1. Sandy: Building Back
Stronger, Safer & More
Resilient
Tim Crowley, Director, Mitigation Division, FEMA Region II
December 2012
2. Content
The FEMA Mission
Building Back Jersey Strong
Community-Based Informed Decision Making
Everyday Risk Identification
• Advisory Base Flood Elevations (ABFEs)
Risk Reduction
The New Jersey Situation and Path Forward
Conclusion: Community Resilience
Q&A
Appendix
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3. The FEMA Commitment
We are committed to building disaster resilient communities
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure
that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our
capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and
mitigate all hazards.
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4. Building Back as a Whole Community
FEMA is only one part of our nation’s emergency management team. We
must collectively work together to build back safer, smarter and more
resilient
The National Disaster Recovery Framework
Housing Economic
Social Environmental
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5. Building Back Jersey Strong
Working together to build back
safer, smarter, and stronger
• Citizens are looking to you to better
protect the community from flood
risk
Mitigation is the foundation for
building back more resilient
communities
• Mitigation is taking action now-
before the next disaster
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6. Community-Based Informed Decision
Making
One approach does not work for all communities
FEMA partners with your community to provide tools and support for
informed planning and decisions that fit a community’s specific needs:
• Advisory Flood Risk Information
• Building Sciences
• Floodplain Management and Insurance
Flood insurance is only
• Mitigation Planning and Assistance one way to protect
ourselves. As we rebuild
• Communications and Outreach our community, there are
steps we can and should
take to reduce the impact
of
future floods.
We’re working to keep you
informed about your flood
risk and taking proactive
steps to
protect our
community.
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7. Every Day Risk Identification
FEMA is providing tools to local
communities to make informed
decisions to build back stronger
and more resilient while
maintaining a community’s
unique character
• Advisory Base Flood Elevations
(AFEs)
During non-disaster times, FEMA
provides tools to communities in
order to enable more informed
decision making
• Flood Risk Database
• Flood Risk Report
• Flood Risk Map
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8. Risk Identification: ABFEs
What are ABFEs?
• ABFEs offer the best available data post disaster
recovery and building
How do property owners benefit from
ABFEs?
• Rebuilding using ABFEs may have a higher
initial cost, but will likely result in lower term
costs for property owners
What outcomes are we trying to achieve?
• Building safer and stronger to help mitigate risk
against future disasters
ABFE prototype for illustrative purposes
only.
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9. Risk Reduction
Understanding the updated flood risk allows communities to take action
to reduce their risk to future flood events
Proactively Reduce Risk
• Add vents to enclosures, install breakaway walls, or
relocate structures further from potential flood sources,
where possible
• Ensure property owners build with freeboard
• Engage the community in mitigation planning
Benefits
• Lower flood insurance premiums for buildings in high-
risk areas that are elevated above minimum
requirements
• More eligibility for FEMA grant programs
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10. The New Jersey Situation and Path Forward
The Devastation of Sandy
• Hurricane Sandy caused $29.4 billion in damages to
New Jersey
• FEMA estimated more then 122,000 structures in New
Jersey were damaged or destroyed*
The Path Forward
• Federal funds obligated to assist the residents and
communities in New Jersey have totaled more then
$730 million
• Additional dollars being spent from SBA Loans,
Insurance claims, and property owner funds to
rebuild
• Property owners are striving to “rebuild by Memorial
Day”
*http://www.fema.gov/news-release/new-jersey-recovery-one-month-later
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11. Conclusion: Community Resilience
FEMA Community Everyone
Create More
Provides Best Officials Adopt Takes
Resilient
Available Data Higher Mitigation
Communities
(e.g ABFEs) Standards Action
Together, we all can create stronger and safer
communities that are better equipped to handle the
next major storm
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Prepared. Responsive. Committed.We are committed to building disaster resilient communities
Specifically on the environment, beaches, dunes, lagoons, wetlands are natural barriers for making communities more resilient-Social -Economic -Housing -Environment
Working together to build back safer, smarter, and strongerCitizens are looking to you to better protect the community from flood risk. Savvy community leaders are looking to the future to ensure the long-term safety and sustainability of their entire communities.Mitigation is the foundation for building back more resilient communitiesMitigation is taking action now—before the next disaster. Rebuilding homes or businesses after a disaster is the right time to incorporate techniques to prevent future disaster damages. Community decisions made now affect the lives and investments of everyone in the community for decades. Resilience – long-term solutions that provide a return on our investmentSustainability – reducing the financial burden in future disasters creates a healthier overall economic environment
***CALL OUT BOXES: leveraged these callouts from a Risk MAP presentation and modified them slightly; may or may not want to use itOne approach does not work for all communitiesEach community has its unique challenges and goals for rebuildingNobody knows a neighborhood better then its own citizensFEMA partners with your community to provide tools and support for informed planning and decisionsAdvisory Flood Risk Information (base flood elevations, risk zones,areas of wave action)Where should I build? Should I relocate?How high should I build?What other conditions will affect the property?Building Sciences (technical guidance,best practices)What are the building standards and requirements (A zone, V zone)?What construction materials should be used?Floodplain Management and Insurance (ordinance templates, CRS) What are the floodplain management requirements?Should we adopt higher standards (freeboard, V zone techniques in coastal A zones, etc)?What CRS credits can we get to reduce insurance costs for our community?Mitigation Planning and AssistanceWhat does my State plan say?What does my local plan say?Is my project eligible for a mitigation grant?Should we buy out flood-prone homes through HUD programs?Communications and Outreach (presentations, brochures, fact sheets, mentoring)How do we reach out to citizens?Who else in my community can spread the message (chamber of commerce, developers, lenders, insurance agents, etc)?
