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.”

- Gilbert F. White, Human Adjustments to Floods, 1945

Floodplain Managers are Flood Risk Managers

Risk = Probability x Consequences

5

Floods, Levees & Human Settlement

• Early Anglo-American settlements followed water courses

• Levees were viewed as a key defense

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Major flood disasters 1849 – 1936 spurred national leadership in Congress

Floods, Levees & Human Settlement

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

•NFIP & the 100-Year Standard•Emphasis on structural approaches•Disaster relief environment•Lack of attention to climate adaptation

Federal Policies

• Control land use for short-term benefits

• Perceive flooding to be a federal problem

• Externalize the costs & consequences

States & Communities

• Unaware of – or unwilling to accept - residual risk

• Misplaced concern about having to obtain flood insurancePublic

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

0

25000

50000

75000

100000

Miles of Levees

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• 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

USACE Program Levees Addl FederalNon-Federal

Briefing Overview

Current State & How We Got Here

Visions of Success

How We Get There

Conclusion:Preparing the Nation for Future Floods

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• Equity– Geographic– Intergenerational

• Sustainability– Environmental– Economic

• Resiliency– Existing hazards– Foreseeable

Principles of Success

Visions of Success

• National Flood Risk Management Program– Levee Safety

• 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

Levee Safety Policy– Full Integration with

Flood Risk Management

– Land Use Requirements

– Integrate Climate Adaptation

– Alternatives to structural approaches

NCLS Review Team Comments

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

• 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.

States, Regions & Local Actions

Briefing Overview

Current State & How We Got Here

Visions of Success

How We Get There

Conclusion:Preparing the Nation for Future Floods

Community Resiliency

• 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!!