This document provides guidance for communities to plan for flood resilience. It outlines steps communities can take to address flooding including planning and preparing, responding, and recovering from flood events. Specific strategies are presented, such as updating hazard mitigation plans, zoning codes, and building codes to require flood-resilient construction. The goal is to help communities understand their flood risks, identify vulnerable assets, and develop and implement mitigation actions and adaptation strategies to increase flood resilience.

1. PLANNING FOR FLOOD RESILIENCE
WHAT CAN YOUR COMMUNITY DO?
Michelle Robbins, AICP, Technical Director •
AKRF, Inc.

2. Flooding and Resilience
What can municipalities do?
http://stormrecovery.ny.gov/nyrcr

3. What is Resilience?
The ability to plan for, withstand, and recover from severe events -
without suffering permanent loss of functions, devastating
damage, diminished productivity or decreased quality of life.
 .
Existing & Vulnerable
Rebuilt & Resilient

4. Flood Resilience
 Our region is already experiencing the effects of more severe
and more frequent flooding driven by uncontrollable natural
events that have and will continue to occur and potentially
worsen within our lifetimes.
 Municipal officials,
engineers, planners and
staff are encouraged to
proactively assist their
communities to better
understand and reduce
the frequency of
flooding by addressing
the causes of flooding,
flood risk, and
emergency response
and recovery.
http://stormrecovery.ny.gov/nyrcr

5. Why plan for future storm events?
 To lessen their impact
 To protect critical resources
 To reduce the potential for injury and loss of life
 To shorten the time to recovery.
http://stormrecovery.ny.gov/nyrcr

6. Objective: Flood Resilience
The goal of today is to provide
communities with resources to address
flooding and become more resilient:
 Outline Steps
 Provide Tools
 Identify Resources
 Present Examples

7. Steps to Address Flooding
 Plan and Prepare
 Respond
 Recover

8. Steps to Address Flooding
 Plan and Prepare
 Better understand the process and patterns of flooding
 Educate ourselves and the public about flooding and how to be ready
for the next event
 Identify resiliency strategies and actions to limit the extent of flooding
 Respond
 Develop emergency action plan to warn those in harms way and assist
those who become trapped
 Provide adequate emergency shelter for those displaced during an
event
 Recover
 Assist displaced residents and owners of impacted businesses with
identifying resources and funding available to help with rebuilding or
relocation
 Quickly restore critical services
 Repair damage

9. What Does Resilience Look Like?
 Effective approaches for planning and preparing for
flooding, responding to flooding, and recovering from
flooding require action from multiple sectors (i.e.,
economic, social, environmental, and governmental)
and include development of adaptation strategies and
actions that range from
 Low-cost, community based approaches to
 High-cost infrastructure improvements
http://stormrecovery.ny.gov/nyrcr

10.  Review Available Reports
Data and Establish Baseline
Conditions
 Identify Resources and Assets
 Identify Vulnerability to
Flooding
 Characterize Flood Risk
 Develop Resiliency Strategies
and Actions
 Implement Resiliency
Strategies and Actions
How do you start?
http://www.inkcinct.com.au/web-pages/cartoons/past/2011/2011-036--eternal-optimist---floods-.jpg

11. Review Available Reports
 Map and Document Review
Review existing maps
» FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps
» NOAA Inundation Maps
» National Wetland Inventory Maps
» NYSDEC Wetlands and Watercourses Maps
» Local mapping of surface water resources
http://s http://www.vandevertranch.org/stew_Map_FEMA_Flood_Ins_Rate.html tormrecovery.ny.gov/nyrcr

12. Review Available Reports (Continued)
 Map and Document Review
(continued)
Review local and regional
planning and guidance
documents including
» Comprehensive/Master Plan
» Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan
for Hudson River Communities
» Hazard Mitigation Plan
» Emergency Operations/Action Plan
 If gaps exist review relevant
national studies
http://www.villageof
millerton.com/pdf/A
HMPFinal092210.p
df
http://www.scenichudson.org/sites/default/files/u2/revitalizing-hudson-riverfronts.pdf

