Kentucky Watches, Warnings or Advisories  – Weather Alerts Follow the alerts, link here.

Time to Renew KAMM Membership

Join KAMM for 2019!  Link to Join KAMM.  

Save the Date!

KAMM’s 15th Anniversary!  

2019 KAMM Conference

KAMM XV: Celebrate the Past, Inspire the Future

Lake Barkley State Resort Park

September 17-19, 2019

September 16, 2019 – Pre-conference

Link to more conference information.

Announcing 2019 KAMM Conference Call for Abstracts 

KAMM celebrates 15 years as an association.  Come Celebrate with Us!! 

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.  We are seeking abstracts suitable to this year’s theme – KAMM XV: Celebrate the Past, Inspire the Future for our anticipated largest conference ever.

Link to the 2019  Call for Abstracts. 

KAMM Spring Newsletter

Link to our informative KAMM Spring Newsletter!  

State of Emergency for the Commonwealth

February 26, 2019

Kentucky Division of Emergency Management (KYEM) is still activated in response to continual flooding conditions throughout Kentucky.  Since February 6, Kentucky has experienced prolonged episodes of storms which have produced heavy rain, strong and gusting wind, flooding and flash flooding, landslides and mudslides across the Commonwealth.

Governor Matt Bevin declared a State of Emergency for the Commonwealth (February 25).  The executive order enables the mobilization of state resources to be utilized in support of cities and counties as needed.  

KYEM has been coordinating daily with the US Army Corps of Engineers assisting in mitigation efforts in response to record level water releases at Wolf Creek Dam and flood control efforts at the Smithland Levee.  KYEM has deployed 32 guardsmen along with 2 cargo trucks to assist with a temporary sandbag cell layer, raising the levee to 55’.  The Smithland Levee is projected to crest at 52.5’ on March 2 and remain until March 6.

As of February 26, KYEM has received 41 county and 14 city state of emergency declarations.  

• County Declarations:  Ballard, Bell, Breathitt, Carlisle, Carter, Clay, Clinton, Crittenden, Cumberland, Elliott, Estill, Floyd, Fulton, Grant, Harlan, Hickman, Jackson, Johnson, Knox, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Livingston, Magoffin, Marshall, Martin, McCracken, Metcalfe, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Rockcastle, Russell, Union, Wayne, Webster, Whitley and Wolfe.
• City Declarations:  Burkesville (Cumberland), Cadiz (Trigg), (Clay City (Powell), Edmonton (Metcalfe), Grayson (Carter), Hickman (Fulton), Jenkins (Letcher), Monticello (Wayne), Paducah (McCracken), Paintsville (Johnson), Pikeville (Pike), Salyersville (Magoffin), Springfield (Washington), West Liberty (Morgan) and Whitesburg (Letcher).

Steps to take to keep yourself safe after flooding:

• Watch your step.  Flood waters often hide sharp and dangerous debris like broken glass and metal.
• Wear the appropriate protective clothing and gear such as boots, gloves and safety glasses when it comes to moving debris.
• Hands off! Stay away from electrical utility equipment after a storm or if it is wet to prevent being electrocuted.  Report any utility issues to your local utility company.
• Flooded homes are hazards.  Get a professional to check for loose wires, mold and hidden damage before re-entering.
• Avoid walking in floodwater. It can be contaminated with oil, gasoline, or sewage.
• Use generators or other gas-powered machinery only outdoors and away from windows.

Officials also remind citizens if they have any storm damage, to report it to your local emergency management director.

Local Emergency Management Director Training

April 9-11, 2019

KYEM will be providing training to newly appointed and experienced local emergency management professionals on April 9-11, 2019, at the State Emergency Operations Center in Frankfort.  This training will provide a basic understanding of the responsibilities of local program Directors, EM statutes and regulations, operation of KYEM branches, ancillary support programs available to aid local EM programs and related updates.

Registration: Click here for Registration.  Class is limited to 20 folks.  Link to the April 9-11 Local EM Director Training SEOC for details.  

Ohio River Basin Flood Risk Management Workshop

Save the Date!

