Ky Association of Mitigation Managers

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KAMM 2018

Joining KAMM has never been easier! KAMM offers three membership levels: Individual ($25) and Student ($10); and Agency/Organization ($250). Membership is based on the calendar year.

Link to Join KAMM or follow the links in the Index (to the right) to register via your payment method.

Save the Date!

2018 KAMM Conference

Lake Barkley State Resort Park, Cadiz

Mitigation Superheroes: Investing in Our Communities

September 17, Preconference workshops and activities

September 18 – 20, 2018

Lake Barkley SRP can accommodate all of us and they have a brand new state- of-the-art conference center!

Lake Barkley Lodging: link to state park lodging information on the various types of lodging we have reserved for the conference.

KAMM Call for Abstracts

Mitigation Superheroes: Investing in Our Communities

We invite KAMM friends to take part in this year’s annual conference and pre-conference activities by submitting an abstract for the conference program. Has your community implemented a project, plan, or action that you want to showcase? Have you collaborated with the private sector or state partners to identify, manage, and mitigate a hazard? If so, you realize that Mitigation Matters, so join us for the 2018 KAMM Conference! The deadline for abstract submissions is May 4, 2018.

Learn more, download the KAMM Accepting Abstracts announcement.

To submit an abstract and read more, link to the Call for Abstracts.

Register – KAMM Regional Training during April and May

KAMM

Region Regional Rep Date Duration Training Locations

I John Ward May 10 1 Day Calvert City Hall, 861 E. 5th Avenue, Calvert City

II Sarah Taylor May 15 1 Day Lincoln Trail ADD, 613 College Street Rd, Elizabethtown

III Geni Jo Brawner April 24-25* 2 Days Blue Lick SRP Lodge, 10299 Maysville Rd, Carlisle

IV Nick Grinstead May 22 – 23* 2 Days Jenny Wiley SRP, 75 Theatre Ct, Prestonsburg

* State Resort Park Lodge Room Reservations for the 2 day conferences are available. Mention KAMM for discounted rate.

For More Info and to Register, link here.

Presidential Disaster Declaration for Eastern Kentucky Counties Impacted by Flooding

April 12, 2018

Governor Matt Bevin today received notification that President Donald Trump has authorized assistance for Kentucky counties that suffered significant damage as a result of the severe flooding event from Feb. 9 through Feb. 14. The President’s action grants public assistance to the 22 impacted counties to repair roads, bridges and other infrastructure. The declaration will also provide the Commonwealth with mitigation funds. Counties included in this declaration include Bell, Breathitt, Clay, Estill, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Metcalfe, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Whitley and Wolfe.

The severe weather system in mid-February produced strong winds and episodes of torrential rain which caused flooding, flash flooding, landslides and mudslides. Some impacted counties lost roadways, bridges and associated structures.

“Bringing federal assistance to Kentucky has been a team effort between our local, state and federal partners,” said KYEM director Michael Dossett. “I am truly grateful that we can now begin the important process of moving recovery assistance into the declared areas.”

Link to Public Assistance Guidance about KYEM and FEMA’s Public Assistance program at http://kyem.ky.gov/recovery/Pages/Public-Assistance-Program-Overview.aspx.

Announcing Commonwealth Hazard Mitigation Planning Meetings

February 14, 2018

Kentucky Emergency Management Mitigation Section will conduct hazard mitigation planning meetings for the Commonwealth’s 2018 Enhanced Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, as required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Link to the schedule, 2018 Notice of Hazard Mitigation Planning Meetings I, which begins in February and ends in August. During these stakeholder meetings topics will include the planning process, summaries of overall commonwealth risk, resource capabilities, evaluations of past and current mitigation activities, and the potential for additional mitigation activities. Please join in a meeting in your area.

FEMA Announces the Release of the Annual Report of the Flood Insurance Advocate

April 6, 2018

FEMA released the 2017 Annual Report of the Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate (OFIA). The report is intended to increase transparency, and to support the ongoing improvements to the NFIP with the goal of reducing its complexity. A copy of the Annual Report and Summary can be found on FEMA’s website at www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program-flood-insurance-advocate. Or link to the Annual Report Executive Summary.

