ASFPM is hosting another CFM Exam Study Webinar (formerly called CFM Bootcamp) on Thursday, February 1st from 10am-12pm central time. This webinar is free for everyone (members and non-members) but does not offer CECs for attending. For those that attended the November 1st webinar, their exam pass rate was 5% higher than our national average. There is a registration limit of 1,000 people (365 people already registered), so register here now if you're interested!
State Training and Resources Available
View recently added DOTD trainings, and newsletters provided by the State NFIP Coordination office at the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Floodplain Office.
Did you know? You can access past FEMA Region 6 Floodplain Monthly trainings at one site. Click here to explore past topics. Bookmark the link, make sure to scroll to the bottom and click next to view more listings, and check back for new additions. Continuing education credits are not available for viewing past recordings.
Check out FEMA's NFIP 101: Introduction to Floodplain Management, a free, online, on-demand basic floodplain management course hosted by the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM). You have the flexibility to take the entire course, saving your progress along the way, or to dive in for targeted reviews as a refresher.
NFIP 101 is an excellent preparatory course for those awaiting the classroom version of FEMA's 0273 course. This classroom version might be available in your state or at FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute, with travel reimbursement offered for eligible local government and tribal participants. Check the available classroom-based offerings here.
Note: Completing NFIP 101 does not translate to FEMA Emergency Management Institute E/L0273 course completion.
LFMA SUMMER WORKSHOP - AVOYELLES PARISH - JULY 7, 2023
Jefferson Parish Floodplain Management & Hazard Mitigation hosts Elevation Certificate Workshop. Surveyors are encouraged to attend.
Click here or scan the QR code in the flier to register for the Free course. Registration is required.
Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD) in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is hosting the FEMA L-273: Managing Floodplain Development Through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) course on January 23-26, 2023. For those interested, the CFM exam will be given on Friday, January 27.
Limited space is available. Priority will be given to the community floodplain administrators. Further details will be included in your acceptance letter from Halff. See details below.
CFM Exam | Jan. 27, 2023
IMPORTANT: Registering through Eventbrite for the 4-day course does not register you for the exam. Those who are taking the CFM exam must follow the instructions below by January 13, 2023.
It's recommended that applicants register early as seats are limited.
Provide Your Feedback: Updates to the NFIP Elevation Certificate and Floodproofing Certificate
Public comment period through May 9, 2022
A Federal Register Notice published on March 10 seeking comments on revising the Elevation Certificate and the Floodproofing for Non-Residential Structures Certificate, to incorporate changes as a result of Risk Rating 2.0. The 60 day comment period ends on May 9, 2022.
The Department of Transportation and Development is the State Coordinating Agency for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in Louisiana. View floodplain management and insurance resources, including: state contacts, the Substantial Damage Toolkit to help prep your community for disasters, monthly newsletter content, and more.
Floodplain Monthly Training: Risk Rating 2.0--Equity in Action for FEMA Region 6 Floodplain Administrators
Tuesday 10 August 2021, 01:30 PM - 03:30 PM
This two-hour training provided by FEMA Region 6's Regional Flood Insurance Liaison, Gilbert Giron will introduce our floodplain administrators to Risk Rating 2.0 Equity in Action. Learn about why the flood insurance rating change is happening, and what is changing and not changing under the new rating methodology.
Two hours of continuing education credit is being pursued for this training through ASFPM for Certified Floodplain Managers.
Job Announcement - Lafayette Consolidated Government
FLOOD PLAIN ADMINISTRATOR -- Position is responsible for administering a flood plain program in compliance with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) regulations, as well as the Community Rating System (CRS) for NFIP. Work is administrative and technical in nature, and involves public contact work. The incumbent of this position works with substantial independence under the general direction of the Director of Development & Planning. Bachelor’s degree in governmental/environmental studies, planning, GIS, hydrology/hydraulics, engineering or related field and experience in surveying, insurance, or real estate work; or any equivalent combination of training and experience desired. APPRENTICESHIP: Positions in this class are assigned to an apprenticeship as defined by Civil Service Rule IV, Section 6. This requires the employee to complete Certified Floodplain Manager certification from the Association of State Floodplain Managers within two (2) years and ongoing education requirements for continued employment. $3,528-$4,410/DOE. Strong benefits and civil service status. See the Lafayette Consolidated Government, Civil Service Office, 705 W. University Ave., Lafayette, LA, or www.lafayettela.gov for deadline and additional information, or call 337-291-8330. See website for applications. EOE.
Annual Membership Meeting
The Annual Membership Meeting will be held at the end of the April 30th virtual workshop from 11:30AM-12:00PM. Election results, new CFM inductees, and official association business will be addressed during this meeting.
4 Virtual Workshops in lieu of the 2021 Annual Conference
LFMA will be holding four virtual workshops:
April 30, 2021 June 25, 2021 September 24, 2021 December 10, 2021
More information will be available under "Upcoming Events".
2020 Annual Conference Cancellation
Members,
We sincerely hope each and every one of you are safe during this unprecedented and trying time, and that the distress this global pandemic has caused subsides.
