Flood Coalition Offers Free Resources

Best practices and tools help cities protect their communities

by Sheryl S. Jackson, Florida League of Cities

An average annual rainfall between 40 and 60 inches per year and the number of streams, coastlines, rivers and lakes throughout Florida makes flooding one of the most common weather emergencies in the state.

The American Flood Coalition (AFC) is a national organization that works with cities, civic organizations and individuals to advocate for flooding solutions and provide practical tools, resources and advice that support cities’ response to flooding. There is no cost to join the coalition, and 60 Florida cities are members.

“The two most common reasons cities join the coalition are to network and share best practices with other cities and to access our resources,” said Kate Wesner, Florida Director for AFC. “These resources include a monthly newsletter with key grant deadlines and updates, articles that explain complicated processes and changes, and topic-specific briefings and reports.”

Recent topics of articles and blogs include:

▸ Explaining how communities can prepare an application for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program

▸ Outlining key flood resilience measures included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and explaining what these measures mean for communities on the frontlines of flooding

▸ Introducing the basics of flood insurance, Risk Rating 2.0 and other steps to reduce flood risk

▸ Providing details of Florida’s “Always Ready” law and explaining how communities can prepare for the new funding.

Tools, guides and strategies are also available, with many of them online at floodcoalition.org. Resources include:

▸ AFC’s Flood Funding Finder tool that helps small communities identify the right federal funding programs to fund flood resilience

▸ AFC’s Adaptation for All guide that helps local leaders identify the most appropriate approaches to flooding or sea level rise for their communities

▸ AFC’s report, “Conversations with Communities: Considerations for Equitable Flooding and Disaster Recovery Policy,” which offers ways policymakers can improve social equity by elevating the voices of historically underserved communities in disaster preparedness and recovery.

“AFC serves as a resource for our members as they address flooding and sea level rise,” said Wesner. AFC has supported pilot projects to help local governments test new tools to explore adaptation options and hosted a Mayor’s Summit in Washington, D.C., to bring flooding issues to the nation’s capital. “The real power of our coalition is the ability to coalesce around flooding solutions together, ensuring that local voices are heard at the state and federal level.”

The size, staffing and financial resources of AFC municipal members vary greatly, but everyone benefits from the opportunities to share best practices, access educational opportunities and learn how to maneuver funding opportunities, said Wesner.

“We research issues that impact local governments, as well as funding opportunities, condensing information into easier-to-understand formats and language,” she said. “This helps cities of any size find the information and resources they need.”

For more information about AFC, visit floodcoalition.org or contact kate@floodcoalition.org.

Sheryl S. Jackson is a Writer/Editor for the Florida League of Cities.