KAMM Updates


Kentucky Watches, Warnings or Advisories  – Weather Alerts

Follow the weather alerts in Kentucky, link here.

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2015 Membership

It’s that time of year again—your KAMM annual membership will be expiring on December 31, and your fees for next year’s membership are now due.  Joining KAMM has never been easier!   KAMM offers two easy ways to register, according to your payment method.   You can Pay by Credit Card or Pay by Check.  Follow the links below to complete 2015 membership.

To learn more about membership benefits, click Join KAMM.

 

Save the Date!

2015 Events/Training

 

KAMM 2015 Regional Training/Workshops

KAMM is hosting two trainings in all four KAMM Regions!  Read more on the KAMM Regional Info webpage, link here.

 

KAMM 2015 Annual Conference

August 24 – 27, 2015

Lake Cumberland State Resort Park

Lodging info and Call for Abstracts Coming Soon!

 

KAMM Forming a CRS User Group Committee

Interested in joining KAMM to form a CRS Committee?  Send us a message at kentuckymitigation@gmail.com.  Our next conference call meeting is in February.  To learn more about the CRS, go to our CRS webpage.

 

Call for Abstracts for the KSA Annual Conference

Kentucky Stormwater Conference

July 8-10, Lexington, KY

Click for more information on the KSA 2015 Call for Abstracts.  Abstract deadline is February 20.

 

Training Opportunities

Link to the KAMM Training webpage to learn more.

 

FEMA Publishes Amendments for the Public Assistance and Individual Assistance Program for Fiscal Year 2015

FEMA published Federal Register Notices amending several important indicators for the Public Assistance and Individual Assistance program for Fiscal Year 2015. Under the Individual Assistance program the maximum grant award was amended to $32,900. Under the Public Assistance program, the Statewide per capita indicator was amended to $1.41 and the countywide per capita indicator was amended to $3.56. The minimum amount to process a project worksheet was amended to $3,040, and the maximum dollar amount for a project to be considered a small project was amended to $121,600. Projects over $121,600 will be processed as a large project. These changes are effective for disasters declared on or after October 1, 2014.

 

FEMA Announces Policy Updates to Flood Risk Analysis and Mapping Standards

December 2014

As part of the semi-annual maintenance process, FEMA announces the revision of 18 Risk Map standards.  In August 2013, a set of standards for the Risk MAP (Mapping, Assessment and Planning) program was issued as the FEMA policy Standards for Flood Risk Analysis and Mapping.  The purpose of the standards is to enable consistent performance of flood risk projects, processing of letters of map change and related Risk MAP activities.

Risk MAP has instituted a semi-annual maintenance process for this policy to address ongoing needs for updated standards and to provide regular updates of the procedures for mapping.  As a part of the regular maintenance, standards changes have been implemented related to levee Zone AR and A99 designations, implementing the changes from the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act.  There are also changes related to updating maps to show a deaccredited levee through the Letter of Map Revision process, depiction of base flood elevations on flood maps, use of digital flood hazard data and some terminology changes.  FEMA conducted a public review of the draft standards earlier this year.  No comments were received.  As part of this maintenance cycle, FEMA is also issuing new guidance documents for Risk MAP and updating the related technical reference documents that define specific requirements for flood risk project deliverables.  These documents will be published over the next few weeks.

Risk MAP provides high quality flood maps for the National Flood Insurance Program, information and tools to better assess the risk from flooding, plus planning and outreach support to communities to help them take action to reduce (or mitigate) flood risk.  For additional information, please visit the FEMA Guidelines and Standards for Flood Risk Analysis and Mapping webpage.

 

BW & HFIAA Information

Click on BW12 & HFIAA webpage to learn more about the following topics

  • Primary or Principal Residence…or both?
  • NFIP Reform Acts of 2012 & 2014 – Program Changes Effective 4/1/15
  • 2014 – Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act (HFIAA)
  • 2014 – Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act Overview

 

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

 

EPA is Now Accepting Proposals for the 2014 EE Grants Program

Proposals for the 2014 Environmental Education (EE) Grants Program are now being accepted through February 2, 2015. This year, EPA intends to issue two Requests for Proposals (RFP) under the EE Grants Program; the EE Model Grants RFP is now available for viewing.  Three grants, for approximately $192,200 each, will be awarded under this RFP.

Under the EE Model Grants RFP, EPA seeks grant proposals to support EE projects that promote environmental awareness and stewardship.  Projects under this RFP will help provide people with the skills to take responsible actions to protect the environment.  Proposals must include projects that design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate model EE practices, methods, or techniques.  Each funded proposal must demonstrate replicability by locating and conducting the project in more than one state or U.S. territory during the project period.

Visit the 2014 EE Grants Program webpage for details on how to apply.

 

Funding Available for Projects that Protect Source Water

January 7, 2015

The Kentucky Division of Water (DOW) is making available assistance funds to help communities pay for source water protection projects that will help prevent drinking water contamination.  The funds are available to public water systems as well as the entities they serve.  Each project should remain at $60,000 or below.  The goal of the funding program is to make money available for small projects that can be accomplished in a relatively short period of time,” said Jessica Moore, of the division’s wellhead protection program.  “We are encouraging public water systems, towns, cities, counties and even schools to propose a new project, or complete a current project, that will help protect the drinking water sources utilized by their public water systems.”