April 10 & 11, 2019
Kenton County Public Library- Erlanger Branch
401 Kenton Lands Road, Erlanger, KY 

The upcoming multi-state interagency Flood Risk Management workshop will:

• Unify and share information within the Ohio River Basin.
• Discuss the greatest needs and common threats in the Ohio River Basin.
• Share lessons learned within the Ohio River Basin.-present flood risk management activities on Federal, State and Local levels.
• Discuss aspects important for common flood risk management activities in the Ohio River Basin.

The Ohio River Basin is a valuable asset providing abundant resources and significant economic, social and cultural benefits to the nation.  The Basin spans 14 states and contains over 204K square miles.  An integrated system of flood control projects within the Basin has prevented over $39B in damages, saved countless lives, and supported wise floodplain use.  However, the Basin remains at risk from repetitive floods and insufficient resources to maintain aging infrastructure, threatening the 27 million residents.  These risks continue to surface as fatalities in vulnerable populations, flood-wrecked communities, increased insurance costs, and other socioeconomic impacts.

More information to be published.  Contact Megan M. Thompson Community Planner, Plan Formulation Section, Planning Branch US Army Corps of Engineers megan.m.thompson@usace.army.mil.

2019 Publication, Program Updates and Releases

National Inventory of Dams Now Available to the Public

February 2019

What once was a highly restricted database that required requesting special access, the National Inventory of Dams (NID), is now open and available for public download.  The NID is a congressionally authorized database documenting dams in the United States and its territories.  It is maintained and published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and in collaboration with the FEMA aims to obtain more accurate and complete information.

The NID is available at http://nid.usace.army.mil and was populated using the 116th Congressional District information and all charts, queries and maps reflect the most current NID database. State and federal dam regulators provided their data from May to November 2018 for inclusion in the 2018 database.

Major changes to the 2018 NID allow users to download or export certain NID data and to view the hazard potential classification.  State or federal agencies may restrict access to information on dams within their jurisdiction, so for information not published in the NID, USACE recommends consulting the agency exercising responsibility over the dam.  The hazard potential classification, as published in the NID, does not reflect the condition of a dam.  That information can be found in the condition assessment, which is available to approved government users.  Historically, the NID has been published every two years.  Starting in 2019, the NID will be updated annually.

The goal of the NID is to include all dams in the U.S. that meet specific criteria, yet, is limited to information that can be gathered and properly interpreted with the given funding.  The NID initially consisted of approximately 45,000 dams, which were gathered from extensive record searches and some feature extraction from aerial imagery.  Since continued and methodical updates have been conducted, data collection has been focused on the most reliable data sources, which are the many federal and state government dam construction and regulation offices and now is up to 90,000 dams.  In most cases, dams within the NID criteria are regulated (construction permit, inspection, and/or enforcement) by federal or state agencies, who have basic information on the dams within their jurisdiction.

The NID consists of dams meeting at least one of the following criteria:

(1) High hazard potential classification – loss of human life is likely if the dam fails;

(2) Significant hazard potential classification – no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns;

(3) Equal or exceed 25 feet in height and exceed 15 acre-feet in storage;

(4) Equal or exceed 50 acre-feet storage and exceed 6 feet in height.

For further information on the National Inventory of Dams visit: https://www.fema.gov/2018-national-inventory-dams.  To access and download the database visit: http://nid.usace.army.mil  

FEMA Releases State-Led Public Assistance Guide

February 2019

This week, FEMA released the “State-Led Public Assistance Guide”, providing additional resources for recipients to lead some or all aspects of Public Assistance operations for smaller disasters.  State-led Public Assistance maximizes specialized features of the Public Assistance delivery process to enhance the capacity of recipients to achieve local communities’ immediate and long-term recovery goals.  Aligning with FEMA 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, state-led Public Assistance operations preserves federal resources for catastrophic disasters and strengthen the emergency management enterprise to one that is federally supported, state-managed, and locally executed.

The benefits of State-led Public Assistance programs include:

• Allowing recipients to provide tailored customer service for sub-recipients.
• Providing opportunities for recipients to enhance or build capabilities to support disaster recovery.
• Enhancing the recipient role in shaping and achieving desired recovery outcomes.
• Encouraging recipients to build upon existing relationships and familiarity with their applicant base to increase efficiency throughout grant lifecycle.

