IS Y R IN Guidance for N G New York Rising C O S M IE MUNIT Reconstruction Plans A Planning Toolkit for CR Planning Committees Table of Contents

Introduction ...... 1 Preparation of a NY Rising Community Reconstruction Plan ...... 3 Overview Characteristics of a Successful CR Plan Contents of a NY Rising Community Reconstruction Plan Step 1: Organize for Action ...... 7 Appoint a Planning Committee Select a Consultant Establish a Vision Conduct Public Outreach Review Assessment Areas Identify Geographic Scope of Community Reconstruction Plan Step 2: Inventory Assets ...... 11 Overview Conduct Inventory Step 3: Assess Risk ...... 15 Overview Assessing Risk Using the Risk Assessment Tool to Quantify Risk Step 4: Determine Needs and Opportunities ...... 21 Overview Analyze Asset Needs and Opportunities Step 5: Engage in Regional Planning Process ...... 28

ii Step 6: Develop Strategies for Investment and Action ...... 31 Overview Develop Strategies Identify Projects Needed to Implement Strategies Identify Management Measures Needed to Implement Strategies Costs and Benefits Step 7: Complete the CR Plan ...... 37 Develop a Detailed Implementation Schedule Submit the CR Plan Appendices ...... 39 1. Expanded Reconstruction Plan Contents 2. Flooding Risk Factors for Inland 3. FEMA Definition of Critical Facilities 4. Six Classes of Management Measures 5. Example List of Zoning and Subdivision Tools 6. Using the Risk Assessment Tool to Test Management Measures 7. Scenario Planning 8. Interpreting Risk Scores 9. Relationship of CR Plans to LTCR Plans 10. Case Examples of Effective Community Redevelopment Endnotes ...... 75

iii iv Introduction Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee (2011) and Hurricane Sandy (2012) demon- strated the severe effects of changing weather patterns – loss of life, displacement, damage to property and infrastructure, loss of essential services, and disruption of daily routines.

Through the New York Rising Community guide project and investment decisions, redirect land Reconstruction Program, New York State is assist- use, and gradually transition at-risk assets from high ing communities to rebuild better and safer based risk conditions to an acceptable lower level of risk. on community-driven plans that consider current To promote economic development in the com- damage, future threats to community assets, and the munity, each community will be able to apply les- community’s economic future. In keeping with the sons learned and best practices in other commu- National Disaster Recovery Framework, CRZ Plans nities across the country and around the world. will consider the needs, , and opportunities A successful plan will focus on those investments related to assets in the following categories of recov- that produce the greatest economic benefits while ery support functions: Community Planning and improving the resilience of the community in the Capacity Building, Economic Development, Health face of future threats. and Services, Housing, Infrastructure, and Natural and Cultural Resources. To help communities develop their plans, New York State will provide communities with the following: By completing a successful Plan, each participating community will position itself to obtain funding to • Consultants to help develop plans; implement that Plan to improve the community’s • Assistance from experts and facilitators during future. the planning process; Through the planning process, communities will: • Workshops and webinars to help prepare the • Assess the community’s vulnerabilities to future community and planning committee members natural disasters and its needs for economic to develop plans; development; • A website containing related to plan • Identify where funds should be used to repair or development and implementation, as well as reconstruct critical facilities and essential public other useful resources; assets damaged or destroyed by these storms; and • A regional context to develop large scale infra- • Identify projects that will increase resilience structure projects and address State, regional, while also protecting vulnerable populations and county assets; and promoting sound economic development. • Identification of risk assessment areas; and Planning to become more resilient is based on under- • A risk assessment tool to allow communities standing and managing risk to a community. An to quantify relative risk and test management evaluation of the factors that produce risk – hazard, measures. exposure, and vulnerability – will help communities develop effective reconstruction strategies which will

1 2 Preparation of a NY Rising Community Reconstruction Plan OVERVIEW Though scientists cannot predict meteorological events with certainty, it is likely that the storms of 2011 and PREPARATION OF A COMMUNITY 2012 are the first of an era in which coastal storms may RECONSTRUCTION PLAN be more intense and more frequent. As a result, com- Step One: Organize for Action • Appoint a Plan Development Committee munities must identify approaches to community recon- • Select a Consultant struction and development that will reduce future costly • Establish Goals • Conduct Public Outreach damages to their social, economic, and environmental • Review Risk Assessment Areas assets. • Identify Geographic Scope of Reconstruction Plan The State has invited communities hardest hit by Step Two: Inventory Assets • Conduct Inventory of Assets Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Irene, and Tropical Storm Step Three: Assess Risk Lee to prepare NY Rising Community Reconstruction • Assessing Risk Plans. For details on how to access information and • Using the Risk Assessment Tool to Quantify Risk assistance related to community reconstruction plan- Step Four: Determine Needs and Opportunities ning, consult the website found at: • Analyze Asset Needs and Opportunities Step Five: Engage in Regional Planning Process http://nysandyhelp.ny.gov/community-reconstruction- Step Six: Develop Strategies for Investment and Action program • Develop Strategies • Identify Projects Needed to Implement Strategies This guide explains the seven steps a community must • Identify Management Measures Needed to Implement take to develop a plan that will guide their rebuilding, Strategies resilience and economic development and position the Step Seven: Complete the Community Reconstruction community to receive implementation funds. Plan • Develop Detailed Implementation Schedule As set forth in the timeline in Figure 1, the planning • Submit Community Reconstruction Plan process is expected to take eight months. The deadline for submission of completed plans will be posted by the State before the commencement of the planning process.

Figure 1 Planning Timeline

Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Public Outreach Planning Committee & Consultants in Place Regional Planning Establish Goals Assess Risk Develop Strategies

Inventory Assets Identify Needs Submit Plan and Opportunities to State Identify Implementation Measures State Review of Plan

Finalize Plan

3 CHARACTERISTICS OF A SUCCESSFUL CR PLAN To qualify for grants to implement the CR Plan, the • Projects with economic growth co-benefits. plan must include the following: Projects that will improve the future of the local • Assessment of risk to key assets and systems. may also enhance the resilience of the As the bedrock of the plan, an inventory of the community. For example, investments in new vulnerabilities of key assets and systems is nec- transportation infrastructure may facilitate the essary to prioritize various projects and actions. growth of Main Street corridors; and investments in new recreational assets (e.g. new • Projects and actions to restore and increase the green space that serves as a buffer against coastal resilience of key assets. The CR Plan should flooding) may protect against storm damage or address both the restoration of key assets and serve as redundant protection in critical areas, actions that will make them more resilient to while also drawing tourists or facilitating the future threats. Examples of such projects and growth of new . actions include restoration or mitigation of nat- ural infrastructure (e.g. wetlands, oyster reefs, • Regional coordination. To ensure that CR Plans dunes, and other green infrastructure), changes are consistent with regional objectives and that in land use regulations (e.g. changes in use, a regional response to the challenges that cross increased setbacks, and transfer of density) to political jurisdictions serve the community’s encourage sound development, and investments long-term objectives, Long Island communities in transportation or other improvements in com- and communities in other areas identified by munity systems to prepare for future threats. the State must participate in a regional planning process. • Protection of vulnerable populations. The CR Planning Committee should develop new mea- • Detailed implementation agendas. Each CR sures to protect vulnerable persons (people with Plan must include a clear and detailed descrip- disabilities, low and very-low income popula- tion of the tasks it will take to implement the tions, elderly, young children, homeless and plan. This includes assigning responsibility for people at risk of becoming homeless) through specific actions to specific or orga- housing decisions and other services. For exam- nizations, and establishing timelines for each ple, site new facilities in lower risk areas, require action, as appropriate. backup power systems for critical facilities such as nursing homes and hospitals, and improve systems to ensure that vul- nerable persons are not left without aid. Some actions to address vulnerable populations could include amendments to municipal emergency management procedures.

4 CONTENTS OF A NY RISING COMMUNITY RECONSTRUCTION PLAN Planning for the future of a community after a major disaster must be driven by the community itself. Community Reconstruction Plan Contents Through a CR Plan, a community will express its strat- Transmittal Letter egies for rebuilding and replacing critical facilities, improving its resilience against future threats, capital- Overview • Geographic Scope of Plan izing on its social and economic assets, and fostering • Description of Storm Damage economic growth. Development of a plan which con- • Critical Issues tains the required elements will qualify a community • Community Vision • Relationship to Regional Plans to receive implementation grants and guide long term construction and use of local and other funds. Assessment of Risk and Needs • Community Assets The CR Plan will result in a list of projects and actions • Assessment of Risk to Assets needed for the community to recover and to reduce • Assessment of Risk to Systems • Assessment of Needs and Opportunities future hazard damages. The community will estimate costs and benefits of the proposed course of action, and Reconstruction Strategies • Community Planning and Capacity Building set priorities for the projects that have the most signifi- • Economic Development cant recovery . • Health and Social Services • Housing The items that must be contained in a CR Plan are listed • Infrastructure on the right. For a more detailed description, refer to • Natural and Cultural Resources

Appendix 1. Implementation Schedule • Schedule of Implementation Actions

Appendices • List of CR Planning Committee Members • Description of Public Engagement Process • Description of Priority Projects and their Costs and Benefits • Inventory of Assets

5 6 Step One: Organize for Action APPOINT A PLANNING COMMITTEE The first step for a participating community to • Representatives of vulnerable populations such complete is to establish a Planning Committee as people with disabilities, low and very-low (Committee) that accurately reflects the- commu income populations, the elderly, young chil- nity’s diverse populations and represents both the dren, homeless and people at risk of becoming needs of the community and its members’ various homeless; talents. The Committees’ co-chairs will be selected • Transportation experts; by the State in consultation with the communities. • Public works experts familiar with water or The composition of the remaining members of sewer systems; the Committee will vary from one community to another, but will include a representative from (1) • Representatives of the parks department; and the board, village board of trustees, or , as • Emergency management personnel. applicable, (2) the county, (3) elected legislative rep- The size of the Committee must balance partici- resentatives and (4) directors of established commu- pant availability with the need for representation of nity and businesses. diverse communities, interests, and areas of exper- Examples of other types of people who may be on tise. Generally, 9 to 15 people have been found to be the Committee or who might advise the Committee a workable committee size.1 include: A member of the Committee will be designated to • Planning experts; serve as a liaison between the Committee and the • Hazard mitigation experts; regional planning effort. • Local zoning experts; The members of the Committee will not be paid. They will be required to follow a detailed code of • Economic development experts; that will govern their on the Committee. The • Local Waterfront Revitalization Program manager; State will provide Committee members with access • Representatives of commercial, environmental, to online training which explains the code of ethics. housing, and services organizations;

7 SELECT A CONSULTANT agencies (see below). Goals should focus on: The State will provide consultants to help facilitate • Opportunities for reconstruction and resilience the planning process in each participating commu- projects with potential for economic growth; nity. The consultants will provide ongoing technical • Buildings, infrastructure, or services that must assistance and facilitate the Planning Committee’s be built, rebuilt, or relocated to sustain service in work in many ways to ensure timely and successful response to future hazards; completion of the key steps toward a completed CR • Development and implementation of long-term, Plan. In addition, the State will retain a series of cost-effective and environmentally-sound - mit outside consultants and experts in a broad range of igation projects to make the community more substantive areas to be “on call” to help Planning resilient in the future; Committees in specific areas. For example, ifa Planning Committee wishes to better understand its • Protecting vulnerable populations from future range of options to improve the waterfront protec- hazards, and improving emergency response tions in its community while improving its tourism protocols for elderly and special needs popula- economy, the Committee could call upon an envi- tions where necessary; ronmental engineering firm to analyze the physical • Reduction of risk to assets from frequent natural options for improvements and a firm with expertise disasters through relocation, elevation, or safer in economic development strategies to analyze the reconstruction; best approaches to building public recreational or • Expanding the availability of affordable hous- other facilities on the water. Such firms will be avail- ing types to better accommodate post-storm and able and engaged from the start without requiring post-buyout housing demands; and each Committee to conduct its own separate RFP/ RFI/RFQ process. • Resilience awareness and education.

