The International Submerged Lands Management has announced its new conference dates. Unlike most conferences, this one takes place on your computer, so those of us with limited travel budgets can still participate. You can find a schedule of all the conference’s events on their website (and we’ll add the lot to the StormSmart Coasts Calendar), […]
Tag Archives | planning
New Funding & Technical Assistance Opportunity for Local Planning
Posted on August 17, 2010
The Model Forest Policy Program is offering an interesting-sounding new funding and technical assistance opportunity for rural communities looking for help with their land-use planning. Here’s how they’re describing the program on their website: The Model Forest Policy Program (MFPP) is now accepting applications for 2011 Climate Solutions University: Forest and Water Strategies (CSU). This […]
3ft of Freeboard? I'll Take 12ft!
Posted on July 19, 2010
After Hurricane Ike bashed a hole in their roof and left their first floor uninhabitable, FEMA experts recommended that Galveston (TX) residents Matt and Lauren Johnson elevate their home 3′ above the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program. The Johnsons went for 12′ instead. “Even if it costs us more now, whatever costs […]
Editorial Advises Better Planning and Building, NOT the Ike Dike
Posted on May 28, 2010
A new Houston Chronicle article argues that building the so-called “Ike Dike” will put more, not less people and property at great risk, and that the best way to protect property from hazards is to keep them out of hazardous areas. In “Forget the Ike Dike, let’s improve building methods” Texas A&M professor John Jacob […]
Texas Town Tightens Development Rules
Posted on May 12, 2010
The City Council of Galveston, Texas recently approved new beach-front construction regulations. The new rules push new development 75 feet back from the north toe of dunes, or 350 feet from the mean high-water line, whichever line is farther landward. They are seen locally as a compromise with some wanting stricter regulations while others did […]
StormSmart Coast Community Adopts New Floodplain Bylaw
Posted on May 5, 2010
Oak Bluffs, one of the Massachusetts StormSmart Coasts communities, voted on May 4th to adopt a new floodplain overlay district bylaw. An overwhelming majority of voters were in favor of the changes. The new bylaw will prohibit new residential development and expansion of existing development in the most hazardous flood zones—those designated as V, VE, […]
New England Gets $1.4M for Better Coastal Flood Maps
Posted on April 29, 2010
A consortium of New England groups has received a $1.4 million grant to collect high-resolution topographical data for greatly improved flood risk maps, according to a press release from the University of New Hampshire. The project will collect data from New York City to Eastport, Maine. This is potentially very good news for all coastal […]
New FIRMs Tested in Massachusetts
Posted on March 22, 2010
The Boston Globe has an interesting article on how the updated National Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) did in last week’s floods there. In a word: well. This wasn’t good news to many who were sure the the updates, which had designated their properties as high flood risk, were wrong. Some were even fighting to […]
Region Forms Group & Plan to Address Threats to Critical Infrastructure
Posted on March 15, 2010
Emergency Management has written a case study on one region’s efforts to assess and identify its critical infrastructure and how to address the risks posed to it. Not surprisingly, the article reports that the project was not easy: along with the standard challenges of who should be involved and who should be in charge, they […]
With Crumbling Seawalls and Limited Resources, France Struggles with Storms
Posted on March 3, 2010
The Associated Press is reporting on the aftermath of Xynthia, the storm that slammed into Europe last weekend. The hurricane-force winds and huge storm surge destroyed seawalls and killed dozens there. The article focuses on the past, present, and future challenges of devastated historic towns along the French coast. New homes have cropped up chaotically […]