13. Establish Baseline Conditions
 Data Collection
Collect available data on past storm events
» Areas of Vulnerability (inundation and erosion)
» Stream flow and staging
» NOAA and Stream/River Data
Survey residents, emergency service personnel, municipal
officials and staff
» Identify areas of repeat flooding
» Determine flooding extent
Determine if any flood stage and flow modeling has been
done within the watershed(s) in the municipality
» Have studies been completed by federal or state agencies
» Was modelling required as part of a private or public project

14. Identify Resources and Assets
What is at risk? People, Property, Economy, Environment
 What are your communities unique resources and key
assets?
 Infrastructure Systems— transportation networks, water supply,
wastewater treatment, stormwater conveyance, waste management,
utilities
 Housing – single-family, multi-family, rental and that for socially
vulnerable populations (elderly, low income, disabled)
 Natural Resources — wetlands, streams, waterbodies, open space,
 Cultural Resources — historic structures, parkland and recreational
uses
 Economic Resources – commercial and industrial uses, downtown
areas, waterfronts, tourism
 Health and Social Services and Community Resources —
schools, emergency services, municipal facilities, hospitals, day care
facilities, shelters, community centers, and those providing services to
socially vulnerable populations

15. Identify Vulnerability to Flooding
 What resources and key assets are vulnerable to flooding? Evaluate
Vulnerability (Exposure) by determining:
 Its position in the landscape
 What lies between it and the flooding source
 Its history of flooding, length and duration of past impacts
 Use GIS data to assist with locating assets, flood zones, flood sources
as well as existing and potential future flood prone areas
http://stormrecovery.ny.gov/nyrcr

16. Characterize Flood Risk
 Risks are characterized according to:
 Designated and known flood areas/zones
» Extreme Risk = 10 year flood (Not generally mapped)
» High Risk = 100 year flood (FEMA mapped)
» Moderate Risk = 500 year flood (FEMA mapped)
» Other = outside flood zone

17. Characterize Flood Risk
 Risks are characterized according to:
 Background and local conditions
 Historic frequency and probability of occurrence
 Community value of asset/resource
» High
» Medium
» Low
» Based on a communities input on its ability to function and for
how long without the asset in operational order
http://stormrecovery.ny.gov/nyrcr

18. Develop Flood Resiliency Strategies and Actions
 Housing and Property Protection
 Land acquisition, home relocation, building elevation, rebuilding
barriers, flood-proofing, move mechanicals to upper floors, provision of
insurance, and structural retrofits
 Resident and Business Owner Education and Awareness
 Outreach and education projects, flood/hazard information centers,
technical assistance, financial assistance, programs on flood
preparedness, response and recovery
 Natural and Cultural Resource Protection
 Erosion and sediment control in streams, stream corridor protection,
vegetative management & stream bank buffer protection, wetland and
buffer preservation, tree preservation (forests increase infiltration),
shoreline protection, open space preservation, parkland as flood
storage, stream channel restoration,

19. Develop Flood Resiliency Strategies and Actions
(Continued)
 Emergency, Health and Social Services
 Flood risk recognition, flood/hazard warning systems, emergency
response & recovery plans, protection of critical facilities, health and
safety maintenance, shelter facilities, training of emergency service
providers, Emergency Operations Center, shelters, pumps, generators
 Structural/Infrastructure
 Culvert and bridge assessment and upgrades, seawall replacement,
bulkhead and retaining wall removal/repair, stormwater conveyance
systems, retrofitted buildings and elevated roadways,
encasing/elevating utility boxes, hardening of critical municipal
facilities, utility protection,
 Community Planning
 Zoning updates, LWPR updates, Master Plan updates, Emergency
Operations/Action Plan, Hazard Mitigation Plan, Sustainability Plan,
 Conservation Easements, Deed Restrictions

20. Municipal Tools:
Implementing Flood Controls, Mitigation and Resiliency
Strategies and Actions
 Policy Documents
 Master Plan
 Hazard Mitigation Plan
 Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan (LWRP)
 Open Space Plan
 Sustainability Plan
 Watershed Protection Plan
 Zoning
 Cluster development
 Natural resource and open space protections
 Tree preservation regulations (infiltration and stream bank stabilization)
 Building Codes & Regulations
 Define method of and materials for construction
 Building protection practices