The State will be available throughout the process to CONDUCT PUBLIC OUTREACH answer questions and assist Planning Committees in navigating the best use of such outside consul- Broad public outreach is an important component tants in their work. of successful planning. The Committee should develop a public outreach plan. Public input will ESTABLISH A VISION help shape and enrich the CR Plan itself. Outreach will also serve to educate and inform residents and The Committee should establish a vision which may stakeholders on storm and climate change risks, be expressed in short, medium and long-term goals potential mitigation projects and management mea- to be achieved through the implementation of the sures, and will build support for implementing plan. The vision and goals should reflect community strategies. objectives and revitalization strategies as well as the priorities of the Regional Economic Development The Committee should offer opportunities for pub- Council. The overall aim should be to address dam- lic input and comment at key milestones in the age caused by Sandy, Irene and Lee; capitalize on planning process. The Committee could organize social and economic assets to improve the local an open house, hold workshops and public infor- economy; and rebuild a more resilient community mation sessions, and participate in other meetings to reduce future risk. Medium and long-term goals to solicit public input. should incorporate medium and long-term risks, especially those identified by State and federal

8 The State has developed a website to post progress, Risk assessment mapping uses the best currently meeting schedules and agendas (http://nysandy- available science and data sources to identify areas help.ny.gov/community-reconstruction-program), at risk from flooding, erosion, and storm surge and outreach materials to retain public interest and as well as potential effects from sea level rise. As involvement. Members of the community may also Hurricane Sandy demonstrated, areas well inland use the website to comment on issues they believe can be affected, so risk assessment mapping should be addressed by the Plan. Open access to included sources such as the FEMA 0.2% annual the planning process ensures inclusiveness, and risk (“500-year”) flood zone and the National increases understanding of and support for imple- Hurricane Center’s Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges mentation actions. from Hurricanes (SLOSH) zones. The mapping also Improving resilience is a long-term and ongoing assumes a 3-ft rise in sea level by 2100. process, therefore it is important to include provi- The online maps identify three risk areas based sions in the public outreach plan that ensure con- on aggregated information for multiple coastal tinued public outreach and opportunities for input hazards: throughout the planning and implementation • Extreme Risk Areas: Areas currently at risk of phases of the CR Plan. frequent inundation, vulnerable to erosion in the next 40 years, or likely to be inundated in the REVIEW RISK ASSESSMENT AREAS future due to sea level rise. Knowing which areas have been and will be affected • High Risk Areas: Areas outside the Extreme by storms and other threats such as sea level rise are Risk Area that are currently at infrequent risk of the first step understanding risk. To help - under inundation or at future risk from sea level rise. stand the geographic distribution of coastal risk, the Department of State prepared coastal and riv- • Moderate Risk Areas: Areas outside the Extreme erine risk assessment maps with assistance from the and High Risk Areas but currently at moderate National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration risk of inundation from infrequent events or at Coastal Services Center (NOAA-CSC) and the risk in the future from sea level rise. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Risk assessment maps are intended for planning Coastal risk assessment areas have been identified purposes only. These maps can be used in conjunc- for Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties and tion with other planning tools, maps, and resources the New York City boroughs. The Department of to advance reconstruction plans. They should not be State can provide assistance to communities on the confused with, and may not be substituted for, any Hudson River (south of the Troy Dam) to help iden- existing regulatory maps or associated boundaries. tify similar risk assessment areas. In the absence Data sets used to create the extreme, high, and mod- of available risk assessment maps, communities erate risk areas on the risk assessment maps are iden- should consult floodplain maps and consider flood tified on the NY Rising Community Reconstruction levels experienced in recent storms. Factors that Plan website. may be helpful in identifying inland flood risk are On the following page is an example of a risk assess- listed in Appendix 2. ment map showing areas of Extreme, High, and The coastal risk assessment areas, which can be Moderate risk. The image is of the Shirley Mastic viewed online, depict the full spectrum of coastal area in the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County. risk, from relatively frequent events to infrequent large storms or future changes in water levels.

9 IDENTIFY GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE OF COMMUNITY RECONSTRUCTION PLAN The Committee should identify the geographic damage may indicate that other areas should be scope of the Community Reconstruction Plan. included. For communities without risk assess- Properly scoping the CR Plan includes meeting fed- ment maps, the areas where assets are likely to be eral guidelines for the use of reconstruction funds. most at risk should include the 100-year flood plain Those guidelines, and State assistance in interpret- and potential inundation areas associated with an ing those guidelines for local communities, will be upstream dam. Past experience with damage caused available to Planning Committees throughout the by storms should also be considered. planning process. CR Plans are designed to address A community may define the geographic scope of the damage caused by Sandy, Irene, and Lee, and the plan to include the areas where assets are most communities seeking to implement projects not at risk, where reconstruction or future construc- directly impacted by those storms will need to tion should be encouraged, and where key invest- demonstrate how such projects mitigate the risk of ments to improve the local economy can be made. such damage occurring in the future. The identification of more resilient areas for future Assets are likely to be most at risk to future storms development can later be reinforced in municipal in the extreme, high, and moderate risk areas of the comprehensive plans and land use regulations. community, but reviewing current and previous

Figure 2 Shirley Mastic area, Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County

Produced by NY Department of State in partnership with NOAA Coastal Service Center

10 Step Two: Inventory Assets OVERVIEW One purpose of the CR Plan is to ensure both recon- Special attention should be paid to assets whose structed assets and new construction post-storm loss or impairment would compromise any critical are more resilient in the face of future storms. facilities or any essential cultural, social, economic Communities have a variety of assets such as hous- or environmental functions of the community. (See ing, transportation, schools, hospitals, treatment Appendix 3 for FEMA’s list of critical facilities.) plants, parks, natural areas, and commercial areas. Examples of the types of assets to include in the inventory are presented in Table 1. The Committee should compile and review the inventory of assets. Federal, State, regional and Major energy and utility infrastructure that is out- county sources may be able to provide information, side the local ’s management control as well as local sources. The State will assist the need not be included in the inventory unless the Committee to produce this inventory with both data Committee that it is essential to consider. analysis and guidance. The Committee may choose to use the Asset Within the geographic scope of the plan identified, Inventory worksheet, which is a component of the the Committee should determine the assets that Risk Assessment Tool. The Risk Assessment Tool have been affected by coastal or riverine hazards, can be found on the community reconstruction zone and those assets which could be affected as shown website. A sample of the Asset Inventory worksheet on the risk assessment maps (or in non-coastal areas, is shown below. Use of the Asset Inventory work- assets located within the 100-year flood plain or dam sheet is strongly recommended if the Committee inundation areas). The Committee may choose to chooses to use the Risk Assessment Tool, as these limit the inventory of assets to those located within two are linked. The Risk Assessment Tool is the Extreme and High Risk areas within the geo- described in Step Three. graphic scope of the CR Plan.

Figure 3 Asset Inventory Worksheet

Asset Information Landscape Attributes

Beach Shore Protective Dunes or Bluffs: Soils: Erosion Width: Defenses: Vegetation: Dunes absent, Asset Rate: Waterline Absent, not Dense, healthy below BFE, located on Long-term frequently constructed vegetation, discontinuous, a coastal Geogra- average at shore to anticipated wetlands eroding; Bluff barrier phic Com- erosion rate defense conditions, between asset slope unstable, island Asset Coordi- Risk Asset Critical munity ≥1 per year, or upland below BFE, or and flood partially or filled Additional Name Address nates Area Class Facility Value or unknown vegetation deteriorating source absent vegetated wetland Information

11 Table 1 gathered and entered in the inventory in order to Types of Assets assess the risk to each asset: Asset Name: The name of the facility or a descrip- tive name that will serve as a unique identifier. For Asset Class Asset Examples example, “St. Jude’s Medical Center,” “Elmwood A . Economic Office buildings, business and industrial Multi-Family Dwellings #1,” or “Owens Athletic parks, manufacturing, warehouses, Complex.” storage facilities, grocery, restaurants, banks, lodging, storefronts, downtown Address: The street address for the asset. If it is a center, seasonal/tourism destinations group of assets, provide a general description of the B . Health and Schools, health care, day care, elder boundaries of the asset. Social Services care, emergency operations, government and administrative services, media and Geographic Coordinates: The Committee may pro- communications, police, fire and rescue vide the asset’s geographic coordinates to be used C . Housing Single-family and multi-family dwellings, in mapping the asset. Multiple coordinates may be supportive housing/group homes, senior housing and affordable housing needed to map a group of assets.