Due to recent rise of COVID-19 cases in the Country, and particularly in Louisiana, as well as Governor Edwards postponing Phase 3 Openings, the LFMA Board has made the decision toCANCEL the 2020 Annual Conferencefor the health and safety of our board, members, and community. We all were looking forward to the networking and sharing of important Floodplain Management updates that our annual conference has to offer. Your registration will be cancelled, and we will mail a refund check to you as soon as possible.
Until we can all safely meet again, we are working hard to bring continuing education opportunities to you so you can have the ability to keep up with your continuing education needs. FEMA and ASFPM are also currently conducting online classes at little to no cost which provides credit towards your CFM certification.
Typically held on the last day of the conference is our annual General Membership meeting. At this meeting, Board Members and Officials are elected. At a close vote of the board, the decision was made that ALL current Officers and Board Members will retain their current positions until we are able to hold a General Membership meeting. Since these times are unprecedented, our by-laws do not address instances where a General Membership meeting is missed or the safety of one can be called. It is our goal within the next few months to revise the by-laws to provide a way to hold future elections in the event the General Membership meeting cannot be held as scheduled.
We are hoping to see you all at the 2021 Conference next April. We will keep the same location - Houma, LA.
We miss you, and we’re looking forward to a time when we can connect in person again. If you have any questions or would like to see any specific resources in the coming months, don’t hesitate to contact us. To contact the Membership Chair, email: [email protected]
Thank you and be safe.
Toby J. Fruge', P.E., CFM
Chairman, LFMA
NFIP RESOURCES
In advance of Marco and Laura, NFIP Resources have been added to our website.
Included are websites, fact sheets, videos, social media assets, infographics and other materials for you.
Please feel free to share widely with other partners in insurance, safety, emergency management and elsewhere.
Marco & Laura: Flood Loss Avoidance
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sent this bulletin at 08/25/2020 07:15 AM EDT
With tropical storms threatening the Gulf Coast, and severe weather that can happen across the state...did you know? The NFIP offers flood loss avoidance as a protective action policyholders can take to minimize flood damage and losses before a flood occurs. Spread the word in your community.
Click here to view the flood loss avoidance video in Spanish.
2021 ASFPM Virtual Conference
ASFPM will hold its 45th annual conference May 10-14, 2021 in a virtual setting. Conference fee is $350 for ASFPM members ($400 for non-members) and includes all live conference plenary and concurrent sessions, access to the interactive “xpo360” virtual exhibit hall, and the ability to rewatch all conference sessions for over 6 months.
One way flood risk is communicated is through maps that show base flood elevations (BFEs), or the height floodwaters would reach during a 1-percent-annual-chance flood in any given year.
Freeboardis a term used by FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to describe a factor of safety usually expressed in feet above the 1-percent-annual-chance flood level. The NFIP requires the lowest floor of structures built in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) to be at or above the BFE, so a structure built with freeboard would have its lowest floor 1 foot or more above the BFE. Adding freeboard will reduce NFIP insurance premiums.
National Flood Insurance
Provided is a copy of the recent NFIP Premium Comparison Chart. This chart comes in handy when dealing with homeowners or local officials. It helps explain the benefits of flood insurance, elevating and freeboard as it relates to monetary savings. The NFIP Call Center Brochure is for anyone needing assistance from the NFIP Support Center.
Courtesy of: Mark Lujan (FEMA Region VI – Sr. Region Insurance Specialist) & and John Miles (FEMA Region VI)
Meteorology Terminology
What’s the Difference Between a Tropical Depression, Tropical Storm and Hurricane?
Meteorologists use special terminology based on various classifications for developing tropical activity.
You’ve heard AccuWeather.com meteorologists describe these weather formations as tropical systems, tropical disturbances, tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes. What does all of this terminology really mean?
Stages of Tropical Formation:
The first official stage of a tropical classification is a tropical depression, but before this happens meteorologists refer to this potential activity using many different terms, all which mean about the same thing.
You’ll hear them throw out some of these terms: tropical system, tropical feature, tropical activity, tropical disturbance, tropical wave. These descriptions all refer to a weather formation that has potential to strengthen and organize into a substantial tropical storm, or even a hurricane.
When these descriptors are used, the storm at its current state doesn’t have strong enough sustained and organized winds or the pressure necessary to be classified as a tropical depression.
Tropical Depression
A tropical depression forms when a low pressure area is accompanied by thunderstorms that produce a circular wind flow with maximum sustained winds below 39 mph. Most tropical depressions have maximum sustained winds between 25 and 35 mph.
In the U.S., the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is responsible for issuing advisories upgrading or downgrading tropical activity.
Reconoissance aircraft missions are sent by the NHC flying into tropical storms to gather data, like wind speeds, to aid in making these classification changes. Surface data from islands, buoys and vessels can also be used to make changes.
Tropical Storm
An upgrade into a tropical storm occurs when cyclonic circulation becomes more organized and maximum sustained winds gust consistently at or above 39 mph, and no higher than 73 mph. Tropical storm status is when the naming of the storm takes place.
Hurricane Classification
A tropical storm is then upgraded into Category 1 hurricane status as maximum sustained winds increase to between 74 mph and 95 mph.
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is used to rate hurricane intensity in the Atlantic Basin. A 1-5 rating system is used, with Category 1 being a less intense storm and Category 5 very intense.
Story by Carly Porter, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer
State Floodplain/NFIP Office Resources
