Transcript South Carolina Association of Hazard Mitigation Annual

ASFPM BOARD RETREAT
Feb 21, 2012
Larry Larson P. E. , CFM
Executive Director, ASFPM
www.floods.org
National Flood Policy-Levees
• National Levee Infrastructure and
Floodplain and Flood Risk Management
– History of programs
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National Flood Policy-Levees
• 1849-50—Swamp Acts—transferred
swamp land to states if sold to build levees
• 1874—Mississippi Flooding
– Congress funded Corps Study that found
Flood control efforts uncoordinated
• 1879—Miss River Commission—charge:
– Establish FC system that would be most
effective for navigation
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Levee Policy/Programs--USACE
• 1917 Flood Control Act—First FCA
– Est. Fed interest in Miss and Sacramento
– Cost share of 2:1 Fed/non-fed
• 1927 Rivers and Harbors Act
Corps to survey nations navigable streams—
308 reports--which became planning docs
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Levee Policy/Programs--USACE
• 1928 FCA
– Expanded Miss authority to include floodways,
spillways and channel improvements (this lead
to the Miss. River and Tributaries [MR&T]
Project you see today
– Removed cooperation requirements from
some residents in lower Miss
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Levee Policy/Programs--USACE
• 1936 FCA
– FC proper activity of feds—in coop with
state and local gov’t
– No fed participation if benefits did not exceed
costs
– Authorized $320 Million for 200 FC projects
• 1941 FCA
– Provided first authority for USACE to conduct
rescue and repair for FC works threatened or
damaged by floods
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Levee Policy/Programs--USACE
• Emergency FCA of 1955
-This is PL 84-99, which provides that federal
taxpayers pay for damages to non-fed levees
post disaster—and allows emergency action
pre-D that allows levees to be built without
review or analysis of impacts
-expanded to all natural hazards in 1990
• WRDA 1986
– Established cost sharing by non-feds
– (65/35) for levees, 50/50 beaches, etc
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Levee Policy/Programs--USACE
• Inspection of Completed Works (ICW) and
Rehab and Inspection Program (RIP)
• RIP allows levee into PL 84-99 if pass,
and periodic inspections continue (5 Yrs)
– Results of inspections provided to sponsor
with instructions of actions needed to ensure
continued participation in RIP—seldom kicked
anyone out of RIP
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Levee Policy/Programs--USACE
• Continuing Authorities Programs (CAP)
– Sect 205; small projects $7 M cap
– Emerg stream bank-erosion: $1.5 M cap
– Sect 206; Aquatic ecosystem restoration-$5M
– Sect 1135; Modifications of existing project to
improve environment--$5 M cap
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Levee Policy/Programs--USACE
• Floodplain Mgt services-FPMS (1960) s206
– First Non-structural in Corps—White—Goddard
– Adjust human occupancy of floodplains
– Wise use of lands in FP
– Broad range of technical assistance (Eng./Plg)
• Planning Assistance to States (PAS) 1974
– Assist non-feds with water planning (s 22)
– $2 M/state w/ 50/50 cost share—
– Funds USACE staff to do the work
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Levee Policy/Programs--USACE
• National Levee Database ($30M in 2005)
– 2,000 miles of Corps levees
– 12,000 miles of non-fed in RIP
– Guess is 100,000 miles of levees unknown
• National Levee Safety Act (2007)
• NCLS report to Congress
– No action to date—lots of discussion—there is
draft legislation—ASFPM weighed in
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National Levee Policy/Programs
• Added Federal Programs for Levees
– FEMA—Mapping/Regs/Insurance
• NFIP—if levee accredited for 100 year protection,
not mapped as SFHA-is a shaded x zone (now)
• no flood insurance or regulation required in
residual risk area behind levee
• FEMA Disaster Relief program
– Pays for damages when levee fails/overtops
• To property/infra in Residual Risk (RR) area
• For emergency measures during flood
• To repair levee after flood
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National Levee Policy/Programs
• FEMA Disaster program
– HMGP—Post-D mitigation funding for building
damaged when levee fails/overtops
• HUD
– CDBG often used to rebuild levees or dams
after failure or damage in flood event
• SBA, DOT, NRCS, DOI, all bring money
and assistance when levee fails
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Cycle of Increasing Risks
Structure to
Control
Floods
Development
at Risk
More
Development
Placed at Risk
Cycle of
Increasing Risk
Changes in the
Watershed
Structure
Rendered
Inadequate
• Deterioration
• Maintenance Issues
• Loss of natural functions & services
• Increased runoff
• Changing climate
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Average Annual Flood Damages
• $6 billion annually
• Four-fold increase
from early 1900s
• Per capita damages
increased by more
than a factor of 2.5
in the previous
century
in real dollar terms
• And then there was
Katrina, Rita, Wilma
Average Annual Flood Damages
0
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
2
4
1990s
10
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$2.0
$2.9
$2.4
$3.4
$2.2
1970s
1980s
8
$2.2
1950s
1960s
6
$4.9
$3.3
$5.6
2000s
$10.0
Billions (adjusted to 1999 dollars)
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National Flood Policy
• 1939—Gilbert F. White
• National flood policy is essentially one of:
– Protecting the occupants of the floodplain
against the flood
– Aiding them when they suffer flood losses,
– Encourage more intensive use of floodplains
• HAVE WE PROGRESSED BY 2012?
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Flood Risk Management
• Structural Approaches (e.g. levees)
– Probability: reduced or stays the same?
– Consequences: dramatically increase typically
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Flood Risk Management
• Risk= (P)probability x (C)consequences
• Structural measures reduce P, but do
nothing to reduce C
• Federal money is used for levees and
dams (build, rebuild, pay damages), all
without conditions that locals will limit the
consequences so risk does not increase
• Who can reduce risk?
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BUYING DOWN FLOOD RISK :
All Stakeholders contribute to reducing risk
INITIAL RISK
Insurance
When Levee
Fails
Building Codes
INCREASED RISK
Zoning
Risk
Levee
Risk Reduction
Tools
(Cumulative)
Evacuation Plan
Recovery Costs
Property Damage
Loss of Life
Liability
Outreach
RESIDUAL RISK
Risk= probability x consequences
Shared Flood Risk Management: Buying Down Risk
Initial Risk
Zoning
Local
Building Codes
Local, State
Outreach
Local, neighborhood, State,
Contingency Plans
Local, Individual, State, Federal
Individual, NFIP
Insurance
Natural Storage
Local, State, Federal
Non-Structural
Local, indiv, State, Fed
Structural
Local, Fed, State
Residual
Risk
Risk Reduction Tools (Cumulative)
All stakeholders contribute to reducing risk!
Levee Nexus Conundrum
• Flood mapping-certification-insuranceregulations
Political and procedural options:
• Brainstorm threats
• brainstorm opportunities
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Questions??
ASFPM Board
Larry Larson
www.floods.org
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