D . Infrastructure Pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular ways, Risk Area: If a coastal risk assessment map is avail- Systems transit, bridges, airports, rail, ports, able, identify the risk assessment area in which the ferries, gas stations, water supply, stormwater, wastewater, solid waste and asset is located, selecting Extreme or High. If the recycling Committee chooses to inventory assets in other

E . Natural Natural habitats, wetlands and marshes, parts of the community, select Moderate or N/A and Cultural recreation facilities, parks, public access, (not located in a risk area). Resources open spaces, agricultural areas, religious establishments, libraries, museums, If a coastal risk assessment map is not available, the historic landmarks, performing arts venues community should indicate the relative level of risk to flooding as Extreme (10-year floodplain or areas F . Socially Assets predominantly providing services Vulnerable for people with disabilities, low and known to be frequently inundated) or High (100- Populations very-low income populations, the elderly, year floodplain). If the Committee chooses to inven- young children, homeless and people at risk of becoming homeless tory assets in other parts of the community, select Moderate (500-year floodplain) or N/A (not located in 100- or 500-year floodplain). CONDUCT INVENTORY Asset Class: The asset class best describing the asset as listed in Table 1. If using the provided spread- Information about assets located in the Extreme sheet, select the appropriate asset class, represented and High Risk areas should be recorded in the asset by letters A – F, from the dropdown menu. If an inventory. Assets may be recorded individually asset has a mixed function, such as an apartment (e.g. Wright Airport), or assets in close proximity building with many senior citizen residents, list it with similar characteristics and risk factors may be in the asset class which is most important in terms identified as a group (e.g. Garner Industrial Park). of measuring and addressing risk – which in this For example, several multi-family buildings in the example might be Class F – Socially Vulnerable same neighborhood with similar risk factors could Populations. Another example would be a gasoline be grouped as one asset. Grouping assets of a simi- station, which is an important source of fuel for res- lar type and with similar exposure conditions helps idential or commercial generators but is primarily simplify the risk assessment process. used to support transportation. As a result, it could The following types of information should be be listed as Class D – Infrastructure Systems.

12 Critical Facility: Select “Yes” or “No” to indicate or have little vegetation? Are bluff slopes unsta- whether the asset is a critical facility. Critical facil- ble or partially vegetated? ities are essential to the health and welfare of the • Soils: Is the asset located on a coastal barrier whole population and are especially important fol- island or built on a filled wetland? lowing hazard events. For example, critical facili- ties may include emergency service facilities such Additional Information as hospitals and other medical facilities, police and The inventory worksheet has a final column in fire stations, emergency operations centers, public which the Committee can include other information works facilities, evacuation shelters, schools, and of note. For example, it could be noted whether the other uses that house special needs populations. A asset is a wooden or concrete structure; how long list of critical facilities is included in Appendix 3. the asset is likely to be impaired by storm effects based on similar past experiences; the age of the Community Value: The value of the asset to the asset; and features of the asset that are at risk (e.g. community expressed as high, medium, or low. electrical system). Other information, if needed, The community can determine value in many ways. might include: ownership of the asset; whether it is For example, high value may be placed on critical occupied by vulnerable populations; damage it may facilities, high property tax revenue generators, or have experienced in a storm; or details on the items large employers. in a group of assets. This additional information Landscape Attributes may help the community determine the vulnerabil- Features of the landscape that lie between the asset ity of the asset, cost factors, and help with the selec- and the source of flood waters may reduce the tion of management measures. potential for flooding and erosion. Use the - drop down menu to answer the following questions regarding that landscape: • Erosion Rate: Is the long-term average shore- line erosion rate one foot per year or more, or unknown? • Beach Width: Is the water line frequently in con- tact with a shore defense structure or upland vegetation? • Shore Defenses: Are shore defenses (e.g. sea- walls, bulkheads, levees, revetments, and groins) absent, not constructed to anticipated storm or sea level rise conditions, or deteriorating? • Protective Vegetation: Are protective vegeta- tion (i.e. dense shrubbery or forested land cover at least 300 feet in depth), well-established or restored wetlands, or other intervening struc- tures between the asset and the flood source absent? • Dunes or Bluffs:Are dunes absent or below base flood elevation (BFE), or eroding, discontinuous

13 14 Step Three: Assess Risk

OVERVIEW intensity events, will help distinguish assets that are most at risk in the near term from those that are at Risk is the chance that an asset will be damaged or risk over the long term. destroyed. Assessing the risk to assets will help the Committee understand and prioritize projects and The Committee must identify what is likely to cause measures to protect assets at risk and ensure appro- harm and the frequency with which it will occur. priate long-term economic growth. Three factors Examples of the most common risks include hurri- contribute to overall risk for each asset: canes, coastal flooding, flooding in a 100-year flood- plain, sea level rise, or dam or levee failure. As a • The likelihood and magnitude of future storm rule of thumb, an asset located in an extreme risk events. This is a measure of hazard. area experiences hazards more frequently and with • The moderating effect of topographic and shore- greater impact than if it were located in a high or line features. This is a measure of exposure. moderate risk area; and an asset located in a wave • The level of impairment or consequences that impact zone (the V zone) is more at risk than if it assets may experience from a storm event. The were located in other parts of a 100-year floodplain ability of the asset to resist damage from a storm or in a 500-year floodplain. is a measure of vulnerability. Exposure The Committee can assess risk by using guidance Exposure is an expression of the local topographic in this document and Appendix 2. The Committee and shoreline conditions that tend to increase or may also use the Risk Assessment Tool to generate decrease the effects of coastal hazards on assets. If a Risk Score representing the relative risk to assets assets are more exposed (e.g., situated on low-lying in the community. The Risk Assessment Tool is not floodplains, directly exposed to the probable storm designed for inland communities. surge, or otherwise unprotected), they are more The next section explains how risk is assessed, fol- likely to suffer storm effects than similar assets lowed by a section explaining how to use the Risk located at a higher elevation, on a rocky shore- 2 Assessment Tool to quantify risk. line behind multiple rows of continuous dunes. Landscape features are more important when an ASSESSING RISK asset is near the flood source (e.g., as the distance between the assets and the flood source increases, To assess risk to an asset, the Committee should the shoreline conditions become less important and consider the three factors contributing to risk. Using the site conditions become more important). those risk factors and past experience, it will esti- mate the potential consequences an asset faces from Table 2 provides some guidance on assessing the future storms. amount of risk to an asset in a coastal area based on its landscape attributes. The examples below Hazard explain how a variety of landscape attributes deter- For a CR Plan, hazards are storms that are typical mine exposure. for the region, not unlikely or unpredictable events. Evaluating risk from a range of storm events, from • Vegetation can reduce flood and erosion impacts. frequent, low intensity events to infrequent, high Density of vegetation can significantly influence wind speeds, as well as water flow velocity.

15 Table 2 Effect of Landscape Attributes on the Exposure of Assets

Landscape Least Exposed Most Exposed Attribute Erosion Rate Shoreline is accreting or minor erosion Average annual shoreline erosion is 1 foot per year or more Beach Width The waterline is not in contact with shore defenses The waterline is in frequent or daily contact with shore or upland vegetation or only in contact temporarily defenses or upland vegetation during storms Shore Constructed to anticipated conditions including Not constructed to anticipated conditions including storms Defenses storms and sea level rise and well maintained and sea level rise or poorly maintained Protective Healthy, dense upland or wetland vegetation, near Vegetation is sparse or distant from the asset Vegetation the asset Dunes or Dunes are broad, above Base Flood Elevation, Dunes are narrow and unvegetated, eroded (scarped), Bluffs vegetated and have space to retreat. Bluff slope is discontinuous, below Base Flood Elevation, or constrained stable and vegetated by adjacent structures. Bluff slope is unstable and partially vegetated Soils Soils are stable and/or rocky Sites of former wetlands that have been filled, or unconsolidated sand and fine sediment, or sandy coastal barriers

• Shoreline composition and topography close to • Storm effects may be exacerbated on shorelines the coast affects exposure. Wide beaches, cobble, with high erosion rates. Development situated bluffs, or shallow water reduce waves and surge. on an eroding beach may be at greater risk from Narrow, steep beaches and low land behind a wave impacts and storm surge. Development sit- beach without dunes are often at higher risk. uated on a stable beach or one growing with new • Assets built on filled wetlands may experience sediment deposits may be less prone to severe increased flooding and erosion damages. Filling storm effects. wetlands may cause wetland degradation or • Dunes located between the asset and the shore- loss, resulting in diminished services such as line can absorb incoming wave energy. Dunes providing critical habitat, flood and erosion con- that are higher, wider, and well vegetated are trol, and water quality protection. more effective than dunes with heights below • The presence of structural defenses such as bulk- the BFE, which are discontinuous, or have little heads, seawalls, breakwaters and revetments vegetation. may reduce the effects of incoming surge and • Exposure is also affected by the distance of the wave energy on an asset if they are well main- risk area from the flooding water bodies. For tained and above BFE. However, if the waterline example, landscape features near the shoreline is already at the seawall or bulkhead, assets are are more important for extreme risk areas and at increased risk to wave overtopping effects. are a smaller factor in the moderate risk area.

• Assets facing open waters or embayments sub- Vulnerability ject to significant storm surge are more likely to As used in this guidance, vulnerability is an expres- be inundated. The orientation of the shoreline sion of the capacity of an asset to return to service to probable storm surge direction affects which after a storm, taking into account its material strength areas experience direct wave attack or increased relative to the coastal hazard as well its regenera- erosion. tive capacity. If an asset quickly recovers without

16 Table 3 Vulnerability Based on Impact on Service or Function of Community Assets

Insignificant Minor Moderate Significant Major Impact 1 2 3 4 5 A . Economic Limited interruption Service loss for up Service loss for Service loss for Permanent loss Assets in service or short to 1 week or longer more than 1 week more than 1 month of service of the term reduced term reduced service up to 1 month or or permanent economic asset service longer term reduced reduced capacity service B . Health and Limited interruption Service loss for up Service loss for Service loss for Permanent loss of Social Services in service or short to 1 week or longer more than 1 week more than 1 month service of any one of Assets term reduced term reduced service; up to 1 month or or permanent the essential services service; Services Services under more longer term reduced reduced capacity listed under more than than usual stress on service; Services usual stress but several fronts under severe manageable pressure C . Housing Limited Out of use for up to Out of use for more Out of use for up Out of use for more Assets inconvenience 1 week than 1 week up to 1 to 6 months [OR] than 6 months [OR] month permanent loss permanent loss of of 15% or less of more than 15% of housing in a group housing in a group asset asset D . Infrastructure Limited interruption Service loss for up Service loss for Service loss for Permanent loss of Systems Assets in service or short to 1 week or longer more than 1 week more than 1 month service of any one of term reduced term reduced service up to 1 month or or permanent the facilities listed service longer term reduced reduced capacity service E . Natural Limited interruption Service loss for up Service loss for Service loss greater Permanent loss of and Cultural in service or short to 1 week or longer more than 1 week than 1 month service of the cultural Resources Assets term reduced term reduced service; up to 1 month [OR] [OR] Permanently asset [OR] complete service [OR] Limited Minimal natural Moderate impacts diminished capacity loss of important loss of access, habitat impacts, on natural habitats, of natural resource; natural habitats habitat, or use temporary loss sustained loss of substantial of public access, public access, long damages of temporary loss of term loss of private important natural open space/tourism open space habitats assets F . Assets Limited service Service interruption Service interruption Permanent service Service interruption of Providing Services interruption for up to 1 week of more than 1 interruption of more 6 or more months for Socially week up to 1 month than 1 and less than Vulnerable 6 months Populations external assistance it has low vulnerability. Local storm surge, and flooding. Assets below BFE are knowledge of how assets were affected in the past highly vulnerable to flooding impacts; 3 will help estimate future effects. Table 3 provides • Well-constructed and reinforced structures can some guidance on assessing vulnerability. Look for resist storm damage better than poorly - con weaknesses or vulnerabilities that can make an asset structed or unreinforced structures; more susceptible to damage, requiring longer peri- ods to restore its function. For example: • Natural features may be impacted by saltwater inundation, changing the vegetation or landform • Elevation above BFE has a direct influence on and affecting native species; which assets experience direct wave action,