Examples of possible projects include, but are not limited to, capping unused or abandoned water wells, installing best management practices, or implementing management strategies previously identified in a wellhead or source water protection plan.  Communities are not required to provide matching funds or in-kind services in order to receive funding.  Communities or public water systems receive this money outright to complete their projects.

Supplemental funding contributions, including in-kind resources, will be taken into consideration during application evaluation, and the division is encouraging partnerships to implement source water protection.

Applications, guidance documents and other information are available online at http://water.ky.gov/groundwater/Pages/SWPAssistanceProgram.aspx.  Proposals must be submitted to DOW before March 1, 2015, for consideration.  Completion of the full application is not required until the applicant has been notified by DOW that its project has been tentatively selected for funding.

For more information, contact Jessica Moore at 502-564-3410 or Jessica.Moore2@ky.gov.

 

New Mitigation Publications

Kentucky’s Typical Permits at a Glance  January 2015.  The Division of Compliance Assistance (DCA) has published a new document that covers the major permits and authorizations typically issued by the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection (DEP).  The At-a-Glance document provides information on understanding permits and the most common permits and authorizations issued.  Click TypicalPermitsAtaGlance to read the document.

FEMA and the Dept of Transportation Pipeline Hazard Materials and Safety Administration Release New Guidance Document  January 27, 2015.  FEMA, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Pipeline Hazard Materials and Safety Administration (PHMSA), released the new guidance document, “Hazard Mitigation Planning: Practices for Land Use Planning and Development near Pipelines.” It outlines best practices for communities to reduce risks from pipeline incidents, including those caused by natural hazards. It was prepared by PHMSA’s Pipelines and Informed Planning Alliance (PIPA) Communications Team and is sponsored by PHMSA in coordination with FEMA as a primer for incorporating pipeline hazards into hazard mitigation plans.

The guidance aims to provide emergency managers, planners, and others involved with developing hazard mitigation plans with the knowledge and understanding of:

  • how pipelines operate,
  • the common products that may be transported through transmission pipelines,
  • the potential impacts (risks) of pipeline incidents,
  • and mitigation strategies they can implement to reduce these risks.

FEMA, DOT and the PIPA team work closely together to share program requirements and guidance, and discuss opportunities for collaboration. PIPA team contributors include state, federal and local government officials, as well as representatives from the pipeline industry and the general public. To view the new guidance document and for additional information and resources to support states, tribes and local communities in developing hazard mitigation plans to build and maintain capabilities to reduce risks from all hazards visit www.fema.gov/multi-hazard-mitigation-planning.

Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room  FEMA recently updated FEMA_P-320_2014_508  Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room for Your Home or Small Business.  A safe room built for your home or small business can provide near-absolute protection for you and your family or employees from injury or death caused by the dangerous forces of extreme winds such as tornadoes and hurricanes. FEMA P-320 helps home or small business owners assess their risk and determine the best type of safe room for their needs.

Since the first edition of FEMA P-320 was issued in 1998, more than 1,000,000 copies of the publication have been distributed, and FEMA grant programs have provided approximately $985 million in federal funds towards the design and construction of nearly 25,000 residential and 2,000 community safe rooms in 25 states and territories. This investment aligns with FEMA’s strategic goal to support disaster resilience and the ability of our local communities to withstand and recover rapidly from disasters.

ROVER Version 2 (FEMA P-154 ROVER 2 CD)  December 2014  FEMA is pleased to announce that Rapid Observations of Vulnerability and Estimation of Risk Version 2 (FEMA P-154 ROVER 2 CD) is now available, at no cost, from the FEMA Publications Warehouse.  ROVER is a fast, free, mobile software for pre- and post-earthquake building safety screening. With ROVER’s pre-earthquake module, field inspectors can quickly compile an electronic inventory of buildings, record important seismic features of a building, and generate an automatic estimate of the need for detailed seismic evaluation. ROVER’s post-earthquake module is used to quickly perform and manage the red, yellow, and green safety tagging almost universally applied to buildings after earthquakes. ROVER has been successfully pilot tested in Salt Lake City by the Utah Seismic Safety Commission and the Structural Engineers Association of Utah and by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The ROVER Version 2 now has a new user guide and the software includes these features:

  • Works on any device with a web browser and data connection New!
  • Includes RoverLoad, a python program for importing customer developed building data into ROVER New!
  • Includes RedROVER, software for exporting ROVER pre-earthquake data to FEMA’s HAZUS-MH 2.1 New!
  • Screen layout automatically adapts to the data-entry device: smartphone, tablet, or PC New!
  • Allows for the remote management of screening
  • One-time data entry to a built-in database
  • Captures digital photos and geolocation
  • Imports pre-existing data
  • Integrates with USGS ShakeCast (ROVER Edition) for seismic monitoring of buildings

Developed for FEMA under the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) by ATC, SPA Risk LLC, and Instrumental Software Technologies, Inc., ROVER automates two de facto international standard paper-based seismic safety screening procedures: Rapid Visual Screening of Buildings for Potential Seismic Hazards (FEMA P-154) and Postearthquake Safety Evaluation of Buildings (ATC-20). Users of ROVER Version 2 should be trained in the evaluation procedures in FEMA P-154 and ATC-20-1. Training on these procedures is provided in the FEMA ROVER 2 User Guide, which is included on the FEMA P-154 ROVER 2 CD.

