Step 5: Overview and Next Steps Which of the following statements about your community are true? Reflect back on your answers from prior sections of the self-assessment as you complete this. Remember: you should have all your answers from earlier steps in your email inbox. Our maps do not fully cover and/or accurately show our current or expected future flood hazard risks. Recommendations(check the box below to have this text emailed to you when you submit this form) Better maps mean better land use and public safety decisions. Consider working with FEMA to update flood hazard maps or provide new/additional data. See CRS Activities 410 (Floodplain Mapping) and 440 (Flood Data Maintenance) for additional information. If you know of flood hazards that are not shown on your FIRM, you can get credit in Activity 320 (Map Information Service) for advising inquirers about those hazards. If your community is susceptible to special hazards (e.g., uncertain flow paths/alluvial fans, closed lake basins, ice jams, subsidence, mudflows, coastal erosion, and/or could be impacted by a tsunami), use the "search" function in your PDF viewer to find relevant elements in the Coordinator's Manual Considering the above feedback and your knowledge, what are possible next steps for your community? We have vacant areas or parcels that cannot/will not/should not be developed. Recommendations(check the box below to have this text emailed to you when you submit this form) Empty floodplains are the safest kind of floodplains. Consider preserving land as open space (for example, as a park, or reserve). See CRS Activity 420 OSP (Open Space Preservation). Bonus CRS credit is available if the space is in its natural state: see 420 NFOS (Natural Functions Open Space) and 420 NSP (Natural Shoreline Protection), or if it’s susceptible to special hazards see 420 SHOSP (Special Hazards Open Space). Communities can also be awarded credit for incentives and regulations that protect vacant areas from development (see 420 OSI: Open Space Incentives), including those that require lot sizes of 5 acres or larger (see 420 LZ: Low Density Zoning). Considering the above feedback and your knowledge, what are possible next steps for your community? We have vacant areas that may be developed in the future. Recommendations(check the box below to have this text emailed to you when you submit this form) Carefully regulate growth in these areas. Communities can also be awarded credit for the incentives and regulations that minimize development of vacant floodprone areas, see CRS Activities 420 OSI (Open Space Incentives) and 430 (Higher Regulatory Standards). Additional credit is available for communities that require lot sizes of 5 acres or larger (see 420 LZ: Low Density Zoning). If your community is susceptible to special hazards (e.g., uncertain flow paths/alluvial fans, closed lake basins, ice jams, subsidence, mudflows, coastal erosion, and/or could be impacted by a tsunami), use the "search" function in your PDF viewer to find relevant elements in the Coordinator's Manual Considering the above feedback and your knowledge, what are possible next steps for your community? We have natural features that should be protected from development or areas that perform important natural floodplain functions. Recommendations(check the box below to have this text emailed to you when you submit this form) Development can increase flooding in other areas by inhibiting the natural function of a floodplain. Consider protecting these areas from future development. See CRS Activities 420 NFOS (Natural Functions Open Space) and 420 NSP (Natural Shoreline Protection), or if it’s susceptible to special hazards, see 420 SHOSP (Special Hazards Open Space). Ensure that new development in these areas will not adversely affect water quality (see CRS Activities 450 WQ and 450 ESC). Make sure these areas are recognized and appropriately addressed in your comprehensive floodplain management plan. See CRS Activity 510 FMP (Floodplain Management Plan) and NFP (Natural Floodplain Functions Plan). Identify these areas on a map and advise people about them when they inquire about flood hazards (credited in Activity 320 (Map Information Service)). Educate your residents about the need to protect these areas and receive credit in the 300 series of public information activities. Considering the above feedback and your knowledge, what are possible next steps for your community? Flooding will likely get worse if there is more development in the watersheds that drain to our community. Recommendation(check the box below to have this text emailed to you when you submit this form) Do what you can to make sure future growth doesn’t increase risks to existing development. Consider stormwater management regulations (see CRS Activity 450-SMR) and a watershed master plan (see CRS Activity 450-WMP). Considering the above feedback and your knowledge, what are possible next steps for your community? We are interested in reducing the flood risk to existing development. Recommendations(check the box below to have this text emailed to you when you submit this form) The most effective way to protect development is to get it out of areas that flood: Consider removing structures from risky areas. See CRS Activity 520 (Acquisition and Relocation) for more information. If you can’t (re)move it, consider protecting existing structures from floods. See CRS Activity 530 (Flood