Scoping theNorth Carolina Cooperating

Technical State Project

Ed Curtis, P.E., CFM, North Carolina Division of Emergency

Management

Jerry Sparks, P.E., CFMDewberry & Davis LLC

Background

North Carolina CTS Flood Mapping Program

Hurricane Floyd in 1999 revealed limitations of outdated FIRMs in NC

NC General Assembly committed$25 million to flood mapping

CTS partnership between FEMA, State, and 16 other Federal Agencies

State ownership and responsibilityfor FIRMs

Project Components

High-resolution topographic data and accurate DEMs

Engineering studies of flood hazards

Countywide digital FIRMs Online Information

Management System

Project Benefits

Current, accurate data for sound siting and design decisions

Use of updated data for floodplain management will reduce long-term flood losses

Updated data will alert at-risk property owners of the need for flood insurance

Faster, cheaper FIRM updates

Project Benefits (Continued)

Digital format allows for more efficient, precise flood risk determinations

Digital format allows for use with GIS for analysis and planning

Digital Information System allows for online access 24 hours a day

DEMs will be useful for almost any engineering or planning applications

Eastern Six River Basins

NC General Assembly directed the State to first address the eastern six basins(Phase I)

Basins most affected by Hurricane Floyd Approximately half of the State

> 50 counties and >330 municipalities(in whole or in part)

Encompass ~ 21,200 linear milesof streams and rivers

North Carolina River Basins—by Phase

Phase I—bluePhase II—gold

Phase III—green

Scoping the Six EasternRiver Basins

Scoping

Map Productio

n

The Flood Mapping Process

What Is Scoping?

Researching/inventorying available elevation, flood hazard, and digital base map data

Assessing adequacy existing flood hazard data

Outreach to, and input from, counties and communities

Identifying data to be developed or acquired Determining proposed scales, paneling

scheme, and format for DFIRM production Developing schedule

Scoping the Six Eastern River Basins

Comprehensive scoping process Tailored FEMA’s scoping process to

meet the needs of North Carolina’s basin-wide approach and accelerated production schedule

NCDEM worked closely with FEMAand FEMA’s Map CoordinationContractor, Dewberry & Davis LLC (D&D)

Process involved 5 steps

State

State

FEMA

FEMA

KickoffMeeting with County/Local

Floodplain Administrators

MappingNeeds

Assessment

EffectiveFIS & FIRM Research

EvaluatePost-Floyd

Data

NCScoping

Database

Generate Initial

Scoping Package

InitialScoping Meetings

Develop Draft Basin Plans

Final Scoping Meetings

Finalize BasinPlans

Process for Scoping Six River Basinsin Eastern North Carolina

Prepare Delivery Orders& CTC

Mapping Activity

Agreements & Update

CTS Mapping

Agreement

Analysis and

Mapping

Step 1

Initial Research and Community

Coordination

Step 2

Initial Scoping Meeting

Step 3

Draft Basin Plans

Step 4

Final Scoping Meeting

Step 5

Final Basin Plans

SCOPING PRODUCTION

Questionnaire

Step 1: Initial Research and Community Coordination

Kick-off meeting with county and local floodplain administrators — August 31, 2000

Objectives: Overview State’s CTS Agreement with

FEMA and the Statewide Flood Mapping Program

Inform about process that will be followed

Encourage active participation Community questionnaire distributed

Step 1: Initial Research and Community Coordination

(Continued)

State completed research of community mapping needs

September 1999, CTP “Assessment of Community Mapping Needs” agreementwith FEMA

FEMA and D&D researched FEMA Flood Mapping Archives and FEMA’s Mapping Needs Update Support System (MNUSS) database

Step 1: Initial Research and Community Coordination

(Continued)

State and FEMA evaluatedpost-Hurricane Floyd data

Identified areas where flooding elevations and inundation limits did not match effective flood hazard data

Step 1: Initial Research and Community Coordination

(Continued)

State and FEMA conducted detailed review of effective flood data for counties along the open coast and inland coastal areas

State met with county and community GIS staff to inventory local GIS data to identify potential base map data resources

Step 1: Initial Research and Community Coordination

(Continued)

Results of initial research and community questionnaire responses entered into a GIS-enabled scoping database created especially for North Carolina project

Database used to generate “Initial Scoping Packages” for each community

Initial Scoping Packages used to conduct Initial Scoping Meetings (Step 2)

Scoping Database

Step 2: Initial Scoping Meetings

Meetings in each county Presented results of initial 1 research Reviewed Initial Scoping Package with

each community’s representatives Asked for community input on

proposed study priorities andanalysis methods

Identified available local data

Step 3: Draft Basin Plans

Synthesized research and community input

Draft basin plans include: Comprehensive lists of flooding

sources to be updated and methods to be used

Counties for which DFIRMs will be produced

Overall schedule

Step 4: Final Scoping Meeting

Draft Basin Plan sent to affected counties and communities

Meetings held in each county Present Draft Basin Plans Provide final opportunity for

input Individual meetings scheduled

with community representatives

Step 5: Final Basin Plans

Draft Basin Plans revised to produce Final Basin Plans

Final Basin Plans state how the Draft Basin Plan was revisedand why

Step 5: Final Basin Plans (Continued)

Final basin plans used to: Complete CTS Task Agreement

with FEMA Develop Delivery Orders for

State’s mapping contractor Develop CTP Mapping Activity

Agreements with any countiesor local communities

Scoping Schedule

Scoping theNorth Carolina Cooperating

Technical State Project

QUESTIONS? ? ? ? ?