In 2017, the OFIA identified eight primary policyholder and property owner challenges, which include recommendations that present opportunities for reducing the complexity of FEMA:

Challenges to customer communication during the claims process
Effectiveness of map change communications
Misunderstandings regarding Zone A
Lack of premium reduction following a lower-level abandonment of a building
Basement determination made at the time of loss
Lack of refunds for duplicate coverage with private insurance
Severe repetitive loss mitigation
Lenders requiring coverage where a claim would not be paid

New to this year’s report is the identification of two external trends (affordability and the complexity of the NFIP) that may require legislative or funding action solutions to resolve. The issues identified in this report are based on the observations of the roughly 500 inquiries the Office received, about 25 percent more than last year’s total.

FEMA Launches New FloodSmart.gov

April 2018

FEMA launched the first phase of the new FloodSmart.gov website. The updates to FloodSmart.gov incorporates social science and website usage research as well as best practices for a streamlined and customer-centric experience. The next phase of the website launch will include insurance agent toolkits, social media templates, marketing tools, and flood map change toolkits.

RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Building Codes for Mitigation: Using ASCE 24

January 25, 2018

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Division delivered a webinar to share information on the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 24 Building Codes for Mitigation. Presenters provided information on ASCE 24 flood-specific building code requirements as they relate to HMA, including information about mitigation projects such as elevations, floodproofing, and mitigation reconstruction.

Participants who would find value in this webinar include floodplain administrators, city and building code officials, insurance adjusters, and others who have an interest in understanding and applying ASCE 24 requirements.

Link to https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/158814 for more information.

The Ins and Outs of SBA Disaster Loans for Mitigation

November 16, 2017

SBA provided general information on loans designed for individuals and businesses to conduct mitigation measures such as home elevations, relocating utilities, retrofitting structures and building retaining walls. FEMA provided more information on resources that are available to start these types of mitigation projects.

To review the presentation, technical resources, and questions and answers, please download the information.

USGS Publishes Bulletin 17C, “Guidelines for Determining Flood Flow Frequency”

April 2, 2018

Accurate estimates of flood frequency and magnitude are a key component of any effective nationwide flood risk management and flood damage abatement program. In addition to accuracy, methods for estimating flood risk must be uniformly and consistently applied because management of the nation’s water and related land resources is a collaborative effort involving multiple actors, including most levels of government and the private sector. Bulletin 17C’s Chapter B5 of book 4 (TM 4–B5) deals with flood flow frequency analysis at gaged sites using the Expected Moments Algorithm. The use of extreme flood data represented by interval and censored data types, including historical, paleoflood and botanical evidence, is emphasized.

Property Acquisition Open Space Collection Comment Period

March, 2018

FEMA recently listed a Federal Register Notice for public comments about information collection. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning the process of property acquisition and relocation for open space as part of FEMA’s mitigation grant programs, monitoring requirements after a receiving a grant, and a direct grant to property owners for acquisition and demolition of severe repetitive loss structures. Comments may be submitted through the Federal Register at www.federalregister.gov/d/2018-03949 until April 30, 2018.

FEMA and Emergency Management Partner Organizations Release Video Presentation on DAta Mapping; Fourth Presentation from PrepTalks Symposium

March 5, 2018

FEMA, in partnership with organizations that collectively represent the emergency management profession, today released the fourth video presentation from the inaugural PrepTalks Symposium, Dr. Robert Chen’s “Who’s at Risk? Rapid Mapping of Potential Hazards.”

In his PrepTalk, Dr. Chen outlines the different ways data mapping can be used to help emergency managers identify those at risk before, during and after a disaster. He demonstrates how geospatial data combined with socioeconomic data gives emergency managers, the news media, and the public a better understanding of what the risk is and the potential associated effects of disasters. He is the Director of the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), a unit of Columbia University’s Earth Institute. Dr. Chen also manages the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), part of NASA’s network of Earth Science Data Centers.

Dr. Chen’s presentation, a discussion guide, and additional reference materials are available at www.fema.gov/preptalks. This is the fourth video of eight being produced from the PrepTalks Symposium held in Washington, D.C. in January. The next PrepTalks Symposium is tentatively scheduled for fall of 2018.

Upcoming PrepTalk video topics include land use planning for community resilience and disaster risk in developing countries. The next PrepTalks video is currently scheduled for release later in March.

PrepTalks are a partnership between FEMA, the International Association of Emergency Managers, the National Emergency Management Association, the National Homeland Security Consortium, and the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security.

