GMT

FEMA’s 2012 Community Resilience Innovation Challenge

Main Content

National Preparedness Month may be coming to a close, but as emergency managers, we know that preparedness is needed year-round in our communities. We are also keenly aware that a government-centric approach to disaster management is insufficient to meet the challenges posed by a catastrophic incident. To meet our preparedness goals, the whole community must be actively involved in all phases of the preparedness, response, and recovery cycle.

On Thursday Sept. 27, 2012 we announced the start of the application period for the Community Resilience Innovation Challenge Opportunity. This new monetary opportunity is designed to continue to move community preparedness forward and assist local areas in building and revitalizing community-based partnerships to advance the nation’s resilience to disasters. Submissions will be accepted through Oct. 26.

“The best resiliency ideas originate in our states and communities – not from Washington, DC,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “The goal of this program is to empower communities to collaborate and develop innovative ways to effectively respond to disasters.”

Rockefeller Foundation and FEMA sponsor the Community Resilience Innovation Challenge Opportunity, which will be administered by the Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation, a third-party intermediary, to encourage local communities to engage in creative activities that enhance disaster resilience. Funding levels will range, with a maximum award of $35,000, and applications are open to most local, state, and tribal agencies and governments; business entities; associations; organizations and groups.

Help spread the word in your communities and share additional information on the Challenge program criteria and application process that can be found at www.fema.gov and www.ResilienceChallenge.org.

Army Corps releases history booklet on area with ongoing flood risk management work

Heidi Hoppe — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:20:24 GMT

Army Corps releases history booklet on area with ongoing flood risk management work

Posted 9/12/2012

By Chris Gardner

Archaeology and understanding the past are always important parts of any U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project, whether it’s something small or it’s a project as massive as flood risk management project the Corps is undertaking in the Green Brook Sub-Basin in New Jersey.

In that spirit, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released a publication highlighting the history of the Bound Brook area where the flood risk reduction work is ongoing and ranges from building floodwalls, levees, gates and pump stations to raising bridges. The book is entitled “Where the Green Brook Meets the Raritan.”

“We developed the publication as mitigation for the unavoidable impacts to two historic bridges, one that spanned the Green Brook and one over the Raritan River,” said supervisory Archaeologist Lynn Rakos, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District. “Together with the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office we agreed that a publication for public distribution would be a way of sharing with the community the history of that area - where the Green Brook meets the Raritan.”

The history includes not only information on the impacted bridges though, but looks at the project area’s past going all the way back thousands of years to the Sacunk Native American population. This group was a subset of the Delaware, or Lenape, Indians who lived in the region prior to European settlement.

It then looks at the subsequent history of the region and notes interesting sites within it up to present day.

“Throughout the project area as a whole, which is a large area, are a number of interesting sites,” Rakos said. “In Bound Brook there was the 18th century community of Middle Brook where we got to excavate an early 19th century house site and a well that might have been associated with an 18th century stable. In the book are photos of the existing 18th century stone arch bridge which saw action in the Revolutionary War during the Battle Of Bound Brook on the 12th and 13th of April in 1777. The construction project avoided having any impact on this important historic structure.”

The booklet is written and designed to be accessible to the general public and was distributed to various sites in the region.

“Often the work that archaeologists do is written up in what we call the "grey literature" which is put on a shelf in an office and few people ever read about the work except other archaeologists,” Rakos said. “As we are doing work in a community and spending taxpayer dollars on that work we have to include an element of public outreach so that we can inform a greater audience on the history and archaeology that is sometimes quite literally in their backyards.”

The booklet is also available online HERE in both English and Spanish as the last census shows Bound Brook having a 35 percent Hispanic population.

The flood risk management work being undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is ongoing with construction in the Bound Brook portion near completion. Construction work has already begun on flood mitigation elements in the neighboring Boro of Middlesex as part of the massive project that will eventually provide flood risk management benefits to several communities throughout several counties. Click here for more information on the Green Brook flood risk management work.