To order a copy of the new FEMA P-154 ROVER 2 CD from the FEMA Publications Warehouse, call 1-800-480-2520 or fax your request to 1-240-699-0525, FEMA Publication Order Form. You may also download the updated software from ROVER Ready.

EPA’s Publication Center Streamlines Ordering EE Materials  It’s now easier to order EPA environmental education materials for your classroom.  The National Service Center for Environmental Publications is offering new order forms listing materials grouped by grade range (K-3, K-12, Elementary School, Middle School, High School, and General Information for Teachers).  Each form has a picture of the item, title, brief description of the item, and the quantity limit that can be ordered. Order materials for your students today.

Quick Reference Guide: Comparison of Select NFIP & Building Code Requirements for Special Flood Hazard Areas  The Quick Reference Guide  is an 8-page guide that highlights the similarities and differences between the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) minimum requirements and the requirements of the International Code Series (I-Codes) and ASCE 24, Flood Resistant Design and Construction, a standard referenced by the I-Codes. Among the features contrasted are foundation types, lowest floor elevations,enclosures below elevated buildings, and utilities requirements within the NFIP and I-Codes for most residential and commercial buildings.

CodeMaster for Flood Resistant Design (2012) is an easy-to-use,8-page desk reference that identifies the flood provisions in the 2009 and 2012 International Building Code® (IBC®) and International Residential Code® (IRC®), as well as the flood requirements of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) standards 7-05, 7-10, and 24-05.  The CodeMaster helps designers ensure that they incorporate the flood-resistant provisions of these codes and standards. There are sections on preliminary considerations and design process, key flood terminology, a 12-step process to incorporate flood resistance in the design of a building, an example showing the 12-step process being executed, and information on additional FEMA mitigation resources related to flood-resistant design. The guidecan be purchased from the International Code Council [http://shop.iccsafe.org/].

Reducing Flood Losses through the International Codes (4th Edition)  introduces a Model Code-Coordinated Ordinance that communities participating in the NFIP can rely on to form the basis of their floodplain management practices. Developed by the International Code Council in cooperation with FEMA, this guide provides tools for state and local officials to integrate theI-Codes into current floodplain management regulatory processes. The guide also identifies pertinent questions that should be answered in the context of each state’s or community’s existing statutes and codes, and offers examples of how the I-Codes can be modified to incorporate even higher standards to increase resistance to flood damage. Available at www.fema.gov/medialibrary/assets/documents/96634.

Building Science into “discovery meetings” of the RiskMAP process.  Recent inroads have also been made incorporating Building Science into “discovery meetings” of the RiskMAP process, with a particular emphasis on discussing disaster-resistant building codes, hazard-resistant design, and construction and engineering guidance for mitigation/HMA projects. A key resource in this effort has been the Building Science Toolkit (FEMA P-950 CD) found at www.fema.gov/medialibrary/assets/documents/92819.

“RiskMAP and CRS Synergy” is a recorded, one-hour webinar that introduces FEMA’s CRS and RiskMAP initiative and shows how communities can use both to improve their floodplain management programs. Class materials, including the handouts, the presentation slides, and a summary of the Q & A are available for download at http://www.starrteam.com/starr/Training_Materials/Risk_MAP-CRS_Synergy. The recorded webinar can be accessed at http://j.mp/starr-recorded-training (click on “Recorded Sessions” at the left).

Improving Outcomes and Increasing Benefits Associated with Wetland and Stream Restoration Projects.  The Environmental Law Institute and The Nature Conservancy released a new handbook to advance the use of a watershed approach in the selection, design, and siting of wetland and stream restoration and protection projects, including projects required as compensatory mitigation for permitted activities.  The joint report, Watershed Approach Handbook: Improving Outcomes and Increasing Benefits Associated with Wetland and Stream Restoration and Protection Projects demonstrates how using a watershed approach can help ensure that these projects also contribute to goals of improved water quality, increased flood mitigation,improved quality and quantity of habitat, and increases in other ecological services and benefits.

 

KAMM Annual 2014 Conference Recap

Lake Barkley State Resort Park

September 9 – 11 – 2014 

More Information:  Link to the 2014 Conference page for Presentations, Photos, Online survey, more Conference Information, and the Announcement of the 2014 Mitigation and Floodplain Manager of the Year Awards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

KAMM mailing address: KAMM, PO Box 1016, Frankfort, KY 40602-1016.

Have questions, contact us at kentuckymitigation@gmail.com.  Don’t forget to join the KAMM group on LinkedIn.

 

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