Sandy: Building Back Stronger, Safer & More Resilient

Tim Crowley, Director, Mitigation Division, FEMA Region IIDecember 2012

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Content The FEMA Mission Building Back Jersey Strong Community-Based Informed Decision Making Everyday Risk Identification

• Advisory Base Flood Elevations (ABFEs)

Risk Reduction The New Jersey Situation and Path Forward Conclusion: Community Resilience Q&A Appendix

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The FEMA Commitment

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our

capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

We are committed to building disaster resilient communities

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Building Back as a Whole CommunityFEMA is only one part of our nation’s emergency management team. We must collectively work together to build back safer, smarter and more resilient

The National Disaster Recovery Framework

Housing Economic

Social Environmental

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Building Back Jersey Strong

Working together to build back safer, smarter, and stronger• Citizens are looking to you to better

protect the community from flood risk

Mitigation is the foundation for building back more resilient communities• Mitigation is taking action now-

before the next disaster

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Community-Based Informed Decision Making One approach does not work for all communities FEMA partners with your community to provide tools and support for

informed planning and decisions that fit a community’s specific needs:• Advisory Flood Risk Information• Building Sciences• Floodplain Management and Insurance• Mitigation Planning and Assistance• Communications and Outreach

We’re taking steps to

protect our community

and reduce the impact of

future flooding.

We’re working to keep you informed about your flood risk and taking proactive

steps to protect our community.

Flood insurance is only one way to protect

ourselves. As we rebuild our community, there are steps we can and should take to reduce the impact

offuture floods.

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Every Day Risk Identification FEMA is providing tools to local

communities to make informed decisions to build back stronger and more resilient while maintaining a community’s unique character• Advisory Base Flood Elevations

(AFEs)

During non-disaster times, FEMA provides tools to communities in order to enable more informed decision making• Flood Risk Database• Flood Risk Report• Flood Risk Map

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Risk Identification: ABFEs

ABFE prototype for illustrative purposes only.

What are ABFEs?• ABFEs offer the best available data post disaster

recovery and building How do property owners benefit from

ABFEs?• Rebuilding using ABFEs may have a higher

initial cost, but will likely result in lower term costs for property owners

What outcomes are we trying to achieve?• Building safer and stronger to help mitigate risk

against future disasters

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Risk ReductionUnderstanding the updated flood risk allows communities to take action

to reduce their risk to future flood events

Benefits• Lower flood insurance premiums for buildings in high-

risk areas that are elevated above minimum requirements

• More eligibility for FEMA grant programs

Proactively Reduce Risk • Add vents to enclosures, install breakaway walls, or

relocate structures further from potential flood sources, where possible

• Ensure property owners build with freeboard• Engage the community in mitigation planning

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The New Jersey Situation and Path Forward The Devastation of Sandy

• Hurricane Sandy caused $29.4 billion in damages to New Jersey

• FEMA estimated more then 122,000 structures in New Jersey were damaged or destroyed*

The Path Forward• Federal funds obligated to assist the residents and

communities in New Jersey have totaled more then $730 million

• Additional dollars being spent from SBA Loans, Insurance claims, and property owner funds to rebuild

• Property owners are striving to “rebuild by Memorial Day”

*http://www.fema.gov/news-release/new-jersey-recovery-one-month-later

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Conclusion: Community Resilience

Together, we all can create stronger and safer communities that are better equipped to handle the

next major storm

FEMA Provides Best Available Data

(e.g ABFEs)

Community Officials Adopt

Higher Standards

Everyone Takes

Mitigation Action

Create More Resilient

Communities

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Q&A

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Tim Crowley| tim.crowley@fema.dhs.gov