Protection) for more information. Protecting and maintaining your drainage systems can help prevent small storms from causing flood damage. See CRS Activity 540 (Drainage System Maintenance). Be prepared to help your citizens recovery quickly from a flood event (and reduce unnecessary post-flood damage) with an outreach project you prepare before the flood hits. See CRS Activity 330 FRP (Flood Response Preparations) for more information. Make sure your population knows that a flood is coming so they can prepare, and a plan for how your community officials can best respond. See CRS Activity 610 (Flood Warning and Response). Tell your residents and businesses about the many ways they can protect themselves from water damage. Projects to do this are credited in Activity 330 (Outreach Projects). Tell your residents and businesses about insuring themselves for financial losses from a flood, credited in Activity 370 (Flood Insurance Promotion). Consider developing a watershed management plan, credited in Activity 450 (Stormwater Management). Considering the above feedback and your knowledge, what are possible next steps for your community? We are interested in managing redevelopment to minimize future flood damage. Recommendations(check the box below to have this text emailed to you when you submit this form) The National Flood Insurance Program requires that participating communities regulate substantial improvement or repairs to substantially damaged buildings. Consider strengthening your regulations by looking at the cumulative value of these structural improvements (see CRS Activity 430 CSI: Cumulative Substantial Impacts), or by lowering the substantial damage/substantial improvement thresholds (see Activity 430 LSI: Lower Substantial Improvements). When a storm hits, you need your critical facilities. Do what you can to make sure they’re operational during an event. See Activity 430 PCF (Protection of Critical Facilities). Be prepared to help your citizens recovery quickly from a flood event (and reduce unnecessary post-flood damage) with an outreach project you prepare before the flood hits. See CRS Activity 330 FRP (Flood Response Preparations) for more information. Make sure your population knows when a flood is imminent so they can prepare, and have a plan for how your community officials can best respond. See CRS Activity 610 (Flood Warning and Response). Considering the above feedback and your knowledge, what are possible next steps for your community? We want to inform our residents about the flood hazard, natural floodplain functions, and how they can protect themselves and their properties. Recommendations(check the box below to have this text emailed to you when you submit this form) Make sure everybody has access to the flood hazard maps and flood information they need. See CRS Activity 320 (Map Information Service). Design a cohesive, effective public information plan to help your citizens understand their flood-related risks and what they can do about them. See CRS Activity 330 PPI (Program for Public Information). Help potential property buyers understand the flood risks associated with the properties they are considering for purchase. See CRS Activity 340 (Hazard Disclosure). Provide more detailed information on what your citizens can do to reduce their flood risks. See CRS Activity 350 (Flood Protection Information). Provide technical assistance to help people protect against flood risk. See CRS Activity 360 (Flood Protection Assistance). Few things are better at helping people and communities recover from an event than flood insurance. Help people learn about it. See CRS Activity 370 (Promotion of Flood Insurance). Considering the above feedback and your knowledge, what are possible next steps for your community? We have critical facilities that could be potentially affected by flooding. Recommendations(check the box below to have this text emailed to you when you submit this form) When possible, consider moving critical facilities to safer areas. See CRS Activity 520 (Acquisition and Relocation). If you can’t move the facilities, protect them where they are. See CRS Activity 530 (Flood Protection). Be sure that the operators and people relying on critical facilities have as much warning time as possible to prepare for a coming flood and a plan for how they will respond to it. See CRS Activity 610 (Flood Warning and Response). Stricter regulations may be the best way to make sure that future critical facilities are designed to be protected against flood risks: See CRS Activity 430 (Higher Regulatory Standards). Considering the above feedback and your knowledge, what are possible next steps for your community? We have developed areas subject to repetitive flooding. Recommendations(check the box below to have this text emailed to you when you submit this form) Take a close look at these areas and develop short plans for reducing the buildings’ exposure to flood damage. See CRS Activity 510 RLAA (Repetitive Loss Area Analysis). Make sure your citizens at risk understand what they can do to reduce their exposure. See CRS Activities 330 (Outreach Projects), 350 (Flood Protection Information), and 360 (Flood Protection Assistance). Include these areas in your regulatory floodplain and regulate future development to protect it from damage. See CRS Activity 410 (Floodplain Mapping). Get your repetitive loss properties out of the floodplain (Activity 520: Acquisition