In tough economic times, there are those who think that municipalities need to be less particular about growth in order to be more “business friendly,” especially for issues felt to be far off in the future, like sea level rise. But Portland, Maine is choosing to address sea level rise head-on, and at least one […]
Author Archive | Wesley Shaw
US Army Corps of Engineers Uses Facebook for 2011 Mississippi River Flood Updates
Posted on May 24, 2011
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Mississippi Valley Division and its districts have launched a new Facebook page to provide accurate, timely information on the 2011 flood. The page provides updates on the Corps of Engineers’ flood-fighting activities, to include videos, photos and tweets; links to local emergency management resources and federal coordinating agencies assisting […]
New (Free) Webinars for Coastal Decision Makers from NOAA
Posted on May 23, 2011
Marian Hanisko has shared a bunch of new free webinars over on StormSmart Connect. They’re all put on by the NOAA Coastal Services Center, so they’re undoubtedly high quality. And they’re free. Hope you can make some of them. Using ENOW Data to Help Monitor Economic Health in Coastal Counties May 26, 2011; 2:00 p.m. […]
Town of Hull Amends Zoning Bylaw to Reduce Flood Losses
Posted on May 12, 2011
In an attempt to lessen flood losses, the town of Hull has amended their zoning bylaw to consider not only current, but future conditions. Notable changes include: 1. A requirement that the town’s review process ensures that a proposed project won’t cause or worsen flooding on other properties (sounds like a good NAI approach). The […]
FEMA Releases New Community Rating System 2-Pager
Posted on May 10, 2011
They’re still working on an updated and expanded website, but the Community Rating System has a new 2-page summary of their program. You can download the PDF here.
Coming to the ASFPM Conference? Join the StormSmart Crew
Posted on May 10, 2011
Coming to the ASFPM (Association of State Floodplain Managers) Annual Conference in Louisville, KT next week? If so, I hope you’ll considering joining a group of us to discuss how to use the No Adverse Impact approach to floodplain development in your community. Speakers include Ed Thomas (Baker), Terri Turner (Augusta-Richmond County Planning Commission, GA), […]
Not Mapped in the Flood Zone, Not at Storm Surge Risk? Not so Fast.
Posted on May 5, 2011
A new report looking at the risk of homes exposed to hurricane-driven storm surge damage in ten major urban areas along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts finds that the majority of homes in those communities that are in designated surge zones are not included in local flood zones. In Virginia Beach, for example, 87 percent […]
Survey: How Resilient is Your Community?
Posted on April 30, 2011
At the request of a number of sponsoring federal agencies, the National Academies are conducting a study on increasing national resilience to hazards and disasters. The goal is to provide actionable recommendations and guidance on the best approaches to reduce adverse impacts from hazards and disasters. They are asking for help to find out more […]
Need Funding for Park Acquisition and Renovation?
Posted on April 29, 2011
From the latest edition of the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management’s CZ-mail: Parks and Conservation Land Grants – EEA’s Division of Conservation Services is seeking applications for the fiscal year 2012 Parkland Acquisition and Renovation for Communities (PARC) and the Local Acquisition for Natural Diversity (LAND) programs. PARC grants assist communities with the acquisition […]
New England Climate Change: What’s Happening and What You Can Do
Posted on April 26, 2011
Our southern neighbors at the The University of Rhode Island Climate Change Collaborative and Rhode Island Sea Grant have just released a short new brochure on what climate change could mean for New England communities, and what steps your community can take to prepare for it. In addition to a brief overview of current expectations […]