ASFPM Foundation Announces 2025 Project Awards and Special Partnerships

ByNews Editor

The ASFPM Foundation is proud to announce two Project Awards for 2025 and two Special Project partnerships. These initiatives advance our mission to promote flood-risk reduction, education, and community resilience through innovative, collaborative approaches.

Illinois Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management (IAFSM)

Project: Community Flood Mitigation Interpretive Signage

The IAFSM will develop and install interpretive signs that highlight local flood mitigation projects and educate residents and businesses about community flood resilience efforts.

These interpretive signs will describe the benefits of floodplain and stormwater management, showcase before-and-after photographs of improvements, and share the historical context of each site. Through this effort, IAFSM aims to:

  • Increase public awareness of floodplain and stormwater management benefits
  • Help residents appreciate the natural and beneficial functions of floodplains
  • Demonstrate the value of proactive mitigation and planning
  • Foster a deeper community connection to local flood mitigation history and progress

By bringing visibility to these projects, IAFSM hopes to inspire greater understanding and support for long-term flood risk reduction efforts across Illinois.

Florida Floodplain Managers Association, Inc. (FFMA)

Project: Florida-Specific Floodplain Management Education and Training Program

The FFMA will partner with the University of Florida to develop a comprehensive, state-specific floodplain management education and training program. This initiative will build on FEMA’s 273 curriculum, enhanced by FFMA’s award-winning educational expertise.

The project will:

  • Develop a training program aligned with FEMA 273 and tailored to Florida’s diverse flood hazards and risk conditions
  • Create an adaptable framework that can be modified for use by other states
  • Deliver learning through a mix of in-person workshops, online modules, and interactive case studies
  • Strengthen collaboration among Cooperative Extension services, floodplain managers, planners, and emergency responders
  • Improve local capacity for flood risk reduction and resilience planning

This effort will expand the reach and impact of professional education in floodplain management—helping practitioners better address the challenges of a changing climate and increasing flood risks.

Special Project: ASFPM Flood Science Center Partnership

The ASFPM Flood Science Center (FSC) will lead a Special Project exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) tools can be used to enhance the accessibility and understanding of ASFPM’s No Adverse Impact (NAI) materials. This “special project” partnership with the Foundation and ASFPM, aligns with the 2025 Gilbert White Forum, “Floodplain Management in the Era of Big Data & Artificial Intelligence.”

This project will focus on the NAI Legal Guide for Flood Risk Management (released in 2023) and build on previous FSC initiatives such as the Guide for Elected Officials and NAI Toolkit “How-to” Guides. The study will explore how AI can:

  • Simplify and clarify complex floodplain management materials for both experts and the public
  • Identify where and how human expertise must guide AI-assisted document creation
  • Demonstrate best practices for responsibly integrating AI tools into flood risk management contexts

Through this partnership, ASFPM aims to better understand the role of emerging technologies in advancing education, communication, and engagement within the floodplain management community.

Special Project: Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) of ASCE

ASFPM Foundation is partnering with the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) to develop a Pre-standard for Performance-Based Design  (PBFD) for Flood, which includes processes for determining flood hazard levels, evaluating flood protection system reliability, and setting performance objectives and acceptance criteria for flood effects.    

This research directly addresses a significant industry issue: the increasing inadequacy and cost implications of relying solely on prescriptive flood elevation requirements in building codes and standards. As flood events routinely exceed the traditional 100-year elevation, the recent ASCE/SEI Standards ASCE 7-22 Supplement 2 and ASCE 24-24 shift designs towards higher minimum elevations.  While necessary, these prescriptive results could lead to expensive elevation solutions. The proposed pre-standard offers an alternative by enabling designers to focus on achieving specific building performance objectives during flood events rather than strict adherence to prescriptive elevation mandates. The PBFD Pre-standard will be used by engineering professionals to develop more efficient and cost-effective flood design solutions tailored to the owner’s needs and site conditions. It will also be used by building officials and reviewers to evaluate and approve designs based on demonstrable performance criteria, streamlining the review process and fostering innovation in flood-resilient construction. 

The total effort to develop the prestandard is expected to require 30 months. The effort is projected to start in June 2025 and to conclude by the winter of 2027. 

Looking Ahead

Together, these projects exemplify the ASFPM Foundation’s commitment to fostering innovation, collaboration, and education in flood risk management. By supporting forward-thinking initiatives at both the state and national levels, the Foundation continues to empower communities and professionals working to protect people, property, and the environment.

Learn more about the ASFPM Foundation’s mission and ongoing projects at asfpmfoundation.org.

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