Map Service Center Enhancements and Related Tools Updates

January 25, 2018

A number of important changes are coming to FEMA’s Map Service Center (MSC) and related services as the agency continues to improve how we provide information related to the delivery of flood maps. On February 3, FEMA will implement changes to the MSC Address Search tool and enhancements to the National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) Viewer. The updates streamline access to the NFHL, and reorganize how some other tools are accessed. These updates help reduce the complexity of FEMA for map users by reducing the steps necessary to get the information they need and providing an authoritative, consolidated view of flood risk.

FEMA has been working for many years to transition fully to the use of digital flood maps. The changes on February 3 continue the progress on this transition. Specifically, the changes will direct most users to the NFHL as the primary source for viewing and printing flood hazards information, but users will still be able to access the legacy FIRMette tool.

Read more …. There are four primary updates happening …

Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Report

January 11, 2017

For our nation to become more resilient, we must develop a more effective and efficient way to invest in mitigation. The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Multi-Hazard Mitigation Council (MMC) released an updated and expanded Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Report.

In this new report, NIBS MMC examined 23 years of federal grants data to determine the benefits we derive from avoiding damages through activities funded with federal grants, and examined an expanded set of mitigation actions to determine the Benefit Cost Ratios (BCR) of building new structures beyond code requirements. The hazard categories covered in this report include: Riverine Flood, Hurricane Surge, Wind, Earthquake, and Wildland-Urban Interface Fire (WUI).

The new report uses two high-level Benefit Cost Ratios (BCRs) representing the benefits of mitigation. The report results indicate mitigation grants funded through select federal government agencies, on average, can save the nation $6 in future disaster costs, for every $1 spent on hazard mitigation. The report also demonstrates that, on average, investments in hazard mitigation measures that exceed provisions of the 2015 model building code can save the nation $4 for every $1 spent.

The report suggests a savings of $15.5 Billion from one year of building new construction beyond code requirements and a total of $158 Billion in savings from federally funded mitigation grant programs funded from 1993-2016. The report has been vetted by a large group of public and private-sector experts.

This Independent Study is directed by the National Institute of Building Sciences with funding support from the FEMA and other governmental and non-governmental sponsors. The authors of this study do not speak for or on behalf of FEMA. Findings presented in this Interim Report should not be taken as reflecting the opinions or policies of FEMA or its staff.

Link to Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Report and the Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Study Frequently Asked Questions.

NFIP Flood Insurance Changes: October 2017, April 2018 and …January 2019

After the flurry of changes to the federal flood insurance program following the reform legislations of 2012 and 2014, FEMA has settled down on making changes in October, April and January. In the recent October 2017 update, we saw minimal changes (HFIAA Surcharge can now be pro-rata refunded if a policy is canceled. And except for mainly the Preferred Risk Policies, the Federal Policy Fee for contents-only policies was reduced to $25). The latest version of the NFIP Manual includes these changes.

The recently announced changes for April 2018 and January 2019 (for the Preferred Risk Policy and Newly Mapped Procedure annual changes) are pretty much in line with last year.

April 1, 2018 highlights: Rate Increases:

Average premium increase is 6.9%
Besides the pre-FIRM subsidized premiums that are congressionally-mandated to increase 25% (e.g., non-primary residences, non-residential businesses), pre-FIRM premiums increase only 5%
Post-FIRM A Zones will see minimal to no increases; e.g., AE: 1%; AO or AH: 0%; Unnumbered Zone A: 2%
Standard X Zone: 1%

Primary Residence Determination: FEMA recognizes a policyholder can have more than one primary residence, as each spouse could live more than 50% of the year at a separate residence.

Phase 2 of Re-underwriting the NFIP policy base: This is delayed/extended. In response to HFIAA, FEMA needs to send out letters to all policyholders to clearly communicate their risk. To do so, FEMA asked insurance companies and NFIP-Direct to underwrite basically all renewal policies, but post-FIRM policies starting October 2016. FEMA would then send a letter to each of those policyholders after the policy renewed. The Post-FIRM phase was to start this October, but it is now delayed due to the recent hurricanes and will start when April 2018 renewal notices begin going out (though some companies have already started it).

January 1, 2019 changes:

Preferred Risk Policy (and eligible A99 and AR) premiums will increase 6%
The Newly Mapped policy multiplier continues to be 15%

NOTE: With all of that published, FEMA just released an additional Bulletin that increases the ICC premium starting April 1, 2018. In some cases, the annual increase is $1, but in others, like pre-FIRM Zone A, we are seeing $5 and $10 increases. FEMA did not revise the overall rate increase percentages mentioned above so we don’t know the relative percentage impact.

