Louise Mitchell GAICD’s Post

*Update: Following from this post the city reached out and a meeting to take things forward has been scheduled. Thanks to all who commented and offered support and to the City, who with some nudging, finally followed up. I will provide an update subsequent to our meeting. ------ A couple of months back I met City of Cape Town officials to discuss possibilities for small scale flood mitigation measures in informal settlements. The meeting seemed positive with several mayoral committee members present sharing my concern about the coming winter rains and a commitment was made to identify the most flood prone informal settlements and look into possible mitigation measures before the rains hit. Despite numerous follow up emails and messages I never heard back from the officials who seemed so committed at the time! I guess after 15 years in this game I should not be so politically naive but as the rains bucket down and informal settlements flood - changing lives and disrupting livelihoods- I cannot help but feel frustrated and let down for those living through this. Surely we can do better to prepare informal settlements for winter rains and flooding? Pro-active measures instead of reactive emergency responses cannot be that hard to trial and implement?

The New York Times: The Federal Emergency Management Agency will take new steps to ensure that the structures it funds — including schools, hospitals, police stations, libraries, sewage treatment plants and bridges — are protected from flooding. The agency said Wednesday that projects constructed with FEMA money must be built in a way that prevents flood damage, whether by elevating them above the expected height of a flood or, if that’s not feasible, by building in a safer location. The rule also makes it clear that building decisions must reflect risks now and also in the future, as climate change makes flooding more frequent and severe. . Read more: https://ow.ly/IZGr50SyNTa

The New York Times: The Federal Emergency Management Agency will take new steps to ensure that the structures it funds — including schools, hospitals, police stations, libraries, sewage treatment plants and bridges — are protected from flooding. The agency said Wednesday that projects constructed with FEMA money must be built in a way that prevents flood damage, whether by elevating them above the expected height of a flood or, if that’s not feasible, by building in a safer location. The rule also makes it clear that building decisions must reflect risks now and also in the future, as climate change makes flooding more frequent and severe. . Read more: https://ow.ly/IZGr50SyNTa

The New York Times: The Federal Emergency Management Agency will take new steps to ensure that the structures it funds — including schools, hospitals, police stations, libraries, sewage treatment plants and bridges — are protected from flooding. The agency said Wednesday that projects constructed with FEMA money must be built in a way that prevents flood damage, whether by elevating them above the expected height of a flood or, if that’s not feasible, by building in a safer location. The rule also makes it clear that building decisions must reflect risks now and also in the future, as climate change makes flooding more frequent and severe. . Read more: https://ow.ly/IZGr50SyNTa

What's the role of the federal government after a disaster? How is it different from the role of state and local governments? Can disasters actually lead to policy change? How might flooding from #Helene affect voting in NC? We talked to an expert to get some answers. https://lnkd.in/eK8hnp9z

New report from the Senate Joint Economic Committee finds flooding causes between $179-$496 billion in damages EVERY YEAR in the US. At the same time, every dollar invested in flood protection saves up to $318 in damages. Investing in nature-based solutions, like wetland or reef restoration, provides a 7x return on investment in direct flood reduction benefits.  Recent investments from the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and Water Resources Development Act have provided critically needed funding to address flooding, but more support will be needed to protect public assets like energy and transportation infrastructure, especially as climate impacts like sea level rise and more frequent storms intensify. The huge demand for NOAA’s coastal resilience funding from the IRA/BIL shows people understand the return on investment at play. We will need continued funding to bolster resilience, save money, and safeguard vulnerable communities. #OceanClimateAction https://lnkd.in/eGPdcafT

It is about time. #FEMA will take new steps to ensure that the structures it funds — including schools, hospitals, police stations, libraries, sewage treatment plants and bridges — are protected from flooding. The agency said Wednesday that projects constructed with FEMA money must be built to prevent flood damage, whether by elevating them above the expected height of a flood or, if that’s not feasible, by building in a safer location. The rule also clarifies that building decisions must reflect risks now and in the future, as climate change makes flooding more frequent and severe. “We are going to be able to put a stop to the cycle of response and recovery, and rinse and repeat,” Deanne Criswell, the FEMA administrator, said during a call with reporters. The new rule will “enhance resilience in flood-prone communities by taking future flood risk into consideration when we rebuild,” she said. Climate resilience experts have long called for FEMA and other federal agencies to ensure federal tax money isn’t wasted on vulnerable projects. Flood damage is likely to reach $40 billion in average annual losses this decade, according to Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers. “We’re on this trajectory of losses doubling every decade, which should be scary as hell,” Mr. Berginnis said. “We can't ignore this problem anymore.” The history of the new rule demonstrates the complicated politics of managing flood risks and the slow pace of change when it comes to federal agencies.

Explore the impact of resilience funding in rural Florida communities, as they tackle challenges from flood events and environmental changes. Discover how the Resilient Florida Grant Program is enabling proactive planning. https://bit.ly/3SvWb7i

Clear messaging and concrete steps from Mass legislators: "Legislation we filed—H.876 and S.557— create a commission to determine the feasibility of voluntary acquisition of flood risk properties and structures, allowing our state to examine how to best implement cohesive programming to move residents, businesses, and critical infrastructure out of harm’s way."  https://lnkd.in/es2-riE2

Good advice