Bradley Dean, CFM, CE’s Post

The final rule, which will be published tomorrow, will enhance resilience by ensuring that actions subject to the FFRMS are designed to be resilient to both current and future flood risks to minimize the impact of floods on human health, safety, and welfare and to protect Federal investments by reducing the risk of flood loss.

This has been long in the making (see original post below), but definitely something hugely needed by at-risk communities throughout the US and a big step in the right direction. FEMA has just announced the final policy for the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS)! Effective September 9, 2024, this policy strengthens our resilience against flooding by utilizing cutting-edge climate science and innovative approaches. What are the #KeyPoints of FFRMS? 1. Utilizes the Climate Informed Science Approach (CISA) to determine flood elevations. 2. Ensures non-critical and critical actions ( Hospitals and healthcare facilities, Emergency operation centers, Utilities and essential services, Schools and daycare centers, Facilities storing hazardous materials) meet strict floodplain standards. 3. Emphasizes the use of natural and nature-based solutions. 4. Promotes early coordination among federal agencies for a unified approach. What is #CISA? The Climate Informed Science Approach (CISA) integrates the best-available data and climate science to establish floodplain boundaries and flood elevations. This method ensures that flood risk assessments consider both current and future conditions, enhancing accuracy and building resilience against future flood events. That #FutureConditions bit is key! This initiative is a big step forward in safeguarding our communities and federal assets from the increasing risks of flooding 🌐💧 #FloodManagement #Resilience #ClimateScience #FEMA #FFRMS Read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/gX6zWDX9

Major kudos to FEMA and their new Federal Flood Risk Management Standard rule! And thanks Bradley Dean, CFM, CE for laying out some highlights.

Another important step toward building community resilience. As more tools, policy and design guidance are put in place, it will become easier to get buy in and funding support to incorporate the much-needed adaptation actions to protect our critical infrastructure and communities today and into the future. Resilience will be a critical element for the future of our industry.

@fema just published the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, which will strengthen public infrastructure amid increasing climate risks. This new FEMA rule will be a game changer for communities stuck in a cycle of climate-driven disasters and rising flood damages. By requiring a holistic assessment of current and future flood risk, increasing the height requirement for federally funded construction projects rebuilt post-disaster and allowing funds to be spent on relocation, this rule will help build resilience for flood-prone communities while saving taxpayers money. Read this article to learn more. https://bit.ly/4d2Zudn  

A new FEMA agency rule was just published! The Federal Flood Risk Management Standard aims to strengthen public infrastructure as communities face increasing climate-driven flood risks. Now, federally funded construction projects rebuilt post-disaster must consider future flood risks and nature-based solutions, as well as be elevated at least two feet above base flood elevation or be relocated. These changes will help reduce repetitive flood losses for individuals and communities while also saving taxpayers money. Learn more 👉 https://bit.ly/4d2Zudn. 

A new @fema agency rule was just published! The Federal Flood Risk Management Standard aims to strengthen public infrastructure as communities face increasing climate-driven flood risks. Now, federally funded construction projects rebuilt post-disaster must consider future flood risks and nature-based solutions, as well as be elevated at least two feet above base flood elevation or be relocated. These changes will help reduce repetitive flood losses for individuals and communities while also saving taxpayers money. Learn more 👉 https://bit.ly/4d2Zudn. 

FEMA just published the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, which will strengthen public infrastructure amid increasing climate risks. This new FEMA rule will be a game changer for communities stuck in a cycle of climate-driven disasters and rising flood damages. By requiring a holistic assessment of current and future flood risk, increasing the height requirement for federally funded construction projects rebuilt post-disaster and allowing funds to be spent on relocation, this rule will help build resilience for flood-prone communities while saving taxpayers money. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4d2Zudn

Infrastructure projects need to consider climate change per new FEMA rules, it will be important to consider local changes that infrastructure themselves cause and change the regional climate and rainfall patterns. This feedback is a missing component of the urban rainfall changes, that needs to be additionally considered. A study we published some time back makes this point in highlighting that if those feedbacks are not considered we may in some instances be underestimating the flood risk (magnitude) by nearly 50%! Long Yang, , Tian, F. and Dev Niyogi, 2015. A need to revisit hydrologic responses to urbanization by incorporating the feedback on spatial rainfall patterns. Urban Climate, 12, pp.128-140. https://lnkd.in/gVtY9Wuw This aspect is further analyzed more in depth in this paper Long Yang, Yang, Y., Shen, Y., Yang, J., Zheng, G., Smith, J. and Niyogi, D., 2024. Urban development pattern’s influence on extreme rainfall occurrences. Nature Communications, 15(1), p.3997. which showed that "Cities that experience compact development tend to witness larger increases in extreme rainfall frequency over downtown than their rural surroundings....." So the FEMA rules is a step in the right direction, but additional local considerations should be considered to reduce the flood risk as we develop new infrastructure. Brigid Shea Alison Alter Alexia Leclercq, M.Ed Allysa Dallmann Zach Baumer Marc Coudert Kirk Watson Bridget Scanlon Michael Young Claudia Mora Robert Gilbert J.R. De Shazo

A new FEMA agency rule was just published! The Federal Flood Risk Management Standard aims to strengthen public infrastructure as communities face increasing climate-driven flood risks. Now, federally funded construction projects rebuilt post-disaster must consider future flood risks and nature-based solutions, as well as be elevated at least two feet above base flood elevation or be relocated. These changes will help reduce repetitive flood losses for individuals and communities while also saving taxpayers money. Learn more 👉 https://bit.ly/4d2Zudn