NFPA Journal - Winter 2021 - 14

Dispatches
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
OUR FUTURE,
OUR FLOODS
A NEW REPORT PAINTS A GRIM PICTURE OF FLOOD
RISK ACROSS THE US NOW AND OVER THE NEXT
30 YEARS. WHAT CAN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
OFFICIALS DO TO ADDRESS THE THREAT?
By Angelo Verzoni
C

COUNTRY AT RISK
A new report warns
that millions of
elements of the
nation's critical
infrastructure,
such as hospitals,
fire stations, and
roads, are at risk of
being destroyed by
floods. The risk will
only get worse in
the coming years,
the report says.
TAYFUN COSKUN/
ANADOLU AGENCY
VIA GETTY IMAGES
ameron Parish, nestled into the
southwestern corner of Louisiana,
is the third-largest county in the
state by area, spanning nearly 2,000
square miles. It's not hard to see
why the county has a history of flooding. Lakes,
rivers, and marshland make up about a third of
its area, while 75 miles of coastline on the Gulf of
Mexico define its southern border.
When Hurricane Laura slammed into the Louisiana
coast in August 2020, it devastated the
town of Cameron, the parish seat. Photos from
the disaster show entire neighborhoods flooded,
schools and roadways under water, and boats
strewn about the town like toys.
But things could get even worse in the coming
years for the approximately 7,000 people who
call Cameron Parish home-much worse.
According to " The 3rd National Risk Assessment:
Infrastructure on the Brink, " a report
released in October by First Street Foundation,
14 | NFPA JOURNAL * WINTER 2021
a New York-based nonprofit that specializes in
flood risk research, Cameron Parish is the county
most at risk for flood damage across the entire
United States. The report estimated that 107 of
the county's 111 critical infrastructure properties,
such as fire stations and hospitals, are at risk of
being rendered inoperable from flooding. About
99 percent of Cameron Parish's residential properties
face flood risk, while 98.3 percent of the
county's roads and all of its commercial, government,
and education properties are at risk.
Cameron Parish might be extreme in its flood
risk, but it isn't alone. Research predicts that,
over the next 30 years, sea levels will rise and
stronger storms will occur,
significantly boosting the
flood risk across the US.
Experts say this should
serve as a wake-up call to
emergency planners, first
responders, and elected
officials in any community
NFPA.ORG/
DISPATCHES
Read the First
Street Foundation
report, " The 3rd
National Risk
Assessment:
Infrastructure
on the Brink. "
about the importance of preparing for floods,
which are the nation's most frequent and costliest
natural disaster, according to the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
" As we saw following the devastation of Hurricane
Ida [in August and September], our nation's
infrastructure is not built to a standard that protects
against the level of flood risk we face today,
let alone how those risks will grow over the
next 30 years, " Matthew Eby, executive director
of First Street Foundation, said in a statement.
The vision, he said, is for the foundation's " Infrastructure
on the Brink " report to " inform where
investment dollars should flow in order to best
mitigate against that risk. "
While experts say federal funding is essential
to help minimize flood damage in the future, they
also recognize the value in more localized efforts.
Those can include simply raising awareness of the
threat, as well as looking to codes and standards
from organizations such as NFPA in creating more
flood-conscious building regulations.
Investment, education, and codes
In flood-prone Louisiana-where, in addition to
Cameron Parish, six of the 10 most at-risk counties
identified in the First Street Foundation report are
located-the wheels are already turning on what
can be done to mitigate the flooding hazard of
today and tomorrow.
" We have to create a plan to make our buildings
more resilient, " said Louisiana State Fire
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NFPA Journal - Winter 2021

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Contents
NFPA Journal - Winter 2021 - Cover1
NFPA Journal - Winter 2021 - Cover2
NFPA Journal - Winter 2021 - 1
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NFPA Journal - Winter 2021 - Contents
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