NAVIGATING THE TURN:
FLOOD RISK ASSOCIATED WITH LEVEES
Sam Riley Medlock, J.D., CFM
Association of State Floodplain Managers
May 2011
Briefing Overview
Current State & How We Got Here
Visions of Success
How We Get There
Conclusion:
Preparing the Nation for Future Floods
Briefing Overview
Current State & How We Got Here
Visions of Success
How We Get There
Conclusion:
Preparing the Nation for Future Floods
Floods, Disasters & Risk
"Floods are acts of God, but flood losses are
largely acts of man.”
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Gilbert F. White, Human Adjustments to Floods, 1945
Risk = Probability x
Consequences
Floodplain Managers are
Flood Risk Managers
Floods, Levees & Human Settlement
• Early Anglo-American settlements
followed water courses
• Levees were viewed as a key defense
5
Floods, Levees & Human Settlement
Major flood disasters 1849 – 1936 spurred
national leadership in Congress
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Floods, Levees & the 100-Year Problem
1981, FEMA FIA
• “[T]he 100-year standard [is] encouraging
construction of levees to the 100-year design
level for the sole purpose of removing an area
from the special flood hazard designation.”
• Crediting a levee system with protection against
the 100-year flood could violate the spirit of the
National Flood Insurance Act.
Key Recommendations of Reports:
1970s - 2010
• “100-year” standard inadequate for flood
damage reduction structures, especially
for urbanized areas
• Structural measures – as a single risk
reduction measure - are incomplete and
require consideration of land use policies
• Greater emphasis & support needed on
nonstructural approaches
Policies Contribute to Risk
Federal
Policies
States &
Communities
Public
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NFIP & the 100-Year Standard
Emphasis on structural approaches
Disaster relief environment
Lack of attention to climate adaptation
• Control land use for short-term benefits
• Perceive flooding to be a federal problem
• Externalize the costs & consequences
• Unaware of – or unwilling to accept residual risk
• Misplaced concern about having to
obtain flood insurance
The Levee Problem Today
Nation’s Levee Problem
• Scope of Nation’s Vulnerability = Unknown
– How many miles of levees?
– Condition of existing levees?
• Increasing Development Behind Levees
• New Levees Being Sought to Protect
Undeveloped Land
National Levee Inventory
100000
75000
Miles of Levees
50000
25000
0
USACE Program Levees
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Levees proliferate the American Landscape
•
•
Relied upon to Protect People, Property, and other Infrastructure
Estimated that tens of millions of people live and work in leveed areas
No National Standards or Approaches
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Addl Federal Non-Federal
Designed for one purpose now serving another
Systems based approaches were most often not used, but are needed
Risk: A Dynamic that We Can Keep Up With?
•
Average age of 50 years, Climate Change, Infrastructure Degradation, & Increasing
Population Growth
Briefing Overview
Current State & How We Got Here
Visions of Success
How We Get There
Conclusion:
Preparing the Nation for Future Floods
Principles of Success
• Equity
– Geographic
– Intergenerational
• Sustainability
– Environmental
– Economic
• Resiliency
– Existing hazards
– Foreseeable
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Visions of Success
• National Flood Risk Management Program
– Levee Safety
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Complete inventory of all levees in the Nation
Robust Levee Programs in All States
Incentives / Disincentives Drive Smart Action
Public Understanding of Residual Risk
Improved Levels of Protection & Strength
Nonstructural Measures Fully Integrated
National Standards and Codes
Clear Roles in Risk Reduction
Briefing Overview
Current State & How We Got Here
Visions of Success
How We Get There
Conclusion:
Preparing the Nation for Future Floods
Future Remedies: Reduce Risk
• Hazard
– Increasing design standards
– Improving structural performance
• Lower the Consequence
– Gradually relocate families and businesses
from leveed areas (restore floodplain function)
– Steer new development from flood-prone
areas
– Adjustments for SLR and
changing precip patterns
Navigating the Turn
• Existing Investment At Risk
– Strategic Investment
– Nonstructural
– O&M
• Future Development
– Land Use/Zoning
– Siting
– Design
– Resiliency
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National Committee on Levee Safety
ASFPM supports much of
the Report:
• Expand & Complete National
Levee Inventory including
nonfederal levees
• Robust safety programs in every
state
• Require flood insurance behind
all levees
• Levee Hazard Classification
System
• National standards & codes
• Public Engagement & Risk
Communication
NCLS Review Team Comments
Levee Safety Policy
– Full Integration with
Flood Risk
Management
– Land Use
Requirements
– Integrate Climate
Adaptation
– Alternatives to
structural approaches
Immediate Action to Curtail Federal activities and
investments that contribute to risk
Nonfederal Action
• Challenges
– Funding
– Prioritization
– Competition among all classes of aging
infrastructure
• States & Local Opportunities
– No Adverse Impact
– Adopt standards,
enforce equitably
– Identify and reduce legal liability
States, Regions & Local Actions
• Manage resources and plan on a watershed basis;
• Integrate plans and activities to reflect all hazards,
to identify actions with multiple benefit;
• Permanently restore and preserve flood-prone
areas as open space, through land acquisition; and
• Anticipate future development and site critical
facilities out of harm’s way.
Briefing Overview
Current State & How We Got Here
Visions of Success
How We Get There
Conclusion:
Preparing the Nation for Future Floods
Community Resiliency
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Extreme events are on the rise
Extreme events are disruptive
Resilience is built at the community level
Resilience requires participation of all
sectors
• Common interests & goals
Summary & Conclusion
• Nation cannot afford to “hit the snooze”
• Federal Leadership, Data & Standards
• States, Regions & Local Governments Are
Leading the Way
• Get Involved With ASFPM Policy Committees!!