17 • Sewer treatment facilities that are inundated in New York City associated with a 1 in 100-year may cease operation for long periods because storm will occur about once in 35 to once in 15 years equipment was exposed to storm waters; towards the end of the century.4 • Unsecured oil storage tanks could spill and ren- USING THE RISK ASSESSMENT TOOL der an asset unusable until cleanup efforts are TO QUANTIFY RISK completed; and • Flooded access roads or other affects on adjacent The NYS Department of State developed a tool areas could limit access to the asset. to help coastal communities assess and quantify the risk to their assets and to test whether various Consider also the aspects of the asset that may make projects and management measures will reduce it less vulnerable. For example: the risk to those assets. The Risk Assessment • Measures may be underway that would min- Tool is available at http://nysandyhelp.ny.gov/ imize future vulnerability, such as elevation or community-reconstruction-zones. dune nourishment; and For each asset the three factors contributing to over- • Measures may be in place to reduce damages, all risk – hazard, exposure, and vulnerability – are such as flood-proofing or levees. scored and combined to produce a final Risk Score, Assets protected by shore defenses including representing the overall level of risk. Assets with seawalls, bulkheads, and levees are still at risk, high Risk Scores are not likely to be resilient to as demonstrated by Hurricane Katrina and the future storm events. Midwestern floods of 2011. As a result, assets The Risk Assessment Tool is in the form of a spread- behind shore defenses should include an estimate sheet with formulas built into it to calculate an over- of residual risk. It may be advisable to estimate the all Risk Score for each asset. vulnerability of such protected assets twice: once The asset information and landscape attribute infor- assuming the protection works, and once assuming mation will automatically be entered into the Risk the protection fails or is overtopped, to help under- Assessment Tool spreadsheet if the Committee used stand this residual risk. (See information included the Asset Inventory worksheet. The landscape attri- with the Risk Assessment Tool.) bute score will be automatically calculated based on Risk the landscape attribute information. The Committee should analyze the assets listed in Detailed information about how each score is cal- the inventory and how they were impacted by pre- culated is included with the Risk Assessment Tool. vious hazard events. The Committee should seek Hazard Score input from local experts, resource managers, and automatically community members. Based on the discussion and The Risk Assessment Tool will a review of the characteristics recorded in the inven- assign a Hazard Score of 3 for each asset based on a tory, the Committee should estimate how likely it is 100-year storm event occurring within the next 100 5 that the asset will be negatively affected by hazard years. Information as to how to calculate the haz- events. ard score for a 500-year storm event is included with the Risk Assessment Tool. For areas affected by sea level rise, it is important to recognize that flooding associated with the current Exposure Score 1% annual risk event (100-year storm) will occur The Exposure Score, which will be automatically much more frequently in the future. For example, calculated, takes into consideration the risk area one assessment estimates the current water levels in which the asset is located and local landscape

18 Figure 4 Risk Assessment Tool

Asset Information Landscape Attributes Risk Assessment

Beach Shore Protective Dunes or Bluffs: Soils: Erosion Width: Defenses: Vegetation: Dunes absent, Asset Rate: Waterline Absent, not Dense, healthy below BFE, located on Long-term frequently constructed vegetation, discontinuous, a coastal average at shore to anticipated wetlands eroding; Bluff barrier Com- erosion rate defense conditions, between asset slope unstable, island Vulner- Risk Asset Critical munity ≥1 per year, or upland below BFE, or and flood partially or filled Hazard Exposure ability Risk Asset Area Class Facility Value or unknown vegetation deteriorating source absent vegetated wetland Score Score Score Score

attributes that influence the potential for storm Risk Score impacts, such as the local erosion rate, beach width, In the Risk Assessment Tool a Risk Score will auto- presence and condition of natural protective features matically be calculated when all the necessary fac- and engineered shore defenses. The Committee will tors have been entered on the table. The formula to provide this information in the landscape attribute calculate risk is: portion of the asset inventory worksheet. Hazard × Exposure × Vulnerability = Risk7,8 The Exposure Score reflects how the variability of The tool will generate a Risk Score representing the landscape features moderate damages to assets. relative risk of the assets in the community to one Assets that are closer and more exposed to hazards another. Risk Scores will range from 1.5 (negligible) are at greater risk than those that are less exposed. to 75 (severe). To aid in understanding the basis of the results, Risk Scores rely on past experience as predictor of the factors used to calculate the Exposure Score are future risk and include some subjective analysis. included with the Risk Assessment Tool. They should not be compared from one community Vulnerability Score to the next. The Vulnerability Score reflects the level of impair- Using the Risk Score ment, or consequences that assets may experience An asset with a high Risk Score should be addressed from a hazard event, and reflects the ability of the to the extent possible in the CR Plan, either through asset to resist damage from the hazard. In the case avoiding the risk (relocation), reducing the expo- of vulnerable populations, it reflects the difficulties sure, or by making the asset less vulnerable to of relocating or evacuating vulnerable people in an future hazard events (e.g. elevation, flood-proofing, asset as their percent of occupation increases. The and changing the landscape features). Committee will need to assign a vulnerability score • High Risk Scores indicate high exposure and high for each asset ranging from 1 to 5 using Table 3 as vulnerability, suggesting actions are needed. a reference. Local knowledge of how assets were affected in the past will help in estimating future • High scores for either exposure or vulnerability effects.6 indicate response measures may be needed for the high factor.

19 • Consistently high exposure scores for assets in a geographic area indicate that new measures, including relocation, within this area should be carefully considered. When it is not practical or feasible to relocate, defensive measures may be necessary. The Committee can use the Risk Score as one fac- tor in determining the strategies it will include in the CR Plan, the actions it will take, and the projects it will propose to restore and protect its assets and ensure appropriate long-term economic growth. The Risk Assessment Tool can also be used to test different sets of management measures. The change in the Risk Score is an indication of whether a partic- ular set of management measures would be benefi- cial, and how one set of measures would compare to other sets. Descriptions of how to use the tool to test management measures are provided in Appendix 6: Using the Risk Assessment tool to Test Management Measures; Appendix 7: Scenario Planning; and Appendix 8: Interpreting Risk Scores.

20 Step Four: Determine Needs and Opportunities

OVERVIEW Needs may range from immediate (e.g., restore the function of sewer pumping stations, housing After conducting an inventory of assets, assessing for displaced residents), to short term (e.g., repair risk to those assets, and hearing from the public, the beach access, repair commercial infrastructure), to Committee should assess the community’s needs mid-term (e.g., elevate or relocate buildings that are and opportunities for economic development and in extreme risk area, expand housing opportunities growth. These needs may relate to repairing or for vulnerable populations in less risky areas), and replacing assets that were damaged by Hurricane to long-term (e.g., relocate critical functions outside Sandy, Hurricane Irene, or Tropical Storm Lee; to of extreme and high risk areas, redirect economic lost economic opportunities attributed to damages growth to safer areas). or to energy and funds redirected toward recovery; to rebuilding or expanding the local economy; to While economic development strategies differ by making existing assets more resilient; or to needs community and circumstance, they often include a already existing when the storm hit. number of key elements. Though no guarantee of

Figure 5 Weld County, CO publicly-listed demographic data

21 success, communities that rely on these elements in ties between the businesses that anchor their their planning process are more likely to identify an . Other communities identify their economic development strategy that accounts for strengths in human capital or unique geogra- the community’s needs and takes advantage of its phy – for instance, suburban Boston’s Route opportunities. 128 corridor plan focuses on easing travel con- Such elements include: gestion among a diverse set of communities and businesses. • Conducting a thorough analysis of the micro- and macro-economic conditions in the com- • Identifying projects that have greatest benefit munity. Understanding how a community fits for the cost. For some communities, this requires in with its neighbors and the larger region can accounting for the direct and indirect benefits help identify hidden opportunities. Lower labor of investing in public infrastructure compared costs, positioning along rail or road networks, against construction costs, financing methods, and/or assessments of current business’s growth and operations and maintenance expenses. In prospects can help a community understand others, it means using local resources and cre- where to position development finances. For ative ideas to invest in new planning and financ- example, Weld County, Colorado, maintains ing techniques. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, up-to-date comparative labor, demographic, for example, New Orleans partnered with a employer, education, and taxation statistics non-profit that brought cutting-edge affordable on its community website, showcasing its low housing construction to the Ninth Ward, an area property tax rate and the businesses within its devastated by flooding. With media celebrities six major industries (see figure 5). supporting the idea and helping to raise funds, a strong outreach program to former residents • Identifying the community’s core strengths. of the neighborhood, and the use of new mate- In some communities, these strengths are clus- rials and architectural techniques, the neighbor- ters of similar economic activity – for instance, hood now includes affordable and more resilient Silicon Valley and Atlantic City both feature eco- housing. nomic development plans that foster stronger • Involving the community in the strategy devel- opment process. Civic engagement ensures that economic development plans benefit all -mem bers of the community. Even when there is broad consensus on the strategy generating extensive feedback from residents on how to tailor each project can have economic and social benefits. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, held three major open houses in the six months following a major flood in 2008 (see Appendix 10 for details), allowing it to identify multiple components of a re-develop- ment plan and ensuring that disaster mitigation engineering also created public spaces for recre- ation and new businesses. • Planning for long-term benefits. Identifying what benefits and costs will continue to accrue after a project is complete is important to Make It Right affordable housing, Ninth Ward, New Orleans