21. Master Plan
Update Master Plan
 Promote Flood Resiliency Goals and Disaster Resistance
 Encourage Smart Growth Strategies that consider the relationship between
development patterns and flooding.
 Require that development and infrastructure in identified sea level rise or
flooding areas be designed to accommodate future modifications and extend
design life
 Identify and Map Areas of Flooding and Inundation - if along Hudson River
identify and Map Sea Level Rise Impact Areas
 Locate development footprints and construction impact zones within previously
developed areas and outside flood zones where possible

22. Hazard Mitigation Plan
A Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) is a living document that
communities use to reduce their vulnerability to hazards.
HMPs form the foundation for a community's long-term
strategy to reduce disaster losses and break the cycle of
disaster damage, reconstruction and repeated damage.
They create a framework for risk-based decision making to
reduce damages to lives, property and the economy from
future disasters.
http://www.villageofmillerton.com/pdf/AHMPFinal092210.pdf

23. Hazard Mitigation Plan
A Hazard Mitigation Plan is used to:
 To identify and assess risks to the community
 Identify actions to reduce risk and vulnerability to
disaster losses and repeat damage from natural and
non-natural hazards including flooding
 To create more “disaster resistant” and flood resilient
communities.
http://stormrecovery.ny.gov/nyrcr

24. Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP)
FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs are
designed to provide funding to protect life and property from future
natural disasters.
 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) assists in implementing
long-term hazard mitigation measures following a major disaster.
 Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) provides funds for hazard mitigation
planning and projects on an annual basis.
 Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) provides funds for projects to
reduce or eliminate risk of flood damage to buildings that are insured
under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) on an annual
basis.

25. Hazard Mitigation Plan
Communities must have an approved HMP to apply for and
receive Federal Mitigation Grant Funding. Grant funding is
available for projects to mitigate risk to both public and
private property.
 An HMP is an eligibility requirement for
some funding sources including Hazard
Mitigation Grant, Pre-Disaster Mitigation
and Flood Mitigation Assistance
 Two of FEMA’s mitigation grants programs,
HMGP and PDM, can provide your
community with funds to create and
implement a Mitigation Plan.
Source: http://www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-assistance
http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/33634?id=7851

26. Consider Zoning Code Revisions
Cluster Development to Preserve Natural Resources
 Encourage Cluster Development
 Consider Incentives for Cluster Development
 Cluster to Preserve 100-year Flood Plain as Conservation Land
[Source: Subdivision Design in
Flood Hazard Areas]

27. Consider Zoning Code Revisions
Natural Resource Protection/Watershed Management
 Increase Stormwater Detention
 Increase Stream and Stream Buffer Protection
 Increase Wetland and Wetland Buffer Protection
 Increase Steep Slope Protection
 Stormwater infrastructure mapping
http://s AKRF, Inc tormrecovery.ny.gov/nyrcr

28. Building Code Considerations
 Update Building Codes to
require specific building
construction techniques and
materials
 Building elevation
 Foundation design
 Anchoring system
 Adopt stricter building codes
to protect heating & electrical
 Bring utility boxes, hot water
heaters, etc. up from the
basement or encase to protect
from water

29. Base Flood Elevation
BASE FLOOD ELEVATION (BFE)—The elevation shown on
the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for high-risk flood
zones (“A” and “V” zones) indicates the water surface
elevation resulting from a flood that has a 1 percent
chance of equaling or exceeding that level in any given
year.
http://gopremierone.com/flood-zone-designations/

30. Freeboard
What is Freeboard?
Freeboard is elevating a building’s lowest floor above predicted
flood elevations by a small additional height (generally 1-3 feet
above National Flood Insurance Program [NFIP] minimum height
requirements).
What Are the Benefits of Freeboard?
 Increased protection from floods and storms.
 Provides an added margin of safety to address the
flood modeling and mapping uncertainties associated
with FIRMs.
Source: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/CoastSmart/pdfs/Freeboard_factsheet.pdf

31. Building Code Considerations
Building Codes – Home Elevation
Freeboard

32. Flood Resiliency Actions
1. Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance
2. National Flood Insurance Program
Community Rating System (CRS)
3. Public Outreach Efforts
 Public Survey
 Public Outreach
 Public Education
4. Formation of Stormwater Districts
5. Planning for Emergency Access
6. Flood Resilience and Municipal Planning
7. Stormwater Treatment Wetland

33. 1. Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance
ISSUE New development proposed in floodplains
ACTIONS
OUTCOMES
1. Ordinance updated to be compliant with the latest FEMA base
flood elevations (BFE) plus a minimum of 2 foot of freeboard.
2. Requirements for relocating building mechanicals to an upper
floor to protect it from flooding were included.
3. Structures that are reconstructed within the original footprint and
elevated to comply with a new BFE are exempt from having to
obtain a height variance if structure exceeds allowable building
height
 Allows municipality to continue to participate in the Nation
Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) while permitting existing
property owners the opportunity to remain on their land and
reduce their flood insurance rate.
 New development more flood resilient.
 More stringent requirements could act as a deterrent to new
development proposed in the floodplain.

