Upcoming Online Trainings for November

From our FEMA Region 1 Service Center contact, Alex Sirotek:

I’d like to present the upcoming free, online trainings available through STARR. These trainings cover a variety of topics, from the NFIP basics through specifics of elevation certificates, and are presented by STARR staff, FEMA, and State organizations. Many of the courses are eligible for CEC credits for Certified Floodplain Managers.

Please feel free to register for any courses you are interested in attending, and invite or pass information on these courses on to potentially interested communities or organizations in your states. Also, if you are interested in using this online platform for any trainings that your state would like to present, STARR can support you in that effort. Please let me know if you’d like additional information on hosting online trainings.

To register for a course or to check on upcoming courses, navigate to https://atkinsglobalna.webex.com/mw0401l/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=atkinsglobalna&service=7 and click the “Upcoming” tab. Below are the courses offered in November:

November 6, 1:00 pm Eastern – Floodplain Development Permit Review

This 90-minute session will highlight eight basic steps to reviewing development inside the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). This is beginner training, recommended for those new to the role of floodplain administrator. 1 CEC for ASFPM Certified Floodplain Managers.

November 7, 1:00 pm Eastern – Inspecting Floodplain Development

This beginner two-hour session will highlight special considerations for plan reviewers and building inspectors when evaluating and inspecting development inside the Special Flood Hazard Area, including basic concepts and terminology, minimum construction standards (from the IBC/IRC), and conducting inspections. 2 CECs for ASFPM Certified Floodplain Managers.

November 20, 1:00 pm Eastern – Determining Base Flood Elevation

Training on methods for determining base flood elevation in AE and A Zones using the FIRM/FIS and other resources, including tips for developing BFEs for A Zones. 1 CEC for CFMs.

November 20, 3:00 pm Eastern – Substantial Damage Estimation

After a large-scale hazard event, structures must be evaluated for substantial damage. When a structure is deemed substantially damaged, specific flood hazard reduction regulations become effective. This one-hour session will walk the attendee through the basics of Substantial Damage Estimation, including downloading and installing the program and gathering and inputting data to assist with the substantial damage estimation process for larger scale events. 1 CEC for CFMs.

November 21, 12:00 pm Eastern – Elevation Certificates

Training on the proper way to complete FEMA Form 81-31 and best practices for using the Elevation Certificate in the floodplain development review process. 2 CECs for ASFPM Certified Floodplain Managers (CFMs) that register and attend individually and pass the learning objectives quiz at the end of the session.

In addition, here is a summary of courses currently scheduled in December. Additional courses may be added, so check https://atkinsglobalna.webex.com/mw0401l/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=atkinsglobalna&service=7 for the current list:

Dec 4, 2013, 12:00 PM Eastern- Floodplain Development Permit Review Dec 5, 2013, 1:00 PM Eastern - Inspecting Floodplain Development

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you!

Alex

Alex Sirotek, CFM
STARR
FEMA Region 1 Regional Service Center
99 High Street, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02110
617-574-4402

Property-Owner's Guide to Rebuilding for Flood Resilience workshop

Here is an opportunity that we wanted to pass along.  It is a evening and following full day event in November that is targeted to individual property owners who are looking to get ideas and discuss flood resistant reconstruction techniques.  The intent of this workshop is to incorporate many different topics that can help a homeowner rebuilding after a flood, such as energy efficiency, historic preservation, stormwater management and landscape design.  Registration and additional information can be found at the website listed at the bottom of the post.