22 understanding the true value of a project. For Figure 6 example, San Antonio’s River Walk develop-

ment plan was first defined in the 1920s (see Both San Antonio, TX and Cedar Rapids, IA, took Appendix 10 for details). Over the course of the advantage of post-disaster relief funding to enhance their next eight decades, businesses took advantage economic development and build greater resilience within of the social and cultural attractiveness of this their communities (see Appendix 10 for more details). new public space to build an engine of economic Their efforts included: growth that contributes billions of dollars every • Making economic development and disaster resiliency year to San Antonio’s economy. equally important in the planning process; Using these recommended best practices – and other • Generating strong community feedback and incorporating citizens into the plan; case studies available – will allow the Committee to better understand their economic opportunities • Building on the foundations of existing local economic strength; and needs. Strategies to address those needs will be presented in the CR Plan according to federal recov- • Creatively leveraging federal and state funding to maximize impact; and ery area. Therefore, it is suggested the community organize its assessment of need by the same catego- • Designing resilience features that increased nearby property values. ries: Community Planning and Capacity Building, Economic Development, Health and Social Services, Housing, Infrastructure, and Natural and Cultural Resources. • Is there a need for public education regarding ANALYZE ASSET NEEDS AND resiliency and how to prepare for future storms? OPPORTUNITIES • Do current laws, regulations, and special purpose Each community’s needs for recovery and sound eco- plans integrate socioeconomic, demographic, nomic development are different, but there is a com- risk assessment, and consideration of vulnerable mon set of expectations for the return of functional populations? systems - a baseline for community recovery. As • Do existing building code, land use regulations, FEMA noted in Lessons in Community Recovery9, com- and design guidelines reflect current advisory munities are more successful when they blend tradi- base flood elevation maps or recent experi- tional stabilization and repair actions with a holistic, ence with the effect of storms on assets in the long-range, forward-looking view of recovery. This community? approach addresses changed circumstances, takes • Have the costs and benefits of management or advantage of opportunities, and enables the commu- regulatory approaches in extreme and high risk nity to move beyond the status quo. areas been considered?

Community Planning and Capacity Building Economic Development This recovery function addresses the community’s The primary economic concern after a disaster is ability both to implement storm recovery activities returning economic and business activities (includ- and to plan how to mitigate the effects of future ing agricultural) to a state of health and developing storms. To develop appropriate strategies and man- new economic opportunities that result in a sustain- agement measures, the Committee should review able and economically strong community. Doing the systems in place that react to such events by so while incorporating resilience measures that considering the following: strengthen the community’s ability to withstand

23 future disasters allows communities to accomplish • What new businesses or investments would pos- two tasks at once. While the solutions will be tai- itively contribute to the character of the commu- lored to the particular circumstances of each com- nity, particularly in the Main Street commercial mittee, general principles of how best to accomplish district or recreational areas? such work are included in Figure 6. • How can the community balance the economic To help identify appropriate strategies and manage- potential of shoreline businesses with the poten- ment measures, the Committee should review the tial risk to people and property located in those assets that were inventoried as Class A on Table 1. areas? The Committee should analyze economic develop- • How can tourism-related activities be expanded ment needs by considering the following, among in the community? other questions: Health and Social Services • What do commercial, industrial, or agricultural After a disaster, one of the more immediate consid- uses damaged by the storm need in order to erations is whether public health, health care facil- reopen in their current location, to relocate to a ities, and essential social service needs have been less hazardous area, and/or to mitigate against restored. To help develop appropriate strategies future storm damage? and management measures, the Committee should • Are there economic assets in the community review the assets that were inventoried as Class B that were weakened or destroyed that should be and/or Class F (Socially Vulnerable Populations) on strengthened and mitigated? Table 1 and consider the following: • Are the economic development plans in place • Can basic care be accessed at a level equal to that prior to the storm still appropriate to pursue? If which existed prior to the storm? Is that level of changes are appropriate, which make the most care sufficient for all community members? sense? • What is needed to restore the capacity and • How can disaster resilience work be incorpo- increase the resilience of essential health and rated into economic development plans? social services to meet ongoing and emerging • Is there a need for business initiatives to encour- post-disaster community needs? age expansion of the workforce, and likewise, • What needs to be done to promote the resilience, is there a need for workforce development pro- health and well-being of affected individuals grams to build needed skills? and communities? • Is there a need for support services for local busi- • Is the community meeting the behavioral health nesses and entrepreneurs to thrive in the post- needs of affected individuals, response and storm economy? recovery workers, and the community? • Do businesses need to be encouraged to develop • How can the community promote self-sufficiency business continuity of operations plans that will and continuity of the health and well-being of help them recover more quickly from storm affected individuals; particularly the needs of damage? children, seniors, people living with disabilities • Which public investments would most effec- whose members may have additional functional tively produce both economic growth and needs, people from diverse origins, people with greater resiliency against the threat of future limited English proficiency, and underserved natural disasters? populations?

24 • Are efforts still needed to protect the health of special needs populations and supportive hous- the population and recovery workers from the ing; and public, HUD-assisted, affordable, and longer-term effects of a post-disaster environ- market rate. The needs assessment should be ment? Is public health messaging accurate, evidence-based. The Committee should refer- appropriate and accessible in multiple languages ence pertinent sections of local master plans, and formats? consolidated plans and other community devel- opment or strategic plans that support the pro- Housing posed housing efforts presented in the CR Plan. A housing needs assessment is the foundation on which to build strategies that will help achieve local The Committee should consider the following housing goals and ancillary activities, and should questions: encompass the entire housing stock of the commu- • Are there currently sufficient housing units nity with emphasis on that housing stock consid- available for people who want to rent or own ered most at risk. An example of a housing needs based upon community income levels? assessment is provided on the New York Rising • Where rental housing is being used for disaster Community Reconstruction Program website. recovery housing needs, how does that impact The Committee should request assistance from the availability of housing for longer terms? county , regional planning associa- • Do homeowners in some areas need to be incen- tions, local housing agencies and firms that ana- tivized to elevate or retrofit homes in order to be lyze local socio-economic conditions to prepare an more resilient in future storms? assessment of community housing needs including: • Are building code requirements sufficient to pro- • A thorough description of recent storm damage tect the investments in new and rebuilt homes or to the housing stock of the community and a dis- buildings, and in the process, help home owners cussion of any socio-economic events that may and owners of rental properties avoid high flood affect the community’s housing stock during insurance costs? the next 3 – 5 years, such as regional economic trends or institutional investments. • How may the loss of historic buildings and resources be minimized? • The current housing conditions in the area, including housing affordability, homeowner- • Do emergency preparedness plans need to be ship rates, building conditions, vacancy rates, updated to ensure vulnerable populations are and other relevant residential needs. safely evacuated from their homes? • The type and location of housing needs in the Infrastructure community based on current and expected Investments in infrastructure can be effective both in housing availability, an analysis of the local rebuilding capabilities lost during the storm and in economy (e.g., estimated job losses and/or job providing economic development, particularly with gains), information about population trends in job creation. A 2009 Congressional research report the community using Census data, current year estimated that more than 10,000 jobs are created for estimates and five year projections and other every $1 billion spent on construction in New York10. relevant data such as household size, hous- However, re-building infrastructure with increased ing tenure and age of housing. Housing needs resilience is critical for improving a community’s that should be addressed include: interim and capacity to respond to future disasters. Resilient permanent; owner occupied and rental; single systems have a number of common features, family and multifamily; housing for the elderly;

25 including having spare capacity or redundancy; Natural and Cultural Resources ensuring flexibility and responsiveness; manag- Natural infrastructure has been increasingly rec- ing for safe failure (building resistance to domino ognized and promoted among hazard and climate effects); rapid rebounding; and having the capacity planners and managers. A growing body of evi- to recover quickly and evolve over time – to thrive, dence indicates the value of coastal ecosystems in not just survive major disruptions. Identifying the wave attenuation, deflection, and erosion reduction. right infrastructure to build – and designing it prop- These systems can also retain stormwater during erly – is an opportunity for the Committee to gener- rain events, preventing surface flooding. ate significant economic development, invest in and In addition to mitigating coastal risks, natural upgrade its buildings, roads, and other structures, infrastructure systems offer significant co-benefits. and enhance the community’s resilience to future Wetlands help cleanse urban stormwater of contam- disasters. inants before it enters waterways, improving over- There are many types of essential services that all water quality. Shoreline green space provides fall under the infrastructure category. Examples habitat for wildlife, opportunities for fishing and include water, wastewater, dams, flood control, recreation, and improved quality of life for urban communications, roads, bridges, bus stops, train residents. It also provides cooling effects, helping stations, public safety, emergency services, govern- to combat the urban heat island effect. Many green ment facilities, sanitation and public recreation. To infrastructure techniques intended to retain and help identify appropriate strategies and manage- absorb stormwater at the surface have the benefit ment measures, the Committee should review the of reducing the strain on storm sewer capacity by assets that were inventoried as Class D on Table 1 reducing the volume of stormwater that enters the and consider the following: piped system. • Is there a need for infrastructure repair, rede- From an economic standpoint, natural solutions velopment and/or relocation within the com- require lower maintenance and management costs munity? This may include roads, bridges, when compared to traditional built infrastructure. water, sewer, health and safety, and communi- The Committee should explore natural infrastruc- cations infrastructure damaged or destroyed by ture systems and adopt measures that promote the flooding. use of green infrastructure. • How may infrastructure be rebuilt or rein- To help develop appropriate strategies and man- forced in a manner that will reduce vulnerabil- agement measures related to natural infrastructure ity to future disasters impacts and to expedite and natural and cultural resources, the Committee recovery? should review the assets that were inventoried as • Which investments in infrastructure would Class E assets in Table 1 and consider the following: most effectively stimulate and support economic • What damage did the assets sustain from the growth and promote resiliency? storm, including damages to services provided • How can the community best leverage available by natural resources? assistance from the various sources of funding • What needs must be addressed for those assets for infrastructure development or mitigation? or services to be preserved, conserved, rehabil- • Is the pre-storm capacity of all infrastructure itated or restored consistent with post-disaster systems adequately matched to the community’s community priorities and in compliance with current and projected demand on its built and environmental and other laws? virtual environment?

