FEMA Flood Insurance Study

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FEMAFlood Insurance Study

• Victoria County
• Scoping Meeting

April 5, 2006
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FEMA Contact Information

• James Orwat, PE
• james.orwat_at_dhs.gov
• FEMA Region VI
• 800 North Loop 288
• Denton, TX 76201-3698
• [phone] Office
• [phone] Fax

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Meeting Agenda

• Introduction
• Purpose of Victoria County Re-Study
• NFIP Overview
• FEMA Map Modernization
• FEMA Compliance
• National Service Provider (NSP)
• Scoping Activities
• Phase 1 Study
• Re-Study Process
• Community and FEMA Agreement Discussion (MOAs)

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Purpose of the Victoria County Re-Study

• Update Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMS) and
  Flood Data
• Produce GIS-based Digital FIRMs
• Provide Guidance For
• Development in Flood Prone Areas
• Emergency Response
• Planning and Design throughout the County

5
NFIP Overview

• What Is It?
• Participating Communities Can Insure Against
  Flood Losses

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NFIP Overview

• Issue Permits
• Ensure that New Construction is Elevated to the
  Base Flood Elevation
• Prohibit Construction Within the Floodways
• Adopt the Flood Insurance Rate Map by the
  Community and Incorporate into Ordinance

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FEMA Map Modernization

• Nationwide
• 5-Year Plan
• 1 Billion Budget

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Flood Map Modernization Vision

• Network the nation using the MIP
• Leverage the use of Federal, State, Local
  Resources
• Reduce processing time and costs for map updates
• Increase partners, stakeholders, and users
  understanding of flood hazards and risks

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FEMA Compliance

• Mapping and Ordinance Adoption Process
• Community officials awareness of study process
• Meetings
• Final adoption and/or revision of Floodplain
  Management Ordinance

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Compliance Contact

• FEMA Compliance Denton, Texas
• Lonnie Ward, CFM [phone]
• Texas State NFIP Coordinator TCEQ/Austin, Texas
• Mike Howard, CFM [phone]
• NFIP Representatives (Flood Insurance/agents
  lenders) - Houston, Texas
• Dorothy Martinez, CFM [phone]

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RMC Contact Information

• Steve Altman, PE, CFM
• Steve.Altman_at_mapmodteam.com
• Michael Baker Jr., Inc.
• 101 S. Locust Street, Suite 300
• Denton, Texas 76201
• [phone] Office
• [phone] Fax

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National Service Provider (NSP)

• Michael Baker Jr., Inc.
• Overall Program Management
• Numerous partners (IBM, etc)

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Regional Management Center (RMC)

• Michael Baker Jr., Inc. in Denton, TX
• Support to the FEMA Region
• Project Management
• Map Needs Assessment
• Compliance
• Outreach / Public Awareness

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Halff Associates, Inc. Study Contractor

• Michael Moya, PE, CFM
• mmoya_at_halff.com
• Halff Associates, Inc.
• 4000 Fosssil Creek Blvd.
• Fort Worth, Texas 76137
• [phone] Office
• [phone] Fax

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Map Modernization 1834 Style(Pre-FIRM)
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Map Modernization 2004 Style DFIRM Product
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Scoping Activities
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Pertinent Data on Victoria County

• Area 888.73 Sq. Mi.
• Density 104 Persons/Sq. Mi.

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Pertinent Data on Victoria County
13.1 Population Increase
2000 Population 88,495
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Pertinent Data on Victoria County

• 15 Existing FIRMs (Printed)
• Scales 11000, and 2000
• Average Panel Age 17 Years
• FIS FIRM Avg Technical Age 19 Years
• Flood Insurance Policies in Place 1,347
• LOMCs 23
• Claims 486 (5,935,265)
• Repetitive Loss Properties 36

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What Are We Scoping?