Flood Risk Report Provides stakeholders with a comprehensive understanding of flood hazard and risk exposure within their community, watershed, or other geographic area. The report parallels the Flood Insurance Study report by providing a narrative of the flood risk assessment methodology and results. The report provides risk assessment information at the project level, placing emphasis on risk reduction activities that may have impacts beyond the specific stream area or community. The report will also provide risk assessment information that can be incorporated into mitigation plans. Flood Risk MapDepicts select flood risk data for jurisdictions within the project area, emphasizing that risk reduction activities may have an impact beyond the site The Flood Risk DatabasePrimary source to access information collected and developed during the flood risk assessment process. The Flood Risk Database parallels the Flood Insurance Rate Map database. It is a project-level database that includes flood risk assessment data collected, created, and analyzed during the flood risk project.
What are ABFEs?Advisory Base Flood Elevations and updated flood maps offer the best available data for post disaster recovery and building.They were created using more recent and improved data than the communities’ existing Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) which do not adequately reflect the current coastal flood hazard risk. Elevating to or above the ABFE is a good way to reduce flood risk and has a good return on investment for rebuilding homes damaged in Sandy.How to Property Owners Benefit from ABFEs?Rebuilding using ABFEs may have a higher initial cost, but will likely result in lower long term costs for property owners by having structures that are more resistant to costly flood damageBy elevating higher, property owners may have a flood insurance premium that is significantly lower then without the extra elevationWhat Outcome are We Trying to Achieve?Building safer and stronger to help mitigate the risk against future disasters
Understanding the updated flood risk allows communities to take action to reduce their risk in future flood eventsSome steps communities and property owners can take to proactively reduce risk:Include a freeboard standard in local ordinances that require a structure’s lowest floors to be elevated at least 2 feet above the Advisory BFEs shown on the maps Include a requirement that requires V zone construction standards in the Coastal A zones shown on the Advisory MapsAdd vents to enclosures, install breakaway walls, or relocate structures further from potential flood sources, where possibleExplore acquisition and elevation projects; may be eligible for mitigation grantsWhat are the benefits?Lower flood insurance premiums for buildings in high-risk areas that are elevated above minimum requirementsMore likely eligibility for FEMA grant programs Communities who invest in mitigation planning in the near-term are stronger, safer in the long-termOpportunity to be a leader in flood risk reduction and support more resilient coastal communities
Looking at NJ– what can communities in NJ do to respond?The Devastation of SandyGovernor Christie said Hurricane Sandy caused $29.4 billion in damages to New Jersey, but cautioned the estimate would probably rise once next summer’s tourism season, populations shifts and the effect of real estate values were taken into considerationFEMA estimated more than 122,000 structures in NJ were damaged or destroyed [CITE: information was found here: *http://www.fema.gov/news-release/new-jersey-recovery-one-month-laterThe Path ForwardGovernor Christie said New Jersey has received three grants, totaling $31.1 million. Federal funds obligated to assist the residents and communities in NJ have totaled more than $730 millionAdditional dollars being spent from SBA Loans, Insurance Claims, and Property Owner funds to RebuildProperty owners are striving to “rebuild by Memorial Day”
Communities will be more resilient through the use of ABFEsThese advisory BFEs will provide the best data to local officials who then pass it along to the home ownersHome owners who follow the advisory BFEs will be building stronger homes that will be safer in the face of major stormsFEMA will continue to:Encourage Safe BuildingProvide the Best Available DataBy using ABFEs communities will be using the best available data to build safer and strongerWork with CommunitiesFEMA is working closely with communities in the aftermath of Hurricane SandyFEMA will continue to work with State and local officials providing technical assistance to help resolve issues related to the use of new ABFEsTogether, we all can create stronger and safer communities that are better equipped to handle the next major storm