Laserfiche WebLink
<br />prioritization. <br /> <br />2. Critical Facilities: A critical facility is a building or site that would constitute a <br />major impact to the community if flooded. Basically there are two types: First, <br />facilities that will increase the hazard if flooded, such as a hazardous materials <br />storage site; and second, facilities that are vital to the flood fighting effort such as <br />the community's emergency operations center. Roads and bridges can also be <br />considered critical if they would prevent emergency vehicles from accessing <br />threatened areas. <br /> <br />3. Natural Areas: Flood hazard areas often contain wetland and undeveloped areas <br />which carry the majority of floodwaters and provide "natural and beneficial <br />functions". Most often, attention is focused on existing structures and infastructure <br />such as power substations and water lines during a flood event. However, many <br />of these natural areas are irreplaceable. Preserving their functions pays off in the <br />long run. Not developing them may actually increase property values. An <br />inventory of these areas is an important part of the community's plan. The EPA <br />and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are two agencies where such information can <br />be obtained. <br /> <br />4. Future Development: The plan needs to look at 1) present day conditions, and <br />2) development potential of vacant land, Zoning, building and subdivision <br />regulations usually have the greatest impact on development trends. The local <br />planning process needs to consider whether current community regulations are <br />appropriate for the types of expected development. Development trends can be <br />used to determine what is likely to be in the floodplain in the future. <br /> <br />5. Problem Statement: The culmination of the hazard inventory and the problem <br />assessment is a written problem statement. It summarizes the hazard and identifies <br />the most hazardous areas. The community's floodplain map with hazard data is <br />essential. The problem statement should address all areas of concern including <br />buildings, critical areas, etc. Then, the problem statement should be prioritized. <br />This may be based on 1) areas with greatest numbers of buildings at risk, 2) areas <br />with deepest flood depths, 3) flood flows with highest velocities, and so on. The <br />problem statement is a summary of the impact of the hazard on the community. <br />Since all problems can't be addressed at once, areas or issues of concern need to <br />be prioritized. An example is: <br /> <br />10 <br />