34. 2. National Flood Insurance Program Community
Rating System (CRS)
High cost of flood insurance.
Municipalities can help reduce residential flood insurance rates
through participation in the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating
System (CRS).
 NFIP CRS is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and
encourages community floodplain management activities that
exceed the minimum NFIP requirements.
 Property owner flood insurance premium rates are discounted due
to reduced flood risk resulting from the community actions
meeting the three goals of the CRS:
 Reduce flood damage to insurable property;
 Strengthen and support the insurance aspects of the NFIP, and
 Encourage a comprehensive approach to floodplain management.
Village staff have begun to assemble reporting materials required by
FEMA in support of participation in the CRS.
ISSUE
ACTIONS
OUTCOME

35. 3. Public Outreach Efforts
 Social Media has become a low cost, highly effective
communication tool for sharing risk information within
communities. Using programs such as Twitter, Facebook, and
YouTube, communities have the opportunity to reach a broader and
more diverse audience. Communities can also use their existing
websites to get the message out to residents and business owners
to “know their risk.” This information can be shared through a link
to this site or by downloading resources from our site.
 Consider utilizing community meetings and newsletters, local
websites, community events, local stores, and public buildings
such as Chambers of Commerce and Libraries for distributing flood
risk information. Building understanding of the local flood risk in
your community can inspire citizens to take actions to reduce that
risk.

36. Public Survey
Understanding resident preparedness to flooding
On-line natural hazards preparedness citizen survey
was developed and used to gauge household
preparedness . The questionnaire asked 24 quantifiable
questions about citizen perception of risk, knowledge of
mitigation, and support of community programs. It also
posed several demographic questions to help analyze
trends.
Information was used to assess the residents level of
knowledge of the tools and techniques available to assist
in reducing risk and loss from flooding and to identify,
locate and/or prepare targeted flood related information for
distribution to residents on topics for which a strong
knowledge base was lacking.
ISSUE
ACTIONS
OUTCOME

37. Public Outreach
Property owners are unaware of financial assistance programs to support
repair, rebuild, buyout or are discouraged by the paperwork they must file
and the time it takes to get enrolled.
All NFIP Repetitive Loss (RL) and Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) property
owners were mailed an announcement to attend a meeting about
voluntarily participating in efforts to mitigate their properties. The meeting
and presentation was attended by several dozen residents who were
encouraged to submit a “Homeowner Interest Sign-Up Sheet and
Voluntary Notice” stating their interest to participate.
Residents in attendance are now aware of available funding sources and
several indicated their interest to participate. Coordination with interested
residents is ongoing.
ISSUE
ACTION
OUTCOME
http://stormrecovery.ny.gov/nyrcr

38. Public Education
Residents and business owners are unfamiliar with the processes that lead to
flooding and are unaware of how they can better protect themselves, their
families, their employees and their property from flood waters.
Distribute flood related information and educational materials to all residents
via community meetings and newsletters, local websites, social media,
community events, local stores, and at public buildings such as libraries.
ISSUE
ACTION
OUTCOME
Building understanding of the local flood
risk in your community and how best to
prepare, respond and recover can inspire
citizens to take actions to reduce that risk.
A good resource for materials tailored to Dutchess
County is Cornell’s Estuary Watershed Resilience
Project :
http://blogs.cornell.edu/estuaryresilience/resources/

39. 4. Formation of Stormwater Districts
Lack of stormwater management facilities maintenance is
contributing to flooding
Create Stormwater Districts to collect funds to be used toward
stormwater maintenance and upgrades where needed.
The Town has started to develop stormwater districts and will
begin the process of repairing and/or upgrading. Goal is to
reduce the volume of water discharged directly into the natural
surface water systems.
The Town is considering the use of some of the monies collected
through these districts to fund/implement green infrastructure
practices, thereby further reducing the stormwater volume
discharged during storm events.
ISSUE
ACTIONS
OUTCOMES