DON'T MISS the Property-owners' Guide to Rebuilding for Flood Resilience: a DESIGN CHARETTE to Generate Ideas for Adapting Flood Resistant Reconstruction Techniques to Our Climate and Culture

Integrating Practical Ideas for Flood Hazard Mitigation with Landscape Design, Energy Efficiency, Stormwater Management and Historic Preservation

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 7^TH from 6:30PM – 8:30PM

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 8^TH from 8:30AM – 3:00PM, luncheon provided

REGISTER NOW:

 https://rebuilding-for-flood-resilience.eventbrite.com

 

Interview about Post-Flood Recovery with President Clinton & Gov. Chris Christy - Clinton Global Initiative

A few days ago, I had been sent a link to a video from the Clinton Global Initiative of President Clinton's interview with NJ Governor Chris Christie about post-Sandy flood recovery.  Although this discussion is focused on the recovery of New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy, President Clinton and Governor Christie use it as a way to more broadly discuss the topics of flooding, community planning, mitigation, recovery and the structure of flood insurance in the United States.

You may or may not agree with all approaches or ideas that are presented here (should we be spending billions of dollars on sand dune "re-nourishment" projects that will only last for a short number of years?), but I thought the discussion may help to spark some ideas or questions of your own.  It seems like it is quite a rare interview that has two influential high level policy makers (current and former) in an in-depth and frank discussion about mitigation and recovery.

Some of the highlights of their discussion includes:

• Purchase of flood damaged homes and approach taken by the State of NJ;
• How the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) can be re-organized or should flood insurance in the US be completely re-thought;
• Some discussion on the role of the state in the recovery effort;
• Why does Nebraska care about flooding in NJ?; and
• Should another Federal agency be tasked with the role of flood policy, preparedness, planning and mitigation and let FEMA return to an emergency management agency?

You can link to the full 45 minute interview on C-Span's video library here. 

Help with Community Substantial Damage Determinations After Flooding

As everyone living in the Northeast US already knows, it has been quite a rainy 2 months.  Although the Old Farmer's Almanac had predicted a hot and dry summer for most of the Vermont region, the rainfall that we have been seeing since the middle of May has been breaking many records in the Burlington area.  It seems like there have been very few days where there hasn't been hot and humid temperatures with at least some thunderstorm or rain.  In the past few days, however, many of the damages resulting from the frequent thunderstorms and rainfall does not appear to be limited to just road and culvert washouts and some wet basements.  There have been several reports of communities where homes are starting to become inundated because rivers are running consistently high and the floodplain is the only place left for water to flow. 

If you are a community employee or volunteer, your community participates in FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program and some of the homes that are located in the FEMA mapped floodplain (called the Special Flood Hazard Area, or SFHA) have flooded in the past two months, we want to make you aware of Substantial Damage determinations.  Part of the flood hazard area regulations that your community has adopted includes language about Substantial Improvements in the development standards.  What many people are not as aware of is that the language around Substantial Improvements also includes the term Substantial Damage. It is the community's responsibility to make a determination about whether a building has been Substantially Damaged and there are a few different ways to go about this process.

Many zoning or flood administrators became familiar with this term after Irene if there were damages to homes and other structures in the community.  However, for those of you not familiar with Substantial Damage, it means "damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its before-damaged conditions would equal or exceed 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred." (emphasis added).  The key things to notice is that the damage can occur from any origin, which can include fire, wind, waves, etc., and that the damage is compared to the pre-damaged value & condition, not compared to the condition that the owner will restore the building to after making repairs.  Once a person who's structure is located in a SFHA has been damaged, any permanent repairs need to be done in compliance with your municipal flood hazard bylaws.  A person whose building has been substantially damaged will most likely need follow the guidelines for substantial improvement when rebuilding their home, business or other structure. 

VTDEC has a website that was put up in the aftermath of the Lake Champlain flooding and Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 that provides additional information about Substantial Damage determinations and flood recovery.  This site contains links to a few documents that may be helpful while you and your community are trying to figure out what work will need to get done after the flood waters recede.  As always, your regional floodplain manager is available to assist you with substantial damage issues, reviewing repairs and applications, etc.  To find out who your regional floodplain is, you can view our Floodplain Manager Regions map here.  Others that may be helpful to you would be a Certified Floodplain Managers (CFM) in your area or another Zoning Administrator that may have had to deal with many damaged buildings in the aftermath of the 2011 Lake Champlain Flooding or Tropical Storm Irene.