Public Assistance provides disaster grant assistance to recipients and sub-recipients to help communities quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.  FEMA authorized recipients to lead PA delivery for small, federally declared disasters since 2001, which has resulted in several recipients demonstrating ability to lead Public Assistance operations with varying levels of federal oversight.

FEMA Releases New Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide

February 2019

FEMA developed the Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide (IAPPG), which is an inclusive, single-policy resource for all Individual Assistance (IA) programs.  The new guide consolidates policies for the Individuals and Households Program Fact Sheet, Mass Care and Emergency Assistance, and the Community Services Program into one document.  The guide also replaces the Individuals and Households Program Unified Guidance (IHPUG) as the primary reference resource for IA programs. 

The IAPPG provides a comprehensive policy resource for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, non-governmental partners, and other entities that assist survivors during disasters.  Resources written specifically for disaster survivors can be found at https://www.fema.gov/individual-disaster-assistance.

The IAPPG furthers the goal of reducing the complexity of FEMA as outlined in the agency’s 2018-2022 Strategic Plan.

After a Disaster: Recovery Assistance for Emergency Service Organizations

February 19, 2019

The FEMA Public Assistance grant program helps emergency service organizations with funding to repair and rebuild facilities after a disaster.  The days following a presidentially declared disaster can be overwhelming for those left to pick up the pieces of their lives.  Disaster survivors who need information on grant programs for homeowners and renters can apply for assistance from FEMA.  However, what about public facilities like your fire or Emergency Medical Services (EMS) departments that are damaged by a disaster?

Good news: FEMA is also there for your emergency services department to help you repair or rebuild your facility.

Your organization may receive FEMA Public Assistance funding for:

• Debris removal (tree limbs, branches, stumps or trees that are still in place but damaged to the extent they pose an immediate threat).
• Emergency protective measures (pre-positioning equipment, use of temporary generators and security, such as barricades).
• Repair, replacement or restoration of disaster-damaged facilities, equipment and apparatus.
• Eligible costs associated with mutual aid.

In most situations, your headquarters, emergency operations center, dispatch center and other response systems will have the documentation needed to support requests for reimbursement costs.

How much will FEMA pay?  FEMA’s share of assistance is not less than 75 percent of the eligible cost.  The recipient (usually your state) determines how the nonfederal share (up to 25 percent) is split with a sub recipient (your organization).  Volunteer work and donated equipment, supplies and resources may be used to offset the nonfederal share of eligible costs.

Learn more about eligibility, guidelines and the application process for Public Assistance from FEMA.

Update: NFIP 2019 Reinsurance Placement

February 2019

For a third year, FEMA continued its traditional reinsurance placement for NFIP for the 2019 hurricane season.  Effective on Jan.1, FEMA secured $1.32 billion in reinsurance to cover qualifying flood losses occurring this calendar year.  This placement complements the NFIP’s existing capital markets placement, and it continues FEMA’s risk management practice against future catastrophic flood loss.

FEMA paid $186 million for premium coverage, with 28 reinsurance companies agreeing to indemnify FEMA for flood losses for flood events between $4 – $10 billion.  As a result, for incidents where NFIP claims exceed $5 billion threshold, FEMA will receive payment through these reinsurance agreements.

Congress granted FEMA authority to secure reinsurance from the private reinsurance and capital markets through the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 and the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014.

For additional information about this traditional reinsurance placement, you can read Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and other details about this reinsurance placement, available at https://www.fema.gov/nfip-reinsurance-program.

FEMA Informs NFIP Participating Communities of Program Modifications

February 2019

The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 directs federal agencies to thoroughly assess the environmental consequences of major federal actions that could significantly affect the environment.  In May 2018, FEMA published a Record of Decision in the Federal Register  to announce its intent to implement the Preferred Alternative program modifications to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). FEMA undertook the preparation of a Nationwide Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (NPEIS) and completed the Record of Decision because changes to the NFIP are considered to be a major federal action. As a first step toward implementation, FEMA is sending an awareness letter to more than 22,000 communities that participate in the NFIP.