26 • How can those assets be rebuilt or restored to reduce vulnerability to hazards and foster resil- iency in future storms? • What steps are needed to bring damaged public recreational infrastructure back to full operation for use by residents and tourists? • How can natural systems (e.g. barrier beaches, dune systems, tidal wetlands, oyster reefs, nat- ural berms and levees, and living shorelines) be restored or expanded to best withstand inunda- tion from future storms and provide greater pro- tection to assets? • Are changes in land use or stormwater regula- tions needed to protect and enhance tidal wet- lands or other natural infrastructure? • Does critical hard infrastructure (e.g. bulkheads, riprap shoreline, levees, and seawalls) need to be repaired or improved, or would new infrastruc- ture be advisable?

27 Step Five: Engage in Regional Planning Process

In developing a CR Plan, the Committee will find reconstruction plan that results from this process that some challenges cut across political jurisdic- will, if successful, reflect the best of the CR plans tions and need to be considered on a regional basis. from Long Island and ensure that each CR Planning The importance of addressing specific issues as a Committee develops a Plan that is consistent with region is already reflected in many non-Sandy-re- that for the region as a whole. A successful regional lated efforts on Long Island, such as the strategic plan will also tackle regional vulnerabilities and economic development plan developed by the Long seizes regional opportunities at a county or regional Island Regional Economic Development Council; level. the Long Island 2035 Regional Visioning Initiative Communities affected by Hurricane Irene and prepared by a group of Long Island organizations; Tropical Storm Lee will coordinate through the transit-oriented development plan being devel- county planning departments to ensure that local oped by the NYS Equitable TOD Collaborative; and reconstruction plans are supported by county the plan being developed by the Long and regional plans. The Southern Tier Regional Island Cleaner, Greener Consortium. It is hoped Economic Development Council (STREDC), Mid- that the energy and enthusiasm brought to those Hudson Regional Economic Development Council regional efforts will be repeated in a new regional (MHREDC), and Mohawk Valley Regional Economic effort that responds to Hurricane Sandy. Council (MVREDC) will also be consulted to deter- Creating a Regional Process for Reconstruction mine how local plans fit into the regions’ strategic Planning plans. Coordination of CR Plans with regional objectives Coordinating Information and Providing Technical requires the establishment of a regional planning Assistance process where communities share important infor- Federal, State, regional, and county organizations mation, receive technical expertise, and reinforce have the ability to provide information and data each other’s solutions. To make this possible, the resources to preparing CR Plans to State will organize a new regional planning process ensure that regional issues are adequately addressed. that will bring together federal, state, regional, and Such services will be essential to the preparation of county partners with local representatives partici- community plans, especially in light of the limited pating in the CR Planning Committees. capacity many communities have to undertake such The Long Island Regional Economic Development planning. The State will work to obtain such broad- Council (LIREDC) will be asked to convene and based across jurisdictions. oversee the regional planning process on Long Local, State, federal and international experts will Island. The LIREDC will appoint outside experts participate in meetings and workshops as needed in each of the key sectors identified as part of the to share their expertise regarding the use of various federal recovery framework to assist the LIREDC management techniques that could be used locally, to develop, through a process that includes the par- including hard structures, green infrastructure, and ticipating community CR Planning Committees, a natural processes. regional plan that covers each sector. The regional

28 Integrating Regional Objectives CR Planning Committee liaisons will play a crucial role in introducing a regional perspective into CR Plans. Conversely, they will bring local concerns to the table as innovative regional strategies and plans are developed. Working with other participants in the regional planning process, committee liaisons will seek advice and input on crafting policies, pro- grams, and actions that will complement the poli- cies, programs and actions of adjacent communities. The State and its partners will sponsor meetings and workshops to discuss the challenges the region faces in preparing and responding to future storms. These discussions will help to inform each commu- nity’s CR Plan.

29 30 Step Six: Develop Strategies for Investment and Action

OVERVIEW Once the Committee has completed the inventory • How effective would a specific project -or pro of community assets, conducted a risk assessment, gram be in implementing a strategy? and assessed its needs and opportunities, it must • Are the management measures technically fea- develop strategies to achieve rebuilding, resilience, sible and in compliance with federal, State and and economic growth. These strategies will be local laws and regulations? implemented through the projects and programs that the community carries out and the actions it • What value does the community place on the takes to restore and protect assets. asset, either socially or culturally (e.g. pres- ervation of historic property or community When developing strategies, the Committee should character)? consider the risk assessment, the combined ben- efits of a project or action, cost and availability of • Would the project or management measures pro- resources, value to the community, timing in coor- tect assets from future storm events and return dination with other construction or capital improve- co-benefits such as environmental protection or ments, and availability of funding. economic development? When identifying the optimal set of management • Would the project or management measure pro- measures, programs, and projects, the Committee vide environmental benefits (e.g. restoration of should consider the following: natural coastal processes, expansion of tidal wet- lands, improved public and environmental ser- • Did the asset suffer damage from a recent storm vices, and direct reductions in storm impacts) or and is in need of funding to restore its services would it create environmental problems? or function? • What are the consequences if the proposed mea- • Would the project or management measure sure fails (e.g. increased flooding and increased reduce the risk to development in an extreme or service costs) or if the community fails to imple- high risk area? ment the action or project? • Would the project restore a critical facility and/ • Would the project result in increased economic 11 or a facility that supports health and safety? opportunity within the community, in particular • Does the community have the resources to for low to moderate-income residents? implement chosen management measures, or • Would the management measures strengthen will it in the future? Are resources available from social assets that establish well-functioning the county, State, or federal government or pri- social interactions (e.g. public safety and com- vate entities? munity engagement). • Would the project or program protect a large • Would the management approaches be accept- number of community residents or a large part able to the community (e.g. result in blocked of a vulnerable population (e.g. low income, views, limited access to resources, or higher minority, elderly)? taxes or fees)?

31 for comprehensive land use planning; and When Developing Strategies Consider: • Establishment of resiliency as an objective in • Risk Assessment existing planning and approval processes in • Combined Benefits local government. • Critical Facilities Economic Strategies: These strategies should pres- • Value to the Community ent ways the community will return economic and business activities to a state of health, and to • Timing in Coordination with Other Improvements develop new economic opportunities. Examples of • Life-Cycle Costs items that may be addressed include: • Availability of Funds • Projects and policies that will facilitate the return to productivity of commercial, industrial or agri- cultural uses; DEVELOP STRATEGIES • Projects and policies that help implement the Regional Economic Development Council stra- Present Strategies by Recovery Function tegic plan; The strategies in the Community Reconstructrion Plan should be presented by recovery function • Support services for local businesses and (Community Planning and Capacity Building, entrepreneurs; Economic Development, Health and Social Services, • Workforce development programs to build Housing, Infrastructure, and Natural and Cultural needed skills; Resources) and should include innovative projects, • Adoption of storm mitigation measures to reduce programs, and actions needed to carry out those the risk of doing business in the community; strategies. • Public investment in infrastructure to serve com- Community Planning and Capacity Building: These mercial and industrial areas; strategies should present ways the community will restore or enhance its ability to organize, plan, man- • Public-private partnerships to recruit business; age, and implement recovery. Examples of items and which may be addressed include: • Strategies that can be implemented through both • Revision of municipal laws and regulations to public and private actions. improve emergency preparedness, manage- Health and Social Services Strategies: These strate- ment, or response protocols; gies should address how the community will restore • Improvements to systems and and improve essential health and social services, protocols during a disaster to ensure that resi- particularly those that serve vulnerable populations. dents secure necessary assistance or information; Examples of items which may be addressed include: • Use of development tools to optimize land use • Restoration of access to basic care to pre-storm patterns to meet the needs of vulnerable popula- levels or better; tions and future growth demands; • Making essential health and social services more • Opportunities to collaborate with adjacent com- resilient; munities on management or development of • Programs that promote the health and well-be- shared resources; ing of residents; • Development of a land use inventory as a basis • Behavioral health services for individuals,

32 response and recovery workers, and the com- • Relocation of public facilities over time to areas munity affected by Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane of lower risk; and Irene or Tropical Storm Lee; • Restoration of public recreation facilities. • Funding sources for development and imple- Natural and Cultural Resource Strategies: These mentation of resilience measures to reduce pub- strategies will address management of natural and lic health impacts from contaminated sites at risk cultural resources from a risk reduction and eco- from storm damage; and nomic development perspective. Examples of items • Public education efforts about possible - lon that may be addressed include: ger-term effects from storm damage, such as • Restoration, conservation, or rehabilitation of mold and contaminated soils. natural resources; Housing Strategies: A housing strategy should • Resilient repair or relocation of historic struc- include: tures currently in extreme or high risk areas; • How community stakeholders, public/private • Restoration and expansion of wetlands, natural partnerships, and collaborative ventures will meet areas, and dunes to reduce surge impact; the demand for affordable housing through the projects and programs that have been proposed; • Cultivation of a living shoreline or oyster reef; • How the community will promote the availabil- • Improved maintenance of stormwater facilities, ity of affordable housing to people impacted by including retention basins; and the storm; • Study whether hard infrastructure along the • Identification of non-CDBG programs that are shoreline should be repaired, removed, or built available for public and private housing provid- up. ers to address post-disaster housing needs, in Describe Timelines the context of supply, affordability and accessi- Within each recovery function the Committee should bility; and address the timing of the strategies – what needs to • How the community will encourage the provi- be undertaken immediately, which should be done sion of disaster-resistant housing for all income in the mid-term, and what needs to be done in the groups. long term in anticipation of changing weather pat- terns and sea level rise. For example, an ideal time Infrastructure Strategies: These strategies should to consider relocation or upgrades to reduce future express how a community will restore, repair, and storm damage would be when a facility is being manage essential services the local government pro- reconstructed or expanded following a major storm. vides through its infrastructure in the community. Examples of items which may be addressed include: Develop Strategies for Each Risk Area • New investments in infrastructure that would Strategies should also recognize the geographic most effectively improve services to the commu- location or risk area where the project or action is nity, resilience, and economic growth; intended to occur. Some factors to consider when developing strategies for various risk areas include: • Projects and policies that would restore or improve pre-storm sewer and water systems; • In extreme risk areas fixed development and infrastructure will continue to be exposed to • Projects and policies that would reduce the vul- chronic and/or severe damages unless they nerability of infrastructure to future storms; are elevated, protected or relocated. Not all • Removal of solid waste and storm debris;