40. 5. Planning for Emergency Access
Bridges that are the sole access point to certain subdivisions
are inundated during storm events.
Zoning change - Develop, adopt and enforce regulatory
mechanisms (e.g. ordinances, amendments to town code and
zoning) to reduce the risk from vulnerable, sub-standard
private bridges, and the public safety risk of development in
areas where access is limited to a single, vulnerable bridge.
The mechanisms developed provide a definition of “bridge”,
establish minimum design/construction standards for
privately-owned bridges, and establish the requirements for
secondary access to mitigate the safety of residents in areas
served by public bridges.
http://www.pro17engineering.com/services/flood/
ISSUE
ACTION
OUTCOME
Zoning code is updated and all
new subdivisions will be built
with two access points one of
which is not accessed by a
road with a high flood risk.

41. 6. Flood Resilience and Municipal Planning
Flood resilience was not regularly being considered as part of
Town planning efforts
Update the Town’s Master Plan to include flood resilience as part
of a broader goal of incorporating other green and sustainable
development practices.
Town made a long-term commitment to sustainability planning
and is now integrating these practices into better position itself in
the world of funding from outside sources. They became a
Climate Smart Community and began to make land use planning
decisions from a different perspective.
Applied for a Consolidated Funding Grant to update their Master
Plan
The Town was awarded a grant for $175,000 and is now in the
process of revising its Master Plan.
ISSUE
ACTIONS
OUTCOME

42. 7. Stormwater Treatment Wetland
Frequent stormwater related flooding that damaged
apartments and single family homes on Wappinger
Lake.
Design and construct a stormwater treatment
wetland to reduce local flooding and improve quality
http://renewage.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Renewage-article.pdf
ISSUE
ACTION
OUTCOME
An EPA-initiated Green
Innovation Grant for $638,000
was awarded to the Village of
Wappingers Falls to design
and build a unique ecological
wetland stormwater treatment
system. The system has been
installed.
See “Ecological Wetland Stormwater
Treatment System Wappiners Falls, NY Case
Study”

43. Some Funding Sources and Resources
 FEMA - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has
five grant programs to help communities reduce loss of life and
property: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), Pre-Disaster
Mitigation (PDM), Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA), Repetitive
Flood Claims (RFC), and Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL).
 NYS EFC - The Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) offers
the Green Innovation Grant Program (GIGP) which provides money
for projects that “…utilize unique stormwater infrastructure design
and create cutting-edge green technologies”.
 SU EFC - Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center offers
a variety of grant opportunities as well as the publication, Funding
Guide for Capital Projects in Sustainable Materials Management
and links to other resources.
 NWF – National Wildlife Federation Conservation Funding has
offered grant money for habitat and natural resource restoration.

44. Some Resources to Explore
 NYSDEC Climate Smart Communities
 How to develop a Local Climate Action Plan: Methods
and Assistance for Local Governments
 http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/67493.html
 Mid-Hudson Regional Sustainability Plan
 Initiatives for direct implementation relating to land-use, energy, agriculture & open
space, water
 http://www.co.orange.ny.us/content/124/1362/10101.aspx
 USGBC Technical Guidance Manual for Sustainable Neighborhoods
 Incorporating LEED into traditional zoning code elements, site plan regulations &
neighborhood development
 http://www.usgbc.org/sites/default/files/Technical%20Guid.%20Man.%20for%20Sust.%2
0Neighborhoods_2012_Part%20A_1f_web.pdf
 FEMA NFIP CRS Program
 http://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program-community-rating-system
 Cornell University Estuary Watershed Resilience Project
 Flood Preparedness and response: A Guide for Municipalities
 http://blogs.cornell.edu/estuaryresilience/resources/
 Scenic Hudson, Adaptation Planning Resources
 http://www.scenichudson.org/slr/adaptation/adaptation-resources
 International Economic Development Council
 RestoreYourEconomy.org - A Disaster Recovery Web Portal
 http://www.iedconline.org/web-pages/resources-publications/restoreyoureconomy.org/

45. After All… Frequent Flooding is Changing
Where We Live, Work, and Play
Location Stony Point, NY, post-Sandy