• Information Search
• Coordination / Outreach
• Assess Community Mapping Needs

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Victoria County Re-Study

• Scoping
• 115 miles of Detail Study (Zone AE)
• 625 miles of Approximate Study (Zone A)
• 15 Existing FIRMs

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The Study Process

• Information Search
• Base Map and Terrain Data Acquisition
• Field Survey
• Hydrology
• Hydraulics
• Mapping
• Reporting (TSDN)
• Coordination /Outreach

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Base Mapping

• Local Provided Planimetrics
• USDA National Agrigultural Imagery Program (NAIP)
• USGS Contours Supplemented with Local Data

Local High Resolution Data
USGS 7.5 Minute Quads
USGS DOQQ
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Terrain Information

• Terrain Map Sources
• Local Data City of Victoria
• USGS Contour Maps 30 M DEMs
• 2006 LiDAR

USGS 7.5 Minute Quads
Local High Resolution Data
USGS 30M DEM
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DATUM NAVD 88 / NAD 83

• The majority of existing FIRM panels vertical
  datums
• National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) 29
• Local Datum
• New DFIRM Panel vertical datum will be
  standardized to (North America Vertical Datum)
  NAVD 88 and NAD 83 (Horizontal

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Possible Mapping Products Available

• New Detailed Study
• Enhanced Approximate Study
• Redelineation of Existing Detailed Study
• Approximate Study (Zone A Refinement)
• Digital Conversion

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New Detailed Study

• Field Survey
• New Topo/Orthophoto
• Detailed Hydrologic and Hydraulic Modeling
• Floodway Computations
• Flood Profiles
• Calibrated to Historical Events
• Most Expensive Type of Study

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Sample of Detail Study Stream

• Sample Detail Study Stream
• Cross-Sections, BFEs, Floodways

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Coastal Analysis
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Enhanced Approximate Study

• Limited Detailed Study
• No (or) Limited Structure Surveys
• No (or) Limited Floodways
• No (or) Limited Profiles
• Advantages
• Cost is Much Less Than Detailed Study
• More Streams Can Be Studied

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Redelineation Streams

• Applies to Existing Detailed Study Streams (Zone
  AE)
• Vertical Datum Update from 1929 to 1988
• Flood Boundaries Mapped to the Best Available
  Topography

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Zone AE Redelineation
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Zone AE Redelineation
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Approximate Study

• Zone A Refinement
• Automated HH Procedures
• Boundaries Mapped to Best Analyze Topography

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Sample of Existing Zone A
100-yr Boundary
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Zone A Refinement Stream HEN-4
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Zone A Refinement
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Digital Conversion

• Utilize the Existing Flood Zone Information
• Advantages Low Cost Solution
• Disadvantages
• Boundaries may not agree with the best available
  topographic data

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Floodplain Mapping
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DFIRM
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DFIRM Mapping
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DFIRM Database
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Technical Support Data Notebooks (TSDNs)
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Technical Support Data Notebooks (TSDNs)

• Complete Documentation of Project
• All Data Collected
• All Analyses Assumptions

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Map Mod Study Process
Flood Mapping Project Phases
Preliminary DFIRM
Post Preliminary Processing
Project Scoping (2 phases)
Community Coordination Mapping
Needs Assessment
Topographic Data Acquisition
DFIRM Production
O U T R E A C H
30 Days
1-8 Months
12-18 Months
30 Days
9-12 Months
30-90 Days
Time frames given are approximate and will vary
from study to study
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Post-Preliminary Phase

• Communities Receive DFIRMs and FIS Report
• Within 30 days, FEMA will schedule and hold a CCO
  Meeting
• Approximately 7 days after the CCO Meeting, a
  notice will be printed in the local paper of
  choice regarding the commencement of the 90 day
  appeals period.
• 14 days from the date of the first notification,
  a second notification will be published stating
  the 90 day appeal period has started.
• Once the appeals period has ended and all appeals
  have been resolved, a 6 month compliance period
  commences.

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Post-Preliminary Phase (cont.)

• During the 6 month compliance period, the
  communities will have to adopt a new floodplain
  ordinance that recognizes the new maps.
• If a community has not passed the ordinance
  within the 6 month compliance period, the
  community will be suspended from the program.
• Maps become effective at the end of the 6 month
  compliance period.

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Community Partnering Agreement

• Community Partner Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
• Cooperative Technical Partners Program
  Partnership Agreement
• Flood Maps More Accurate Updated Faster
• Improved Hazard Identification and Risk
  Assessment
• Shared Best Practices

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What Can the Communities Do?

• Continue to provide technical data
• Continue to support the FEMA effort
• Sign MOA if you have not already
• Timely review and comments on Preliminary Maps
• Start Adoption Process Now!

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For More Information

• www.fema.gov

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Halff FEMA Re-Study Website Hotline
www.halff-femastudy.com Hotline (877) HALFF-TX
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Questions?
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FEMAFlood Insurance Study

• Victoria County
• Scoping Meeting

April 5, 2006