15th Anniversary of 2008 Flooding in Indiana
By Doug Wagner, Division of Water
Looking back to 2008, Indiana had many widespread and damaging floods across the state. In our next issue we will celebrate the communities that learned from those events and have become more flood resilient. Maybe your community did structure buyouts or required homes to in flood-prone areas to be elevated. These are just a couple of possible mitigation actions that make communities more resilient, reducing the local costs of future flooding.
You can share by submitting your notes, writing an article, or just talking about your experiences. Remember to add photos if you have them. Along with any photos submitted we will need consent of the photo owner to be able to use them.
If you or your community would like to share your stories about the flooding in 2008, please contact Doug Wagner at dwagner1@dnr.IN.gov or 317-232-4178.
 Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage
By Doug Wagner, Division of Water
Floodplain administrators who review building plans and permit applications, as required for communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), must understand what is meant by “substantial improvement and substantial damage”. The Indiana model floodplain ordinance defines the terms as follows:
Substantial damage means damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its before damaged condition would equal or exceed 50% of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.
Substantial improvement means any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the structure before the "start of construction" of the improvement. This term includes structures that have incurred “repetitive loss” or “substantial damage" regardless of the actual repair work performed. The term does not include improvements of structures to correct existing violations of state or local health, sanitary, or safety code requirements.
Floodplain administrators should remember that some communities have adopted a more restrictive standard than the 50% (NFIP requirement used in the Indiana model) for SI/SD determinations. These calculations must be completed with any application for improvements or repairs for properties located in a special flood hazard area. The italicized text in the definition above is optional but must be included in ordinances of communities that chose to adopt higher standards for repetitive loss structures. The links provided offer further discussion and guidance on SI/SD.
https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_nfip_substantial-improvement-substantial-damage-desk-reference.pdf FEMA P-758 Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage Desk Reference
https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/fema_p213_08232018.pdf FEMA 213 Answers to questions about Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage.
Association of State Floodplain Managers 2023 Conference
By Doug Wagner, Division of Water
The Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) will hold its 47th annual conference May 7–11 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The conference brings together nearly 2,000 flood risk management professionals from across the country. It’s considered the world’s largest and most comprehensive floodplain management conference, and this year’s theme is Floodplain Management from Appalachia to the Atlantic.
Once again, the conference is available both in-person and virtually. The virtual conference may allow local communities to attend that may not have the resources to attend in-person by removing the cost of hotel, airfare, etc. With either registration, attendees are provided access to all the conference sessions after the conference. This allows them to go back and view sessions they may have missed or wanted to attend during the event but were unable to.
This conference is dedicated to all aspects of flooding and floodplain management. It will include sessions on Coastal Issues, Dams & Levees, Mapping, Mitigation, Modeling, Natural & Beneficial Functions, NFIP, Post-Disaster, Risk Communication, Social Justice, and Stormwater & Urban Flooding.
To see complete details on the conference or to register, go to the ASFPM conference page https://www.floods.org/conference/2023-asfpm-conference/
About ASFPM
Founded in 1977, the ASFPM is a scientific and educational nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing flood loss in the nation. ASFPM and its 38 chapters represent approximately 20,000 state and local officials as well as other professionals engaged in all aspects of floodplain management and flood hazard mitigation, including management of local floodplain ordinances, flood risk mapping, engineering, planning, community development, hydrology, forecasting, emergency response, water resources development, and flood insurance. Visit floods.org to learn more.
Division of Water General Licenses and Exemption Webpage Updated
By Division of Water Staff
The Division of Water recently updated our webpage for general licenses and exemptions. View the updated website.
The DNR Division of Water is charged with overseeing several water-related state statutes, including the Flood Control Act (IC 14-28-1), the Lake Preservation Act (IC 14-26-2), the Navigable Waterways Act (IC 14-29-1), and others (see the statutes and rules page for a complete list).
While most projects under the purview of the division require a formal permit from our office, there are some projects that may not require a permit. Specific exemptions and general licenses exist for certain projects, and if a project meets the requirements of the general license or exemption, then a formal permit is not required. Many general licenses and exemptions can proceed without coordination with the division or written documentation; however, some specify that written notice or other coordination is needed. For specific details, please visit the webpage.
Many general license and exemption criteria have been misunderstood in the past. If challenged, it will be the responsibility of the person claiming the exemption or using the general license to prove that the criteria have been met and that the project is compliant. It is strongly recommended that property owners and/or contractors maintain documentation and records to show how the project meets the criteria for the exemption or general license.
Even if a project qualifies for an exemption or general license from the Division of Water, you may still be required to obtain a permit from other local, state, and/or federal entities. Some agencies to contact include the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and your local floodplain administrator and/or planning office.
Projects that do not meet the exemption or general license criteria will need to receive a permit from the division prior to the start of construction. More information about the permitting process and a link to the application form can be found on the Permit Programs page.