and Relocation), or protect them where they are (Activity 530: Flood Protection). These activities have bonus points for addressing repetitive losses. Be certain that your community has done everything it can to prevent or correct local drainage problems that cause frequent floods. See CRS Activity 540 (Drainage System Maintenance). Considering the above feedback and your knowledge, what are possible next steps for your community? Our citizens would benefit from advance notice that a flood is coming so they can get to a safe area and/or take steps to protect their property. Recommendations(check the box below to have this text emailed to you when you submit this form) Be sure that you have an adequate flood warning system. See CRS Activity 610 (Flood Warning and Response). Disseminate messages year-round about the flood hazard, flood warning signals, evacuation, and flood safety. These messages are credited as outreach projects (OP) under Activity 330 (Outreach Projects). Link your website to stream and other gages that provide real-time flood warning data to the public (credited under Activity 350 (Flood Protection Information), website (WEB)). Prepare outreach projects before flood season that are ready to be delivered during a flood event to inform your citizens about what they should do. See CRS Activity 330 FRP (Flood Response Preparations). Considering the above feedback and your knowledge, what are possible next steps for your community? We have areas subject to coastal flooding and storms. Recommendations(check the box below to have this text emailed to you when you submit this form) Empty floodplains are the safest kind of floodplains. Consider preserving land as open space (for example, as a park, or reserve). See CRS Activity 420 OSP (Open Space Preservation). Bonus CRS credit is available if the space is in its natural state: see 420 NFOS (Natural Functions Open Space) and 420 NSP (Natural Shoreline Protection), or if it’s susceptible to special hazards see 420 SHOSP (Special Hazards Open Space). Building to V Zone standards is one of the best ways to protect coastal structures: consider extending some or all of those regulatory requirements inland to cover your Coastal A Zones, too. See CRS Activity 430 CAZ (Coastal A Zones). While the NFIP allows enclosed areas under the first floor for certain purposes, they lead to numerous problems. Consider prohibiting them entirely (see Activity 430 ENL: Enclosure Limits). Make sure your maps are accurate; improve them with better data if necessary. See CRS Activity 410 (Floodplain Mapping). Make sure your citizens understand the true risks of living in areas susceptible to coastal storms. See CRS Activity 330 (Outreach Projects). Considering the above feedback and your knowledge, what are possible next steps for your community? We have areas that would flood if a levee failed or was overtopped. Recommendations(check the box below to have this text emailed to you when you submit this form) Make sure your levees are properly maintained and monitored, and that you have a way to know when they are at imminent risk of failing. Have a detailed plan for what to do if they do fail (including specific plans for your critical facilities). See CRS Activity 620 (Levees). Levees are notorious for giving people a false sense of security. Be sure your citizens living behind levees understand their true risks. See CRS Activity 330 (Outreach Projects). Considering the above feedback and your knowledge, what are possible next steps for your community? We have areas subject to flooding if a dam failed. Recommendations(check the box below to have this text emailed to you when you submit this form) Talk to your state’s dam safety office to find out the extent of the potential flood threat and what they can do to help you prepare. Make sure your dams are properly maintained and monitored, and that you have a way to know that they are at imminent risk of failing. Have a detailed plan for what to do if they do fail (including specific plans for your critical facilities). See CRS Activity 620 (Dams). Dams rarely fail, but when they do, the results can be catastrophic. Be sure your citizens living in areas that could be flooded after a dam failure understand their true risks. See CRS Activity 330 (Outreach Projects). Considering the above feedback and your knowledge, what are possible next steps for your community? We have areas subject to special-flood related hazards (e.g., uncertain flow paths/alluvial fans, closed lake basins, ice jams, subsidence, mudflows, coastal erosion, or tsunamis). Recommendations(check the box below to have this text emailed to you when you submit this form) If your community is susceptible to special hazards (e.g., uncertain flow paths/alluvial fans, closed lake basins, ice jams, subsidence, mudflows, coastal erosion, and/or could be impacted by a tsunami), use the "search" function in your PDF viewer to find relevant elements in the Coordinator's Manual Help your citizens understand their real risks and what they can do about them. See CRS Activity 330 (Outreach Projects). Considering the above feedback and your knowledge, what are possible next steps for your community?Given all of your answers above and those from prior sections, what are some first steps you can take to improve the management of your community's floodplain?Your email address* CommentsThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.