22 ‎(5)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 3/18/2008
• Description: WPFM Section - Flood Outlook Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Actions Being Taken
Attachment C
Actions are being taken at many levels of government to address the possible flood threat. Some of the actions
being performed include the following:
Federal Level
FEMA administers the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a program that has existed for the past 30
years. This program allows anyone in a participating community to purchase federally-backed flood insurance,
including subsidized insurance for older properties in place since before the hazards were identified. Please see
the attached news release, to be released by the CWCB on or around March 4th, for more information. Special
note should be made of the 30-day waiting period before the insurance becomes effective.
If significant flooding does occur and a federal disaster is declared, FEMA will set up a Disaster Field Office,
and will make available financial assistance for recovery efforts. The CWCB would be actively involved with
the management of this process if it does occur.
State Level
The CWCB is the state agency in chazge of managing flood threats -before, during, and after flood events. The
CWCB has been actively monitoring the situation since January 1, with special attention paid to available
snowpack data and seasonal climate forecasts. Specific activities already underway that aze being performed by
the CWCB include:

• Development of GIS-based maps portraying snowpack and potential threats to various watersheds
where potential flood threats exist. These maps show both snow-water equivalent in absolute terms (i.e.
SWE in inches) on a gridded basis, and a percentage of normal portrayal of measurements from
SNOTEL sites. These maps are very useful for zeroing in on specific watersheds and communities that
have the highest flood potential from snowmelt).
• The CWCB continues to operate the CAP-SSSE partnership with FEMA. This partnership program
encourages responsible development in floodprone communities, encourages the purchase of flood
insurance, and is a mechanism for the State (and FEMA through proxy) to maintain contact with
communities regarding flood threats and other relevant issues). _
• As mentioned above, the CWCB published a spring flood hazard news release. The news release is
issued every yeaz to promote the availability of flood insurance, and encourages its purchase by those
who are at risk. It has been tailored and customized to the specific situation this year (i:e. high
snowpack), but still identifies the risk of summer thunderstorm flooding also.
• The CWCB Watershed Protection and Flood Mitigation Section has already been in contact with certain
identified floodprone communities. For many communities, this will involve a phone call to either
town or county managers/administrators or floodplain administrators. For those at the highest identified
risk, or those who specifically request it, an actual visit to the community will be made by CWCB staff.
Even flood events do not occur, it would be wise to make the best use of the awazeness for this current
situation, which may benefit communities in coming years.
• Contact lists are being updated with names, phone numbers, and email addresses so that information can
be quickly dispensed to locals as it is obtained.