TWDB Provides Flood-Resource Guide and More

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has compiled an amazing list of resources for those concerned about flooding. Among them: a new Community Official Flood-Resource Guide.

New Community Official Flood-Resource Guide

The Flood-Resource Guide contains information to aid community officials such as floodplain managers, city officials, emergency personnel, and others. While TWDB is targeting community leaders with this particular information, it can benefit anyone concerned about flooding. This guide also makes a great resource for teachers. So why wait for third-parties to convey information to you?

The information includes best-practice guides, links to beneficial websites, videos, and toolkits.

Among the eye-openers for me were results of a statewide survey conducted by TWDB in 2020. One of the questions was, “What are your primary concerns related to flooding?” Amazingly, financial damages fell near the bottom the list. Insufficient infrastructure, preparedness, and poor policy and management topped the list…even above human life!

This 68-page Community Official Flood-Resource Guide is packed with useful information that will help you reduce flood risk and talk about it with your relatives, neighbors and friends.

Other Useful Links

The TWDB page where you can download the new Flood-Resource Guide also provides dozens of other links with information that directly targets residents as well as flood professionals.

Start at the TWDB’s Community Assistance Program webpage. Or go directly to topics that interest you. Whether you’re trying to learn how to read a flood map or comply with flood insurance standards, this is one page that has virtually everything you’ll need. I’ve reproduced the links below for your convenience.

Hand-outs and Brochures

• Living in a Floodplain Risks, Planning, & Recovery Handout
• Living in a Floodplain Risks, Planning, & Recovery Brochure
• Builders Checklist for Texas Coast and Shoreline Handout
• Builders Checklist for Texas Coast and Shoreline Brochure
• Regulations on Crawl Spaces and Basements Handout
• Regulations on Crawl Spaces and Basements Brochure

Helpful Floodplain Management Links, Resources

• National Flood Insurance Program Elevation Certificate and Instructions (1660-0008) Expiration 11/30/2022
• Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS): The State’s clearinghouse for digital maps and geographic data.
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): FEMA’s website offers extensive information regarding the NFIP, mitigation, disaster information and assistance, preparedness, regional contact information, best practices and publications, just to name a few.
• FEMA Map Service Center (MSC): The MSC offers online access to past, current and future Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), current and future Flood Insurance Studies (FIS), Letters of Map Change, Flood Map Status Information System (FMSIS), the National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) and other associative mapping information. The MSC also offers instructions on how to make a Firmette.
• The FEMA Library : The FEMA Library is a searchable web-based collection of all publicly accessible FEMA information resources, including: CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, audio tapes, disability resources, posters and display items, brochures, publications, guidance and policy papers, program regulations and guidelines, forms and slide presentations.
• Mitigation Best Practices Portfolio: Contains a collection of best practices, case studies and mitigation best practices (Hurricane Katrina).
• 44 CFR: Excerpts for Floodplain Management 
• Guide to Flood Map (FEMA 258): This FEMA publication provides a step-by-step guide on how to read a Flood Insurance Rate Map.
• 2015 Texas Quick Guide: This guide will help provide additional information on floodplain management in Texas.
• FEMA Community Listing of FPAs 
  NOTE: This list is provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and is current as of March 2022.

FEMA Technical Bulletins

• User’s Guide to Technical Bulletins (Technical Bulletin 0) (2009) – Provides a list of available technical bulletins, a key word/subject reference index for all the bulletins, and information about how to obtain copies of the bulletins.
• Openings in Foundation Walls and Walls of Enclosures (Technical Bulletin 1) (2008) – Provides guidance on the NFIP regulations concerning the requirement for openings in below-Base Flood Elevation foundation walls for buildings located in Zones A, AE, A1-A30, AR, AO, and AH.
• Flood Damage-Resistant Materials Requirements (Technical Bulletin 2) (2008) – Provides guidance on the NFIP regulations concerning the required use of flood damage-resistant construction materials for building components located below the Base Flood Elevation in Special Flood Hazard Areas (both A and V Zones).
• 3-93 Non-Residential Floodproofing – Requirements and Certification – (FIA-TB-3) – Provides guidance on the NFIP regulations concerning watertight construction and the required certification for floodproofed non-residential buildings in Zones A, AE, A1-A30, AR, AO, and AH whose lowest floors are below the Base Flood Elevation.
• Elevator Installation (Technical Bulletin 4) (2010) – Provides guidance on the NFIP regulations concerning the installation of elevators below the Base Flood Elevation in Special Flood Hazard Areas (both A and V Zones).
• Free-of-Obstruction Requirements (Technical Bulletin 5) (2008) – Provides guidance on the NFIP regulations concerning obstructions to flood waters below elevated buildings and on building sites in Coastal High Hazard Areas (Zones V, VE, and V1-V30).
• 6-93 Below-Grade Parking Requirements – (FIA-TB-6) – Provides guidance on the NFIP regulations concerning the design of below-grade parking garages beneath buildings located in Zones A, AE, A1-A30, AR, AO, and AH.
• 7-93 Wet Floodproofing Requirements (FIA-TB-7) – Provides guidance on the NFIP regulations concerning wet floodproofing of certain types of structures located in Zones A, AE, A1-A30, AR, AO, and AH.
• 8-96 Corrosion Protection for Metal Connectors in Coastal Areas (FIA-TB-8) – Provides guidance on the need for, selection of, and use of corrosion-resistant metal connectors for the construction of buildings in coastal areas.
• 9-99 Design and Construction Guidance for Breakaway Walls Below Elevated Coastal Buildings (Technical Bulletin 9) (2008) – Provides guidance on the NFIP regulations concerning the design and construction of breakaway walls beneath elevated buildings in Coastal High Hazard Areas (Zones V, VE, and VI-V30).
• 10-01 Ensuring that Structures Built on Fill In or Near Special Flood Hazard Areas are Reasonably Safe From Flooding (FIA-TB-10) – This technical bulletin discusses building techniques, including the use of fill, that can be used to ensure structures are reasonably safe from flooding.
• 11-01 Crawlspace Construction for Buildings Located in Special Flood Hazard Areas (FIA-TB-11) – Provides interim guidance on minimum NFIP requirements as well as best practices for crawlspace construction in the Special Flood Hazard Area.
• FEMA 265 Managing Floodplain Development in Approximate Zone A Areas – A Guide for Obtaining and Developing Base Flood Elevations – Provides engineering guidelines for determining base flood elevations in Special Flood Hazard Areas studied by approximate methods only.

Flood Insurance

• NFIP Watermark: This is an electronic publication providing articles and information on flood insurance and mitigation activities.
• FloodSmart: This is the official website of the NFIP offering extensive information on flood insurance and flood risks for communities, agents and homeowners.

Professional Associations

• Texas Floodplain Management Association: The Texas Floodplain Management Association (TFMA) is an organization of professionals involved in floodplain management, flood hazard mitigation, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), flood preparedness, warning and disaster recovery. TFMA also offers floodplain management training opportunities in Texas.
• Association of State Floodplain Managers at www.Floods.org. The Association of State Floodplain Managers is an organization of professionals involved in floodplain management, flood hazard mitigation, the National Flood Insurance Program, and flood preparedness, warning and recovery. ASFPM has become a respected voice in floodplain management practice and policy in the United States because it represents the flood hazard specialists of local, state and federal government, the research community, the insurance industry, and the fields of engineering, hydrologic forecasting, emergency response, water resources, and others.

For more information, please contact flood@twdb.texas.gov. 

To make this post easy to find in the future, I’ll add it to the Links page of ReduceFlooding.com.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/4/2022

1740 Days since Hurricane Harvey