In 2008 a developer in North Dakota opted to spend an extra $2,000 to elevate a mixed business/condo structure 3 feet higher than the height required by the National Flood Insurance Program (i.e., he incorporated freeboard). “We realized the land was low-lying and we didn’t want to risk having the building flood,” he said. “Elevating […]
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Community Threatens to Fine Homeowners Over Renourished-Beach Access
Posted on February 2, 2010
The New Jersey Star-Ledger has published a fascinating story about a barrier island community struggling with whether or not the Township can nourish private beaches within its jurisdiction without the blessing of its waterfront landowners. The debate, distilled into one paragraph: “Mayors want to keep beaches and dunes wide, attractive and safe. Waterfront homeowners balk […]
Two Communities on Two Coasts Move to Adapt to New Climates
Posted on February 1, 2010
Two new articles from two different areas on two different coasts. Both Neskowin, Oregon and the Norfolk-Virginia Beach metropolitan area are working to move beyond debating a changing climate to discussing what they’re going to do about it. Neskowin: a community with a disappearing beach An article in OregonLive describes how this small community (population […]
Louisiana to Spend $600 Million on Coastal Restoration and Levees?
Posted on January 29, 2010
The Times-Picayune is reporting that Louisiana expects to spend $600 million of state money on levee, coastal restoration and coastal infrastructure projects in fiscal year 2011, according to a draft report released on Wednesday. For the first time in its three-year history, would spend the most money on coastal restoration projects. According to the article, […]
FEMA Grants Conference Call—February 5
Posted on January 28, 2010
A friend just passed this announcement our way: The DHS Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives would like to connect you to some of our colleagues in FEMA and share information on specific grant programs to strengthen your resilience against hazards. The call will provide an overview of four programs: Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) […]
Louisiana Pumps ~$77 Million into Wetland Restoration
Posted on January 26, 2010
Governor Bobby Jindal announced more than $77 million in projects last Wednesday that aim to help protect and curb the rapid erosion of Terrebonne and Lafourche’s coastal wetlands, bringing the state’s total 2-year investment in coastal restoration and hurricane and flood protection projects to $660 million (the total includes state and federal funds). Photo by […]
FEMA May Forgive Some Katrina/Rita Loans
Posted on January 22, 2010
Briefly, FEMA has announced a loan forgiveness program for government agencies that received money after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Under the new regulations, local governments that received Community Disaster Loans from FEMA can apply to have all or part of the loans erased if its revenues in the 36 months after the two major storms […]
Hurricane Damage Prediction Tough, Even for Insurance Companies
Posted on January 21, 2010
A report released yesterday finds that short-term hurricane damage models, designed to project insured losses in the United States from Atlantic hurricanes for the past five-years, have significantly overestimated losses for the cumulative 2006 through 2009 seasons. From the press release: “This latest study further supports our previous findings that a short time horizon is […]
National Hurricane Center to Provide Greater Lead Time in Watches and Warnings
Posted on January 13, 2010
A quick word from the NOAA National Hurricane Center: NOAA’s National Hurricane Center in Miami will issue watches and warnings for tropical storms and hurricanes along threatened coastal areas 12 hours earlier than in previous years. According to NHC experts, advancements in track forecasts are making it possible for forecasters to provide greater lead time. […]
EVENT: Southeast Stormwater Association's Conference, October 6-8, Biloxi
Posted on January 12, 2010
The folks over at the Southeast Stormwater Association have set the date and location of their annual conference: October 6-8 at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi. According to the event’s webpage, the organizers aim to “bring quality training to stormwater professionals,” specifically targeting local, state and federal government administrators and regulators; developers, builders, contractors; land […]