Contact our office at water_inquiry@dnr.IN.gov or toll-free at 877-928-3755, option 1, if you have questions about whether a project requires a permit from our office.
Reduce Flood Risk Interactive Website
 In the roughly nine months since the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) launched the Reduce Flood Risk flood mitigation resource, the United States has endured a number of significant, large-scale flood events from coast to coast and various communities in between.
With an increasing number of major flood events dominating the headlines, it’s easy for homeowners to get overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem and think there is nothing they can do to protect themselves. It’s one of the reasons ASFPM created ReduceFloodRisk.org, an interactive website that aims to demystify flood mitigation for the general public so they can understand their flood risk and make informed decisions about the specific steps they can take to better protect their most valuable assets.
As you begin preparing your outreach campaigns in advance of spring flooding, consider making Reduce Flood Risk a part of your efforts. ASFPM put together a complete toolkit that can be used to amplify your efforts to raise awareness of flood mitigation options in your community. In it you will find:
ASFPM recommends bookmarking the entire toolkit so you’ll always have easy access to new resources as they become available at: ReduceFloodRisk.org/faq/outreach-toolkit.
How it works
To get started, individuals simply go to ReduceFloodRisk.org, answer a series of five simple questions, and receive a detailed list of mitigation options recommended to reduce flood risk for their specific property type. The curated results can be filtered and sorted by key attributes, such as cost, complexity, and level of required maintenance.
In addition to its decision-support engine, Reduce Flood Risk features a variety of resources to help property owners and renters better understand flood risk, flood insurance, financial assistance options, and whom to contact with any questions they have about flood mitigation. Use of the site is free, and users do not need to create an account to gain access to the resources.
Feedback wanted
New resources and features will be added later this year based on feedback received. If you have any suggestions for how the site could be improved for you and your community, contact Jenna Moran at jenna@floods.org.
Upcoming Training Opportunities
Upcoming Training Opportunities
(Information from FEMA, ASFPM, and other websites)
Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM)
ASFPM has an online training program, and new training is added regularly. See floods.org/training-knowledge-center/ for more information. ASFPM is holding its annual conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, May 7-11. Attendees who are Certified Floodplain Managers can earn up to 12 CECs. With more than 1,200 attendees expected, more than 240 concurrent sessions, several plenary sessions, and workshop opportunities, this event is a great opportunity for networking and education. More information on the conference is available on ASFPM’s website, https://www.floods.org/conference/2023-asfpm-conference/
FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI)
In-person classes are resuming at EMI after most were canceled or held virtually last year. EMI still offers many courses through webinar training. Currently, E0273: Managing Floodplain Development through the NFIP, is scheduled for May and August. For additional information on EMI classes and webinars, please visit EMI’s training calendar website at training.fema.gov/emicourses/schedules.aspx and its course catalog at firstrespondertraining.gov/frt/npccatalog/EMI.
FEMA Region 5 announces continued training opportunities
FEMA Region 5 is conducting regular webinars on various topics such as floodplain management, flood insurance, and National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements to educate and train community officials on managing their community’s floodplains. Each webinar lasts an hour, and one ASFPM CFM CEC is available by attending a session. The virtual webinar is open to all; however, local and county officials working in emergency management, building code administration, and floodplain management are strongly encouraged to attend. The webinar is presented by FEMA Region 5’s Mitigation Division, Floodplain Management and Insurance Branch.
For more information on the series or to register, see dnr.IN.gov/water/events-and-training.
STATE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
The New Administrators Workshop will be held as a three-part series throughout March with all parts combined as an in-person event at the state government center on March 28. For more information on the sessions or to register, see dnr.IN.gov/water/events-and-training
For other upcoming events and training hosted by the DNR Division of Water, check dnr.IN.gov/water/events-and-training. We will post training videos and other opportunities as they are developed or scheduled.
Indiana Department of Homeland Security
Please visit the Indiana Department of Homeland Security’s training calendar for upcoming courses and trainings at oas.dhs.IN.gov/hs/training/public/calendar.do.
Certification
The Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) exam is now digital and may be taken at your convenience at a Meazure Learning (formerly Scantron) test site or from your home or office. For information on the exam or to register visit ASFPM’s website, https://www.floods.org/certification-program-cfm/
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THANK YOU
Thanks to those contributing to this issue: Dave Knipe, Jennifer Ware, Anita Nance, Darren Pearson, Alysson Oliger, Marty Benson, Don Kaczorowski, and Ed Reynolds.
Editor – Doug Wagner
The work that provides the basis for this newsletter was supported by funding under a cooperative agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in the publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the federal government.
Waterlines is produced quarterly as a public service by the DNR Division of Water.
Waterlines is available on the Web at dnr.IN.gov/water/publications/waterlines-newsletter/.
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