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. . . Executive Summary This guidebook was written for citizens and local officials who have a flood problem but have not yet found a solution. It capitalizes on the realization that the traditional, single-issue approach to flood protection bas not always been efficient or effective, and can'taIce years to implement. furthermore, people pursuing single issues-like flood control-have oftenfound themselves.competing with other local interests and may increase related problems or create new ones. This guidebook explains a proven approach to reduce flood losses and simultaneously address other community concerns. The approach is called "multi- objective management" or "M-O-M." It succeeds because it coordinates flood loss reduction with other community needs and goals to develop a stronger, more comprehensive program. There is nothing magical about the multi~bjective management approach. The basic idea is to get together everyone with a concern or problem that has the potential to affect or be affected by the flood problem. It requires communication between different parties and it capitalizes on the technical and fmancial help that is already available from government agencies and private organizations. There are six basic guidelines to the M-O-M approach: . Keep your effort locally based. . Understand your flood problem and its relationship to the watershed. . Thinlc broadly about possible solutions to reduce flood losses. . Coordinate flood loss reduction with other community needs, plans, and activities. . Obtain expert advice and assistance. . Build a partnership by developing a plan. There are four basic strategies for reducing flood losses, and each incorporates different measures that are appropriate for different conditions. . Prevention measures like planning, land acquisition, and regulations help modify development on floodplains and watersheds to reduce susceptibility to flood damage. Preventive measures are usually administered by the building, zoning, planning, and/or code enforcement offices of your local government. . Property protection measures are usually undertaken by property owners themselves. They include elevating a building, building small barriers, floodproofing, raising utilities, and buying insurance. . Emergency services minimize the impact of a flood that is already happening. They are the responsibility of city or county emergency management staff and the operators of major or critical facilities. They include warnings and emergency response. . Structural projects keep flood waters away from an area with a levee, reservoir, or other measure that controls the flow of water. Structural projects are usually designed by engineers and managed by public works staff. v