March 2020

• OCI, DNR Urge Wisconsinites To Consider Flood Insurance After Record Rain And Snow In 2019
• Effects of 2019 Act 175 – enacted March 2020
• Understanding Flood Insurance & Great Lakes High Water
• Great lakes Water Levels – Near or Above Record Highs Prompt Concern Among Wisconsin Residents
• 2020 Wisconsin Disaster Declaration - DR-4477
• Wisconsin Floodplain Management Quickguide is Now Available!
• New FEMA Elevation Certificate Available
• ASFPM Foundation Releases Report on Urban Flooding
• WHAT THE FLOOD!
• Contact Information

OCI, DNR Urge Wisconsinites To Consider Flood Insurance After Record Rain And Snow In 2019

During Flood Insurance Awareness Week the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) urged Wisconsinites to protect their homes and businesses from financial losses due to flooding. “Just one inch of water in a home can cause thousands of dollars in damage. Last year was the wettest on record in Wisconsin," Insurance Commissioner Mark Afable said. “We are encouraging Wisconsin consumers to ...Read more.....

Effects of 2019 Act 175 – enacted March 2020

2019 Act 175, enacted March 2020, relates to the regulation of nonconforming buildings in a floodplain. All federal requirements are unchanged by this Act. However, there is now an exception....Read more.

Understanding Flood Insurance & Great Lakes High Water

Elevated lake levels and wave hazards continue to threaten communities along the Great Lakes. Understanding these risks can help residents make informed decisions about how to ensure their families, homes, businesses, and communities are safer and stronger.

The risk of flooding is .....Read more. 

Great lakes Water Levels – Near or Above Record Highs Prompt Concern Among Wisconsin Residents

What is in store for 2020? Read more.

2020 Wisconsin Disaster Declaration - DR-4477

On March 11, 2020 there was a Presidential Disaster Declaration for Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee Counties.  Read more.

Wisconsin Floodplain Management Quickguide is Now Available!

The Quickguide helps local officials and citizens understand why and how Wisconsin communities, that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), must manage development in floodplains to protect people and property.  Read more.

New FEMA Elevation Certificate Available

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Elevation Certificate (EC) is an administrative tool used by the NFIP.  It is used to provide elevation information necessary to ensure compliance with community floodplain management ordinances; to determine the proper insurance premium rate; or to support a request for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) to remove a building from the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). The December 2019 update of the FEMA Elevation Certificate and instructions are now available (as of 2/21/2020) at the FEMA Elevation Certificate download page. The 2015 Elevation Certificate officially expired 11/30/2018, but its use had been extended until this new updated version was available. The new form appears very similar to the old form. If the DNR Floodplain program staff become aware of significant changes, those will be highlighted in a future issue of Floodplain and Shoreland Management Notes.

ASFPM Foundation Releases Report on Urban Flooding

A must-read practitioners’ perspective on this emerging threat.

Across the United States, urban flooding is becoming more frequent and severe, with increasingly serious impacts to stormwater infrastructure, vulnerable neighborhoods, local and regional economies, and public health. Chronic to extreme, disruptive to catastrophic – urban flooding is rapidly becoming this nation’s number one factor contributing to increased future flood risk. Resilience in the face of this progressively serious problem demands attention and action NOW.  Read more.

WHAT THE FLOOD!

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has a new interactive quiz on flood-related insurance called “WHAT THE FLOOD!” It’s a quick series of questions testing your knowledge. Take the WHAT THE FLOOD! quiz yourself – you may learn a few things!

Contact Information

Find Your Dam Safety/Floodplain Engineer

Click the link above to find the DNR floodplain engineer assigned to your county.

"Floodplain and Shoreland Management Notes" is published by the WDNR, Bureau of Watershed Management. The purpose of the newsletter is to inform local zoning officials and others concerned about state and federal floodplain management, flood insurance, shoreland and wetland management, and dam safety issues. Comments or contributions are welcome. Please send comments to DNRFloodplain@Wisconsin.gov.

This newsletter is supported by funding through the FEMA Cooperative Agreement EMC-2018-CA-00015 as part of the Community Assistance Program-State Support Services Element of the National Flood Insurance Program. The contents do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the federal government.