FEDERAL/NATIONAL NEWS

For an update of the latest disaster declarations: CLICK HERE

For information on Flood Insurance Reform – Rates and Refunds: CLICK HERE

Advisor Update

FEMA Updates for FMA Board:

• Federal disaster declarations in April 2023 for flooding and severe storms include California (DR-4699-CA) for 15 counties and Nevada (DR-4708-NV) for six counties. Damage in January 2023 resulted in a major disaster declaration including 44 California counties (DR-4683-CA). Public assistance helps state and local governments with emergency response, recovery, and mitigation costs. Residents in more counties may become eligible for federal disaster assistance to support recovery efforts as officials finish assessing damages.

• FEMA is temporarily suspending initiation of Letters of Map Revision based on Fill (LOMR-Fs) and Conditional Letters of Map Revision based on Fill (CLOMR-Fs) in thirty-two California counties, and the cities and towns within them, effective July 1, 2023. This is needed to avoid potential adverse impacts on threatened and endangered species prior to consultation under the Endangered Species Act, and is in addition to six, southern California counties where a temporary suspension began August 2020. CLOMR-F or LOMR-F requests received after the suspense date are suspended without a FEMA determination. One can email nfip-esa-consultation-2020@fema.dhs.gov with a question on the temporary suspension or FEMA’s consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This suspension does not impact other letters of map change including Letters of Map Amendment, Conditional Letters of Map Revision, and Letters of Map Revision.

• A new FEMA report Building Community Resilience with Nature-Based Solutions highlights strategies for implementing successful projects and design for the future.

• State and local mitigation planning policy guides became effective for all FEMA plan approvals on April 19, 2023.

• Updated hazard mitigation assistance policy guide replaces 2015 guidance.

California General Updates

Putting Flood Waters to Work: State Expedites Efforts to Maximize Groundwater Recharge

May 9, 2023

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is implementing an emergency program to divert high river flows away from flood-prone Central Valley communities and into groundwater recharge basins. DWR is working with local agencies and equipment vendors to provide funding and secure much-needed temporary diversion equipment, including pumps and siphons, and will support their deployment by local agencies.

The first set of temporary pumps and siphons were deployed by Fresno Irrigation District on April 25. The district is reducing downstream flood impacts in the Tulare Lake Region and expanding groundwater recharge efforts by diverting water from Kings River reaches to existing recharge facilities or working agricultural lands.

Read more

State-Federal Joint Operations Center Activated for Flood & Snowmelt Response

State and federal partners are monitoring the spring snowmelt, responding to requests for materials and technical assistance, and providing advance planning to communities and counties that may be affected by the incoming flows. Key areas of focus include the San Joaquin Valley and Tulare Lake Basin. DWR staff have been providing information about potential impacts at public meetings organized by local officials. Report flood incidents to (916) 574-2619 or call (800) 952-5530 to listen to river forecasts, general water conditions, and flood information.

DWR Conducted May 1 Snow Survey to Continue to Collect Data on Spring Runoff

May 1, 2023

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today conducted the fifth snow survey of the season at Phillips Station. The manual survey recorded 59 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 30 inches, which is 241 percent of average for this location on May

1. DWR’s electronic readings from 130 snow sensors placed throughout the state indicate the statewide snowpack’s snow water equivalent is 49.2 inches, or 254 percent of average for this date.

Read more

Current regional snowpack

Historical snowpack comparison

NFIP

April 30 to May 5, 2023: DWR’s Garret Tam Sing instructed the EO273 course, Managing Development Through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), at the FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, MD. Training was provided to 30 students from across the nation to help them understand the NFIP requirements and to prepare them for the Certified Floodplain Manager’s exam.

May 6-12, 2023: DWR staff attended the 2023 Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) Conference in Raleigh, NC. The annual conference brings together floodplain mangers from across the county for training, networking, workshops, and collaboration. Garret tam Sing proctored the Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) Exam, co-hosted the CFM Ethics Virtual Webinar, and co-instructed the CFM Boot Camp.

Questions?

Nikki Blomquist, Advisor

California Department of Water Resources

Nikki.Blomquist@water.ca.gov (916) 820-7749

Salomon Miranda, Advisor

California Department of Water Resources

Salomon.Miranda@water.ca.gov (818) 549-2347

Hawaii

See the latest news stories relating to Hawaii’s floodplain management issues. For the transformed flood information platform from Hawaii visit their exciting weekly blog at https://waihalana.hawaii.gov/

Some of the latest postings relate to hurricane preparedness, stewarding our environment, and Flood Insurance. For archived Wai Halana Newsletters (prior to 2018) https://dlnreng.hawaii.gov/nfip/wai-halana/

Nevada

The Nevada Floodplain Management Program supports in-person outreach throughout the year by attending events as requested, and by selecting appropriate events to participate in, with community, federal, and tribal partners. Recent in-person outreach efforts include the Fernley Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Festival and Reno Earth Day. The flood program team brought the interactive flood model and outreach materials with us to these events.

Nevada Silver Jackets projects (interagency efforts between the US Army Corp and State Floodplain Management partners) are still underway along with some newly awarded projects and drafting the FY24 Project Proposals. In February we hosted an in-person Nevada Flood Mitigation and Funding Opportunities Workshop in Clark County. Next up will be a Flood Mitigation (FMA) Grant specific one-hour webinar on May 25, 2023 at 2:30pm; please email Nvsilverjackets@usace.army.mil to register for this webinar. Ongoing Silver Jackets projects have include the development of an informational pamphlet for teachers that summarizes all of the standard classroom curriculum we have created to go hand in hand with our virtual outreach materials. This pamphlet and all other materials will then be accessible on our website; Nevadafloods.org. Lastly the Nevada Silver Jackets have prepared a draft Floodplain Management Plan for South Fork dam in Elko County with the goal of this being an example for applicants applying for funding from FEMA’s the Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dams (HHPD) grant program. This fiscal years’ awarded projects include a Comprehensive High Watermark Campaign that entails working with communities to create high watermark signage that also ties back to more in depth information on our website Nevadafloods.org with hopefully an interactive map that will continue to grow with high watermark locations and information. If you are interested in a high-water mark sign for your community, please email Nvsilverjackets@usace.army.mil. The other latest project is the Nevada Arid Region EAP. All projects and project proposals will be shared at our upcoming semiannual Nevada Silver Jackets meeting on June 20, 2023 at 9:30am where all interested stakeholders are welcomed.

A new effort from the Nevada Floodplain Management Program includes hosting Nevada Local Floodplain Managers Quarterly Meetings. These quarterly meetings will incorporate a plethora of Floodplain Management information including Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) updates, State updates, funding opportunities, outreach opportunities, guest speakers, and general Flood Awareness Week planning. We hope that these meetings can serve as a platform to touch base quickly and efficiently with all our local communities each quarter, as we know many of our local administrators are wearing several hats. Our next meeting will be July 13, 2023 at 10:00am.