FEMA Flood Insurance Campaign Launched in Wisconsin
It is the one-year anniversary of the 2018 Wisconsin flood, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) are urging residents to invest in a flood insurance policy so that individuals and communities can recover faster and more fully after the next flood. FEMA is currently running radio and digital media campaigns in southwest Wisconsin through September 2019.
No home is completely safe from potential flooding and the effects can be emotionally and financially devastating. Just one inch of water in a home can cost more than $25,000 in damage—why risk it? Without flood insurance, most residents would have to have to pay out of pocket or take out loans to repair and replace damaged items.
Flood insurance can make the difference for a faster and more full recovery.
To learn more about flood insurance go to the FEMA Floodsmart website or the Wisconsin DNR Flood insurance webpage.
Critical Facilities and Higher Floodplain Management Standards
Critical facilities can be a lifeline to citizens of a community. Examples of critical facilities are emergency medical services, police stations, fire stations, medical facilities, schools and day care centers, power generating stations and other public utility facilities, critical vehicle and equipment storage facilities, and emergency operations centers. A slight chance of flooding can pose a threat to the ability of critical facilities to deliver services. Fire prevention, evacuation, and rescue operations are common emergency response activities associated with flooding. The effectiveness and success of these efforts depend on readily available access for emergency vehicles. However, streets and roads are usually the first to be inundated in the event of a flood.
Special floodplain management planning and higher regulatory standards should be considered when a community is planning to establish locations for critical facilities. If at all possible, critical facilities should be located outside all high-risk flood hazard areas. Some communities do not permit critical or hazardous facilities or uses within the entire Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA, or 1-percent-annual-chance flood hazard area), or the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood hazard area. If a critical facility must be located in a high-risk flood hazard area, it should be designed to higher protection standards and have flood evacuation plans.
To ensure vehicle access, some communities require all roads and other access to critical facilities be elevated to or above the base flood elevation (BFE), which is the elevation of the 1-percent-annual-chance event. Some require elevation of access routes to 1 foot or more above the BFE so fire and rescue equipment can travel safely during floods.
By building or creating robust critical facilities that remain operational during and after a disaster, people’s lives and the community’s vitality can be better preserved and protected.
If you have any questions regarding floodplain management, please contact Michelle Staff, DNR floodplain policy coordinator, at DNRFLOODPLAIN@Wisconsin.gov.
Wisconsin’s Hazard Mitigation Goals
Millions of dollars are spent each year on disaster response and recovery. By undertaking hazard mitigation – activities which will reduce the impact of future disasters – state and local governments and tribal organizations can reduce these costs and minimize the impacts of potentially disastrous events. Hazard mitigation encourages the development of disaster resilient communities.
Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) is the lead agency for the hazard mitigation program in Wisconsin, and the developer of the State of Wisconsin Hazard Mitigation Plan. The purpose of the original plan was to identify Wisconsin’s major hazards, assess the risk and vulnerability of the state to those hazards, and recommend actions to reduce vulnerability using the technical and programmatic resources of Wisconsin state agencies. Ultimately, the plan strives to help protect the health, safety, property, environment, and economy of Wisconsin from the effects of natural hazards. In the five-year plan update, all sections of the plan were reviewed and revised, and include updated data and demographics (where applicable), risk assessments, mitigation goals, strategies, action items, and other pertinent information.
The updated State of Wisconsin Hazard Mitigation Plan (2016) established 5 key goals to serve as the foundation for the state mitigation strategy:
1. Minimize human, economic and environmental disruption and reduce the potential for injury and loss of life from natural hazards, technological and manmade hazards.
2. Enhance public education about disaster preparedness and resilience, and expand public awareness of natural hazards, technological and manmade hazards.
3. Encourage and promote continued comprehensive hazard mitigation planning and implementation of the plan.
4. Support coordination and collaboration among federal, state, and local authorities, and non-governmental organizations regarding hazard mitigation activities.
5. Improve the disaster resistance of buildings, structures, and infrastructure whether new construction, expansion or renovation.
Fording Flood Waters Forum , Green Bay, WI
Congressman Mike Gallagher held a ‘Fording Flood Waters’ forum to start a conversation about flood concerns in our communities. Presentations were given by governmental agencies and non-profit organizations such as FEMA, Wisconsin Emergency Management, Department of Natural Resources, NOAA, National Weather Service, Wisconsin Wetlands Association, Association of State Floodplain Managers and UW Sea Grant. Topics presented ranged from weather trends and impacts, recent floods and associated economic repercussions, flood risk mapping, identifying flood risks, communities building flood resiliency, flood insurance and much more.
During the Forum, Rep. Gallagher (8th District of Wisconsin) presented a plaque to Steven Grenier, Director of Public Works, Green Bay, WI (Photo above). The City of Green Bay received a Community Rating System (CRS) plaque in honor of the community moving from a CRS Class 7 to CRS Class 6. As a result of the class difference, citizens now will receive a 20% reduction in their flood insurance premiums.
The objective of the Community Rating System (CRS) is to recognize communities that are doing more than meeting the minimum NFIP requirements to help citizens prevent or reduce flood losses. The three goals of the CRS are: 1. reducing flood damage to insurable property; 2. strengthening and supporting the insurance aspects of the NFIP and 3. encouraging a comprehensive approach to floodplain management. The CRS provides an incentive for communities to initiate new flood risk reduction activities in exchange for discounted flood insurance premium rates.
The CRS uses a Class rating system to determine flood insurance premium reductions for residents. CRS Classes are rated from 9 to 1. Today, most communities enter the program at a CRS Class 9 or Class 8 rating, which entitles residents in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) to a 5 percent discount on their flood insurance premiums for a Class 9 or a 10 percent discount for Class 8. As a community engages in additional mitigation activities, its residents become eligible for increased National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy premium discounts. Each CRS Class improvement produces a 5 percent greater discount on flood insurance premiums for properties in the SFHA.
If your community is interested in joining the CRS program, contact Michelle Staff, State NFIP Coordinator, at DNRFLOODPLAIN@wisconsin.gov