ITEM TITLE:
Report: Lowe River Levee Certification and LOMR Update
SUBMITTED BY: Kate Huber, Senior Planner & Floodplain Administrator
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
N/A - report only.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
In October 2016, the City of Valdez submitted a request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for levee certification for the Lowe River levee system. The process by which FEMA certifies levees is through a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR). The City of Valdez applied for a LOMR based on a 2D flood hazard analysis to revise FIRM #20094, Panel #0075C, along the Lowe River. We are proposing to revise the community’s Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) to reflect levee certification/accreditation.
The FIRM for a community depicts the floodplain, the area which has been determined to be subject to a 1-percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year. (This area is also known as the 100-year flood area or special flood hazard area.) The FIRM is used to determine flood insurance rates and to assist the community with floodplain management.
Throughout the review process Council has received periodic updates, including a report at the July 2, 2019 meeting regarding the required public notices mailed in June 2019. Since the last report, City staff and our contractors at AECOM have submitted the additional data requested by FEMA to complete their review. This included updated modeling done by AECOM, documentation of public notice, and updates to the 2016 Lowe River Levee Area Operation, Maintenance and Repair Manual. FEMA required more detail in the OMR Manual regarding the City evacuation plans for the levee area and specifics of public notification protocol, traffic management responsibilities and shelter locations. Some information was pulled from the existing Emergency Operations Plan, while other details were confirmed by Police Chief Hinkle and Fire Chief Raynor.
FEMA has 90 days to respond to the data submission, however representatives on the review team suggested that the process could go more quickly. If approved, the map will not become effective for 120 days, following a 90-day comment period, and 30-day administrative period.