Feds Roll Out New Tool to Assess Flood Risk, Make Implementing FFRMS Easier
A new beta tool on the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) that will help users determine if a federally funded project is in a FFRMS floodplain is now available for review.
The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is requesting public comments on the beta version of the Federal Flood Standard Support website and the Federal Flood Standard Support Tool to assist federal agencies and applicants or recipients of federal financial assistance in FFRMS implementation.
The Federal Flood Standard Support Tool uses both the freeboard value approach (FVA) and climate-informed science approach (CISA) to assess flood risk.
See the Federal Register for more details. Comments are due May 28, 2024.
While all comments are welcome, OSTP is particularly interested in receiving:
- feedback on the functionality of the Federal Flood Standard Support Tool in providing a user-friendly visual representation and actionable information on FFRMS approaches for federally funded projects;
- insights on potential training and/or technical assistance needs associated with use of the Federal Flood Standard Support Tool; and
- suggestions for clarifying the communication of the flood mapping data development methodology.
This is the beta release and additional data will be incorporated to provide more expansive coverage in the coming months. For example, FEMA is developing freeboard mapping in areas where there are FEMA digital effective Flood Insurance Rate Maps. The work to develop freeboard mapping is currently ongoing, and data are being added to the tool on a regular basis. FEMA expects to complete this effort in Summer 2024, according to the website.
Background
The content-rich Federal Flood Standard Support website includes a brief instructional video, background on the evolution of FFRMS, approaches in floodplain determinations, nature-based solutions, and a variety of related resources, including the FFRMS Interim Flood Mapping Data Development Methodology report, 2023 CISA State of the Science Report, and 2023 FFRMS Floodplain Determination Job Aid. Visit the website
From the website, users can launch the Federal Flood Standard Support Tool, which guides users through the three steps for generating a FFRMS floodplain determination report for their project area.
- Step 1. Define project location
- Step 2. Input Criticality and Service Life
- Step 3. Download report
The final step is downloading the FFRMS reports generated based on the users input. Depending on the project location, criticality, and service life, the tool will generate one to two reports. In coastal areas, it will generate a CISA and a Freeboard Value Approach Report. In inland riverine areas, it will only generate a Freeboard Value Approach Report. In areas where the tool does not yet have data, a No Data Exists Report will be generated. The available reports will be presented as tabs that can be viewed by clicking on the tab with the report name.
ASFPM encourages members to spend some time with the tool and provide feedback on the features they like and offer specific recommendations on how it can be improved.