33 structures can easily be relocated so other risk resources. This could mean the community might reduction measures should be taken. need to apply for additional outside funds to take • Water dependent uses such as maritime com- immediate action or identify other resources to merce and commercial fishing require locations adapt assets over the course of time. The Committee adjacent to the water in order to function. Assets should identify potential financing problems if that must be located near the shoreline should State, regional, or local resource gaps are apparent. be designed to withstand extreme events, with IDENTIFY MANAGEMENT MEASURES provisions for adaptation to water level change NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES during their functional life. • In high risk areas increased costs for mainte- Implementing a strategy may require a mix of proj- nance, emergency services, temporary services, ects and actions. The applicability of each type of restoration and recovery from storms and sea management measure varies according to the nature level rise are likely, so the cost of fortifying assets of the risk, the entities involved, resources available, may outweigh the benefits. implementation sequence, and timing of hazard events. As a result, a CR Plan depends on careful • Rebuilding or reconstructing to more resilient consideration of what is at risk, what resources are standards in high risk areas may help reduce available, and the capacity to implement various wind and flood effects to acceptable levels. management measures. • Some uses may be candidates for relocation if Six classes of management measures have been they need substantial maintenance. identified that can reduce the exposure and vul- nerability of assets to storm impacts. Some of the IDENTIFY PROJECTS NEEDED TO management measures will have a more immediate IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES effect on risk and resilience than others, such as the The CR Plans should include a description and pri- first three classes of measures. Others will be more oritization of projects as they are identified in the effective when used in combination with other mea- planning process. These projects may be put forward sures, such as increased information. because they would: replace damaged structures or Many approaches within these classes address immediate exposure to risk; respond to cur- are available, as presented in Appendix 4, which rent and future housing needs; help restore or grow includes a discussion of each class of management businesses; or because they best implement the type measure, as well as their benefits, costs, conse- of management measure needed to support the rest quences, and effectiveness. of the strategy. For example, projects might include the restoration of wetlands on parcels acquired by Strategies should be developed for each type of the community; the relocation of a senior citizen asset within a recovery support function. Consult center; the installation of a parking structure that Appendix 1 to see how to present these strategies reduces risk in a commercial area; the repair of in the Plan. sewer pipes; the elevation of a fire house in a high Class 1: Conserve, Restore, and Enhance Natural risk areas; or the construction of new affordable Protective Features housing to meet the needs of displaced residents. Use the landscape to promote safety and livability Most projects, programs, and many management and to reduce costs. Preserve and expand natural measures (e.g. zoning changes, stormwater regu- protective features such as floodplains, wetlands, lations) will not be implemented without adequate marshes, dunes, beaches, coastal barriers, and bluffs

34 for their capacity to reduce storm impacts and for impacts. For example, structural measures may their other environmental services. Approaches include levees, jetties, groins, seawalls/bulkheads/ may include: maintain floodplains and flood - stor revetments, and beach and dune construction. age capacity; conserve wetlands; restore natural Class 4: Land Use Planning and Regulation sediment transport processes; and transfer develop- Reduce storm and climate change impacts through ment rights. effective land use management can increase - resil Class 2: Resilient Construction ience. Incorporating sustainable measures and envi- Proper construction techniques are required to pro- ronmental services of natural protective features in vide an adequate level of safety for structures and land use plans can enhance community value, mak- occupants. In New York, many buildings were con- ing communities more attractive and safer while structed prior to the most current building codes lowering costs. Carrying out land use management going into effect. If they were substantially- dam through adaptation over time can facilitate com- aged or destroyed and will be rebuilt, they must munity health. Planning, zoning, subdivision, site comply with current New York codes and as a result plan requirements, and natural resource regulations will be more resilient in the face of future storms. are tools to accomplish land use adaptation. More Municipalities may adopt more restrictive code specific information on measures that use local land standards. Resilient construction retrofitting may use authority is provided in Appendix 4. For exam- be helpful where existing development cannot be ple, change zoning to allow multi-family housing relocated or otherwise adapted, even if it was not in more residential areas or floor area ratio bonuses damaged in recent storms. For example, for more for green commercial buildings, and wetlands resilient structures, elevate buildings and increase regulations. height (freeboard) requirements in flood zones. Class 5: Market-Based Methods Class 3: Structural Defenses Market methods work if the full, long term costs Structural defenses are engineered or non-engi- of land use are incorporated into prices, taxes, and neered constructions designed to resist environ- fees, to the greatest possible extent. The market can mental forces such as storm surge. On some heav- reduce vulnerability by incorporating the cost of ily developed shorelines, structural defenses may risk into the carrying cost of land. Tax incentives or be the only means of providing a measure of safety disincentives, approval requirements, and user fees from flooding and erosion. Examples include areas can help factor the cost of impacts into location deci- where critical public facilities are at risk and can- sions. Owners and developers can then make ratio- not be relocated, or where a shoreline location is nal decisions about the value of locations relative required for water dependent uses. Levees, bulk- to the cost of their use. For example, communities heads, revetments, groins, seawalls, jetties, and may redirect local development subsidies, capture beach construction (fill or “nourishment”) are exam- costs through local tax districts, and acquire existing ples of structural measures. Structural defenses at-risk sites or structures. may also be employed as a temporary measure in a Class 6: Increased Awareness and Information planned transition to enable new design, relocation Decisions are based on available information. or other resilience measures to be implemented over Making better information available on coastal haz- time. In the event of failure or overtopping, struc- ards, sustainable uses and ecosystem services can tural defenses may exacerbate damages if redun- help improve decisions. Providing sound informa- dant measures have not been employed. Structural tion on storms and erosion, environmental services, measures may result in unwanted environmental risk to development and community costs can help

35 decision makers in both the public and private sec- • Will the extension of infrastructure benefit 6 tor. Supporting resilience with good information, properties or 60, impacting 12 or 200 people? education and outreach can also increase resilience. The Committee’s analysis of costs and benefits For example, conduct comprehensive education should result in identification of individual or group and outreach programs and encourage business actions best able to implement a strategy, and iden- recovery plans. tification of the comprehensive set of actions best able to achieve the greatest benefits to the commu- COSTS AND BENEFITS nity at the least cost. Cost-benefit analyses help the Committee make decisions on which actions to take to implement the plan and how to prioritize those actions for imple- mentation. The Committee should include a descrip- tion of costs and benefits in the strategies section of the Community Reconstruction Plan. Additional information about how to do a cost-benefit analysis will be provided during the planning process. The Committee should consider the benefits ofa course of action and then compare those benefits with the costs of those actions. In terms of the CR Plan: • Actions are the projects, programs and man- agement measures that are being proposed to implement the strategies; • Benefits are how the actions are predicted to increase public safety, provide economic oppor- tunity, improve public and environmental ser- vices, reduce storm impacts, and should include ancillary benefits that may occur; and • Costs are the expenses related to the projects, programs, and management measures being proposed, including the cost of developing the action, implementing it, and its life-cycle costs. An analysis of costs and benefits should consider both the financial and the socio-economic impacts of an action. A cost-benefit analysis should place the action in context: • Will an action to improve safety help vulnerable populations? • Will funding an economic project create 10 jobs or 100 jobs?

36 Step Seven: Complete the CR Plan

DEVELOP A DETAILED IMPLEMENTATION SUBMIT THE CR PLAN SCHEDULE The detailed implementation schedule which the The Committee must submit the CR Plan to the Committee will develop should ensure tangible State in a form consistent with the outline contained progress in implementing reconstruction strategies. in Appendix 1. The planning process is expected to In the implementation schedule, the Committee will take 8 months and a deadline will be posted by the identify strategies to pursue, the actions to imple- State prior to the commencement of the planning ment the strategies, the timeline for completing process. each action, and who will be responsible for taking The plan will be reviewed by the State to confirm it each action. For example, responsibility could be meets the characteristics of a successful CR Plan and attributed to a Committee member; town official; contains the required information. representative of the county, state, or local govern- ment; business; or non-profit agency. Strategies should be broken down into discrete actions such as “work with engineer to develop pre-construction plans,” and “develop zoning amendments.” This will allow multiple people to work simultaneously on different actions to advance the single larger strategy. An implementation schedule should include spe- cific target dates for initiating and completing each action. Setting target dates, adjusting them when necessary and reporting on progress will enable the Committee to meet their benchmarks in imple- menting their reconstruction plan. In setting dates, Committees should consider what strategies are the best to tackle right away and the immediate actions needed to implement the strategies. Long-term strategies should include clear criteria for when implementation will occur. For example, “relocate sewer plant in 2040 at end of its period of probable usefulness.”

37 38 APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1: implementation of the plan, as explained in Step EXPANDED OUTLINE OF COMMUNITY 1. Goals should reflect community objectives and RECONSTRUCTION PLAN CONTENTS revitalization strategies, as well as the priorities of the Regional Economic Development Council. The Committee should complete the NY Rising They should address damage caused by Sandy, Community Reconstruction Plan and ensure it con- Irene and/or Lee; the community’s hopes to cap- tains the information and is presented in the order, italize on social and economic assets; and how as follows: the community intends to become more resilient Transmittal Letter to reduce future risk. The purpose of the transmittal letter is to identify E. Relationship to Regional Plans - Describe how the community which is submitting the Community the plan incorporates regional perspectives in Reconstruction Plan, highlight its priorities, and the way it addresses shared challenges and identify the person submitting it on behalf of the issues. These shared challenges and issues will Committee, and contact information for that person. be identified in Step 5. Section I: Overview Section II: A. Geographic Scope of Plan – As discussed in Step Assessment Of Risk And Needs 1, identify the geographic area in which the com- A. Description of Community Assets and munity’s efforts are focused. If not inclusive of Assessment of Risk– Present the following infor- an entire town or village, it should be explained mation by risk assessment area (Extreme, High, at a level of detail sufficient for a reader to Moderate, or N/A): understand the plan area. Include a map to indi- i. Description of Assets – Describe assets cate the area of focus, identifying the name of that have been affected by coastal hazards the and bordering municipalities. and those assets which could be affected as B. Description of Storm Damages – Provide a shown by the risk assessment maps, as dis- description of the damage caused by Hurricane cussed in Step 2. Be sure to include critical Sandy, Hurricane Irene, and/or Tropical Storm facilities (see Appendix 3) and assets whose Lee. For example, list the percentage of housing loss or impairment would compromise any units destroyed or damaged, damage or service essential cultural, social, economic, or envi- outages affecting major public or governmental ronmental functions of the community. facilities, and impacts on businesses. Additional details from the asset inventory C. Critical Issues – Briefly describe the critical will be included in the appendices to the issues facing the community. These can be plan. described in more detail in the assessment of ii. Assessment of Risk to Assets – Describe the risks and needs. level of risk facing the assets described in D. Community Vision - Establish a vision which the previous paragraph using local knowl- may be expressed through short, medium and edge of how assets have been affected in the long-term goals to be achieved through the past; an examination of the exposure of the