The program modifications contained in the Preferred Alternative to the NFIP NPEIS are needed to implement the legislative requirements of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012, the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014, and to demonstrate compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  The three primary NFIP component areas are mapping, insurance, and floodplain management.

At this time, NFIP participating communities are not required to implement the program modifications contained in the Record of Decision’s Preferred Alternative.  FEMA is continuing its outreach to ensure communities are aware of the forthcoming changes.  FEMA will continue to develop the necessary policies and processes to implement the program modifications listed in the final NPEIS, and will coordinate with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The final NPEIS, Record of Decision and a copy of the Community Awareness Letter are available on FEMA.gov at https://www.fema.gov/programmatic-environmental-impact-statement.

Navigating the Restyled NFIP Flood Insurance Manual

January 2019

If you were not able to attend the Navigating the Restyled NFIP Flood Insurance Manual webinar in December, a recording is now available.  To view the recording, click on the link below.

View the Pre-Recorded Webinar Presentation – Navigating the Restyled NFIP Flood Insurance Manual                                      

Webinar Overview:  In October, FEMA released a new, easy to use Flood Insurance Manual.  FEMA designed the manual with insurance professionals in mind.  The redesigned manual aims to make flood insurance issues and NFIP processes more understandable and facilitate consistent and reliable service from insurance professionals to their policyholders.

The webinar will show you how to get around the new manual in order to ease the transition to it.  The NFIP Flood Insurance Manual is a resource for insurance professionals and others as they work with FEMA to close the insurance gap.

New FloodSmart.gov

January 2019

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.

For Consumers, the website focuses on flood insurance …

• Why Buy or Renew
• How to Buy or Renew
• Understanding Costs
• Before and After a Flood

News from 2018 Worthy of Repeating 

Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2018 Interim Report

New National Institute of Building Sciences study on mitigation finds that modern, regularly updated building codes save lives and protect property.  The National Institute of Building Sciences released the Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2018 Interim Report at its annual conference, “Building Innovation 2019.”

The 2018 interim report updates and expands upon mitigation measures studied in 2005 by evaluating a broad suite of mitigation measures that can inform decision-making around investments to reduce the impacts of natural hazards.  

The project team studied four categories of natural hazard mitigation efforts to date:

1. Design of typical new buildings to exceed certain requirements of the 2015 IBC and IRC, and to conform to the 2015 IWUIC
2. Design of typical new buildings to comply with the 2018 IBC and IRC, compared with 1990-era design requirements
3. Mitigation of existing buildings funded by FEMA, EDA, and HUD.
4. Natural-hazard mitigation for utilities and transportation lifelines. 

The study found that adopting the 2018 International Codes generates a national benefit of $11 for every $1 invested.  The I-Codes are the most widely used and adopted set of building safety codes in the world.  This report follows a multi-year study on natural hazard mitigation and comes more than a decade after NIBS’ original report on mitigation.  The project team studied flood risk, hurricane wind hazards and earthquake risk.  They found that the national mitigation benefit-cost ratio associated with code adoption is

• $6 to $1 for floods,
• $10 to $1 for hurricanes, and
• $12 to $1 for earthquakes, with benefits coming through avoided casualties, post-traumatic stress, property damage, business interruptions and insurance premiums.

The results show that all building stakeholders benefit from regularly updated codes—from developers, lenders, tenants and communities.  Communities that consistently meet the latest editions of the I-Codes, culminating in the 2018 editions, have added 30,000 new jobs to the construction-materials industry.

Last year’s interim report also found that adoption of the 2015 International Wildland Urban Interface Code provided a $4 to $1 mitigation benefit against wildfire risk.  These findings demonstrate the importance of regular updates to the building codes and strong code enforcement in order to mitigate damage from natural disasters such as wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes and flooding.

Download the report here.  

Water Organizations of Kentucky – Water Organizations of Kentucky

August 2018

Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute (KWRRI), created the poster, Water Organizations of Kentucky, to serve as an overview of water organizations and facilitate networking among organizations.  Download here: Water Organizations of Kentucky (PDF, 1pg). 

If you would like to purchase a printed copy of the poster, please contact kwrri@uky.edu. 

KAMM Receives 2018 Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador Recognition  

 

Mitigation Matters!  

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

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