Flooding - A National, State and Local Issue - We Are All Part of the Solution

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

From the near failure of the Oroville Dam, California, to the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, Houston, to flooding impacts within Ohio communities, our country faces challenges in dealing with land use planning for flood risk reduction. Chad Berginnis (Executive Director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers) will address national flood laws, such as the National Flood Insurance Act and Water Resources Development Act, as a tool in protecting U.S. citizens. In addition, he’ll discuss last year’s events that brought flood management dynamics into national focus and the impacts of climate change and the coming coastal crisis that we will experience this century.

Through an extended program, in conjunction with the Water Management Association of Ohio (WMAO), Cynthia J. Crecelius (Principal of CC Consults) and Shawn Arden (Associate with EMH&T), will focus on state-specific flooding issues and management. Every state has a unique combination of factors that it must consider to manage flood risks. Ohio communities are responsible for adopting appropriate implementation strategies to position themselves to manage future flood risks. These flood management activities must be compatible with state and local authorities, as well as with the local political culture and natural floodplain functions and resources. This combined EPN and WMAO Breakfast program will address the issue of flooding from a national, state and local perspective.