KDOW Best Practice: Online Surveys and Live Polling for Improved Stakeholder Interaction

October 2017

The Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW) implemented the use of online surveys before and after meetings as well as live polling during stakeholder meetings to have a more interactive exchange with community officials. The paper surveys provided in prior meetings had limited participation and the responses were of little detail. Paper surveys can also be distracting to participants during the meeting and if not completed at the meeting conclusion, are unlikely to be returned. Live polling has been conducted via “show of hands” or verbal answers in the past. KDOW has found the audience to be timid to answer and results cannot be displayed in graphical format or results recorded with such ease as online polling offers.

KDOW uses the SurveyMonkey service to solicit valuable information prior to meetings as well as important feedback post meetings. Community stakeholders received a survey link within all pre-and post-meeting email exchanges. Each survey consists of no more than ten questions and takes an average of less than five minutes to submit.
KDOW uses a mixture of multiple choice and open ended response type questions. Example pre-meeting survey questions include, “What type of flooding occurs in your community?”, “Does your community regularly conduct community outreach regarding flooding preparedness, risk, or other hazard risk?”, and “Would you like to request specific assistance from FEMA or KDOW?” Post meeting survey questions include “How may we improve capturing your community needs?” and “How does your community plan to use the datasets?” Any time the poll is active responses may be analyzed.
During the meeting, KDOW uses Poll Everywhere software to conduct live polling of the audience using smart phone devices. Poll responses are sent by text message using a number and code provided by the polling service. Observations at Risk MAP meetings indicate that anonymous polling increases stakeholder participation. This software also allows the audience to watch response calculations live. Poll Everywhere allows results to be downloaded in .pdf or Excel format at the close of the poll.

For more information contact Carey Johnson (Carey.Johnson@ky.gov).

Mitigation Publications – 2018

Streambank Bioengineering Job Aid available. January 2018. Link to: https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/156338. Bioengineering uses plants to stabilize and reduce erosion on streambanks, bringing together engineering, ecology, and landscape architecture for long-term solutions to reduce risk from natural hazards. This job aid presents the benefits of bioengineered solutions, describes commonly used measures, and identifies steps to plan and execute a successful project, including criteria to use in selecting the right approaches. It includes case studies demonstrating practical applications of bioengineering methods in riverine environments subject to bank erosion and habitat degradation.

NFIP Desk Reference Guide. October 2017. FEMA updated its “NFIP Desk Reference Guide for State Insurance Commissioners and Others.” The guide is in three distinct parts: Before the Flood, During the Flood and After the Flood. Each provides valuable resources on what you need to know, what you need to share with policyholders and property owners, and who to contact. It’s organized to provide you the information you need to know when you need to know it most. FEMA published it electronically to ensure easy updates as the program evolves, and also included an interactive version.

Need help explaining to city officials the value of freeboard? February 2018 The ASFPM developed a tri-fold called, “The Costs & Benefits for Building Higher.” The terminology is relatively simple so that city officials not well versed in floodplain management can understand how communities are safer when building higher, and how their citizens can save money and increase the value of their homes.

Ten Ways to Design Healthy Communities. March 30, 2018. A new report from the Urban Land Institute’s Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance outlines ten fundamental principles for building resilient cities and regions that successfully anticipate, respond to, and recover from both immediate shocks such as hurricanes and other extreme weather events and long-term stresses. Making healthy choices easy is a public-health goal. And how communities are designed can actually have a dramatic impact on that goal. Better still, any civic-minded group or individual can initiate community-health-oriented projects, from developing a new trail or park to reprogramming existing facilities. Download Ten Ways to Design Healthy Communities.

Step-by-Step Guide to Integrating Community Input into Green Infrastructure Projects. April, 2018. Many communities are turning to “green infrastructure” to reduce flooding, clean and conserve water, and provide recreational and other benefits. But how can local governments ensure they’re meeting the needs of the community? The Step-by-Step Guide to Integrating Community Input into Green Infrastructure Projects shows how. The guide provides details and tips to help local governments as they move through the decision making process in eight, easy-to-digest steps. While the guide is directed largely at local governments, it could also be a useful resource for other groups such as community and nonprofit organizations that are looking to implement green infrastructure projects in their communities. Download the Step-by-Step Guide to Integrating Community Input into Green Infrastructure Projects. For additional information, visit ELI’s Green Infrastructure Program.

For more mitigation resources and other publications, go to KAMM’s Mitigation Resources page.

Don’t forget to join the KAMM group on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Have questions, contact us at help@kymitigation.org.

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