June 2020

• Introduction to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
• Recent ASFPM Reports Address Flood Mapping, Urban Flooding, and Flood Risk Management for Elected Officials
• Urban Flooding is Increasing
• Should I Sign This LOMR-F Community Acknowledgement Form?
• BE FLOOD READY
• MEET OUR NEW DNR DAM SAFETY/FLOODPLAIN STAFF
• Training Opportunities
• Contact Information

Introduction to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)

FEMA programs like the NFIP help communities and property owners better understand their flood risk and how risk can change. Flooding can happen anywhere, and in Houston in 2017, it didn’t just happen in high-risk areas, it happened in a lot of lower-risk areas too. By using flood risk data and maps, communities can decide how to reduce risk in ways that work best for them.

Learn more about the National Flood Insurance Program.

Recent ASFPM Reports Address Flood Mapping, Urban Flooding, and Flood Risk Management for Elected Officials

Since 1969, the US has invested $6.6 billion ($10.6 billion in 2019 dollars) in flood hazard mapping, resulting in nearly $22 billion in losses avoided. But we are far from completing the job, as only 1/3 of the nation's streams have currently been mapped.

In the Flood Mapping for the Nation report, ASFPM estimates the cost to complete flood mapping in the US at $3.2 billion to $11.8 billion.

No.floods.org/MapTheNation

Urban Flooding is Increasing

Many sources contribute to Urban Flooding. These can be heavy rainfall, inadequate stormwater systems and complex urban environments that impede flow. In 2016, the Center for Disaster Resilience at the University of Maryland and Center for Texas Beaches and Shores at Texas A&M University, Galveston Campus initiated a joint study to identify the principal causes of flooding, determine the extent and consequences of urban flooding in the United States, and explore what actions might be taken to mitigate this flooding in the future.  Read more..

Should I Sign This LOMR-F Community Acknowledgement Form?

Imagine that you are a local floodplain manager and a resident contacts you and says they are applying to FEMA for a Letter of Map Revision based on Fill (LOMR-F).  The landowner placed fill around the foundation and has a survey that shows that the lowest adjacent grade (LAG) – or the lowest ground touching the building – is above the base flood elevation (BFE).  To complete their LOMR-F application, they need to have someone from the city sign the “Community Acknowledgement Form.” You check your records and see that house has a basement. You ask if they filled in the basement, and they say “no.” What do you tell them? Read more.....

BE FLOOD READY

The National Weather Service (NWS) has forecasted that the State of Wisconsin will see above average precipitation over the next 3-months (May – July 2020). These conditions would continue the trend in recent years of wetter than normal conditions in the State of Wisconsin. Many river gauges throughout Wisconsin, especially in the southwest region of the state, are forecasted to have a 25% chance or greater of long-range flood risk.

Great Lakes water levels have been on an upward trend.  Read more.....

MEET OUR NEW DNR DAM SAFETY/FLOODPLAIN STAFF

The DNR Dam Safety/Floodplain Management Program is pleased to announce that five regional water management engineers (WMEs) joined our team this spring! They will be based out of these DNR service centers:  

Forrest Van Asten - Rhinelander
Megan Duffy - La Crosse
Hannah Johnson - Wiscosnin Rapids
Uriah Monday - Fitchburg
Mike Stone - FitchburgForrest Van Asten - Rhinelander

Regional WMEs are your local contacts for technical questions on dams and floodplain studies. These staff also assist with floodplain management. A complete list of the WMEs by county, including telephone numbers, email addresses and mailing addresses is available on the Dam Safety web page.

Read more about each engineer....

Forrest Van Asten, Water Management Engineer, Rhinelander, WI

Megan Duffy, Water Management Engineer, La Crosse, WI

Hanna Johnson, Water Management Engineer, Wisconsin Rapids, WI

Uriah Monday, Water Management Engineer, Fitchburg, WI

Mike Stone, Water Management Engineer, Fitchburg, WI

Training Opportunities

Save the Date!!!! October 21 – 22, 2020 The 18th Annual WAFSCM Conference will be virtual this year! More details to follow in the upcoming months! Visit https://wafscm.org/ for more information.

University of Wisconsin- Center for Land Use Education Launches Zoning Training Website

Is your town, village, city or county challenged to work in an increasingly remote environment?  Do you have newly appointed or veteran officials looking to enhance their skills and capacity?

The Center for Land Use Education has officially launched the Land Use Training & Resources website hosting a growing collection of Wisconsin communities utilizing digital tools to enhance government communication and deliver online services. 

This site also offers online educational modules designed for plan commission and zoning board members to learn about their roles in community planning and land use regulation, as workshops are currently cancelled.

Visit the website to explore how we can help you move into a digital future.

Land Use Training & Resources is a project of the Center for Land Use Education working collaboratively with the University of Wisconsin.

Contact Information

Find Your Dam Safety/Floodplain Engineer

"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.