39 asset to storm surges and coastal flooding Present the information by recovery support (Exposure); and the asset’s ability to resist functions, which include Community Planning damage or return to service quickly due to and Capacity Building, Economic Development, its location, elevation, flood-proofing, or Health and Social Services, Housing, Infra- other factors (Vulnerability). Step 3 provides structure, and Natural and Cultural Resources. a discussion on how to assess risk. The assessment of needs and opportunities iii. Assessment of Risk to Systems – One of the relating to housing must address, at a minimum, characteristics of a successful reconstruction the items listed under “housing” in Step 4. plan is the assessment of risk to key systems, Section III: as well as assets. Examples of systems that Reconstruction Strategies And Implementation may be addressed in the risk assessment Actions are the healthcare system, coastal ecosys- A. Strategies - Communities are more successful tems, tourism networks, health care and when they blend traditional stabilization and social services delivery, regulation of land repair actions with a holistic, long-range, for- use, the provision of water and wastewater, ward-looking view of recovery and economic emergency and other communication sys- development and growth. This section, which tems, and data systems. For example: were reflects information developed during Step 6, they able to continue operating as intended should present the strategies for how best to use during or after recent storm events; did community assets, capitalize on opportunities, operational or enforcement gaps prior to and resolve critical issues. Strategies should be the storm event lessen their effectiveness in presented by recovery support function. reducing risk (e.g. overly permissive zoning B. Projects and Management Measures - Identify regulations, minimal building enforcement, the management measures or projects which slow emergency response times, or failure to will be taken to implement each strategy. Present back up data off site). specific actions to be taken to implement the B. Assessments of Needs and Opportunities – management measures and target dates for those Describe the needs and opportunities to be actions. Management measures were discussed addressed by strategies in the Community in Step 6 and in more detail in Appendix 4. Reconstruction Plan. The needs and opportu- C. Operational Arrangements - Describe the oper- nities presented in the plan provide a basis for ational arrangements needed for timely imple- the strategies, projects, programs, policies, and mentation of the Community Reconstruction actions that will be proposed. Such needs and Plan and public engagement. opportunities might arise due to the following: D. Presentation - When presenting the strategies in damages caused by Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane each recovery support function, the Community Irene, or Tropical Storm Lee; ongoing risk faced Reconstruction Plan should: by assets; lost economic opportunities attributed to damages or to energies and funds redirected i. State the strategy; toward recovery; rebuilding or expanding the ii. Indicate how the strategy addresses risk and local economy; making existing assets more satisfies needs; resilient; or needs already existing when the iii. Describe how, if relevant, the strategy will storm hit. Step 4 addresses determination of help vulnerable populations; needs and opportunities.

40 iv. Describe the management measures policies, businesses provided direction to the Committee programs, and actions that will be needed to through meetings, social media and other implement the strategy; means; and how the public was able to react to v. Provide a brief description of the projects draft documents of the Committee. proposed to implement the strategy and the C. Description of Priority Projects – Identify and estimated cost of the project; rank the projects needed to implement the vi. Describe the timeframes for actions imple- Community Reconstruction Plan. Include for menting the strategy, providing target dates each project the following information: for initiating or completing the actions i. A description of the project; where known or describing general time- ii. The name of the proposed project sponsor(s); frames for action (i.e. immediate, mid-term, or long term); iii. An estimate of the cost of implementing the project; vii. Identify who will be responsible for taking each action; and iv. The benefit or co-benefits to be derived from the project; and viii. Indicate the risk areas where the strategy will be applied. v. A cost-benefit analysis of undertaking the project. Additional information on how to Section IV: determine and describe cost-benefits will be Schedule For Implementation provided during the planning process. Implementation Schedule– As discussed in Step 7, D. Inventory of Assets – Include a complete inven- this section presents the implementation schedule tory of community assets, listing the asset name, to be followed to ensure tangible progress on the risk area, asset class, and whether it is a critical Community Reconstruction Plan. The intent is for facility. the schedule to be presented as a table or spread- sheet that makes it easy for the viewer to see which implementation actions are planned during a spe- cific timeframe. The schedule should identify the strategy, actions, target dates, and responsible parties.

Section V: Appendices A. Members of the Community Reconstruction Planning Committee – Include a list of Community Reconstruction Planning Committee Co-Chairs and other members of the Committee. B. Public Engagement - Describe the public and stakeholder engagement process used to inform and shape the reconstruction plan. It should describe how residents, public and private agencies, community organizations, and local

41 APPENDIX 2: Points of Confluence/Stream Junctions FLOODING RISK FACTORS FOR INLAND Flood waters discharging into joining streams may COMMUNITIES exceed bank capacity at the point of confluence if bank overflow is possible. These points of- conflu Listed below are many of the factors affecting an ence may be poor candidates for development or asset’s risk to flooding in inland communities. require additional management measures such Defensive Measures as flood defenses or increasing upstream storage The presence of protective defenses can significantly capacity to prevent flooding. reduce flood damages to the built environment, pro- Sediment Load vided those defenses are well designed, well main- Presence of fine soils in stream beds may bean tained, and are not overtopped by extreme events indication of unstable upstream banks associated or are undermined or otherwise destabilized. The with excessive flood discharge or poor bank man- more certain defensive measures are to meet these agement practices. Risk of flooding is lower where three conditions, the less risk to the protected assets. there is less silt deposited on a stream bed, which The less certain these three conditions are, the more indicates stream banks that are less erosive. likely assets will be at risk if a flood occurs. Soil Permeability Elevation Non-permeable soils shed storm water to adjacent Elevation of an asset above flood waters is one of areas where it will be collected in storm water sys- the most significant methods of securing the built tems and/or discharged into streams, increasing the environment. Base flood elevation (BFE) is the still likelihood for flooding. In general clay and rocky water level estimated for a 100-year flood (a flood soils have less permeability, and sandy and loamy which has a 1% chance of occurring in any year). soils have greater permeability. It should be noted that some environmental assets require periodic flooding and therefore the -evalu Storm Water Discharge ation of risk for those assets should be favorable if Percent of watershed area with storm water col- they are more likely to experience the type of flood- lection systems discharging into the hydrologic ing they need. system. Freeboard Traditional storm water collection systems use Freeboard is the height of the habitable portion of gravity drainage with discharge into water bod- a building or other construction above the design ies. Storm water discharge into streams and riv- flood elevation. The more freeboard available above ers increases flow rates, resulting in erosion and the design flood elevation, the better protection pro- accelerating bank full conditions which can lead vided from flood damage. to flooding. The risk to assets is least if the overall storm water discharge rate in a watershed does not Impervious Surfaces exceed the natural discharge rate because the sta- Impervious surfaces are unable to absorb precipita- bility of the stream system is maintained. An asset tion; therefore they shed water to adjacent property is at more risk when it is located near storm water or to storm water collection systems and may con- discharge systems, which contribute extra water to tribute to flooding in streams and lakes. Areas with streams and may increase downstream flooding. less impervious surfaces have greater flood storage capacity and can released stormwater more safely Vegetated Stream Bank Buffers over time. Vegetated buffers protect stream banks from- ero sion, help reduce flood velocities and increase

42 absorption. The greater the width of a buffer, the APPENDIX 3: greater the reduction in storm water runoff and FEMA DEFINITION OF CRITICAL flooding. Larger buffers are more effective than FACILITIES smaller ones. Assets are at higher risk where vege- Extracted from Local Multi-Hazard Mitigation tated stream buffers are narrow or absent. Guidance, FEMA, July 1, 2008, pp. 42-43 Watershed Flood Storage Capacity Based on authority in FEMA Mitigation Planning A watershed with good flood storage capacity mod- Regulations, 44 CFR, Part 201. erates flows to the stream network, resulting in less risk from flooding. Natural storage capacity occurs Critical Facilities in wetlands and swamps, and manmade water stor- • Are essential to the health and welfare of the age systems include retention reservoirs, recharge whole population and are especially important basins, temporary storage pools, rain gardens and following hazard events. rain barrels. • For purposes of this mitigation planning guid- ance, critical facilities may include emergency Watershed Forest Land Cover service facilities such as hospitals and other Trees substantially increase storm water storage medical facilities, jails and juvenile detention capacity in a watershed, both by virtue of the leaf centers, police and fire stations, emergency oper- storage capacity and the increased capacity of soils ations centers, public works facilities, evacuation near the root systems. The more trees within the shelters, schools, and other uses that house spe- watershed the more storm water can be stored and cial needs populations. discharge to streams slowed. Risk from flooding is increased by the removal of trees from formerly for- ested land, which increases the rate of storm water discharge to streams.

Water Velocity Water velocity is a contributing factor to flood dam- ages in the built environment. During a flood the velocity of rivers and streams increases, placing nearby assets at higher risk. Even riskier is prox- imity to stream flood waters where the channel is constrained as the velocity of the water is further increased.

43 APPENDIX 4: natural protective features is regulated.12 Erosion SIX CLASSES OF MANAGEMENT and migration over time is normal for some coastal MEASURES features. Structural measures to stabilize the shore- line may compromise natural protective features. If Resilient communities tend to employ multiple, natural protective features are prevented from mov- complementary measures to reduce risk, rather ing gradually to balance coastal energy and sedi- than relying on one means of protection. Six classes ment supplies catastrophic failure may result. The of management measures have been identified protection offered by natural protective features can that can reduce the exposure and vulnerability of be overcome by major storms, thus they are not a community assets to storm impacts. Within these guarantee against storm impacts. classes, many individual measures may be avail- able, not all of which are described in this guidance. If communities allow natural protective features The applicability of each measure varies according to provide these environmental services they can to the nature of the risk, actors involved, resources avoid huge replacement costs while increasing pub- available, implementation sequence and timing of lic safety. Natural protective features also enhance hazard events. community aesthetics, improve recreational fish- ing, attract tourists and increase values. The risk assessment yields information about which Natural protective features should be included as community assets are at greatest risk to storm part of any community resilience strategy. Failure effects and where funds should be directed to assist to adapt and conserve natural protective features New York State communities in rebuilding better will increase storm impacts or increase defensive and safer. costs, or both. Costs will include loss of environ- Review the six classes of management measures mental services. (See Figure 7)13 and examples of specific management approaches In certain circumstances, structural shore protection in the following tables: can be detrimental to natural wetlands through direct Class 1: Conserve, Restore, and Enhance Natural impacts and as a result of being trapped between Protective Features shore defenses and the sea. Wetlands will be unable Use the landscape to promote safety and livability to migrate upland as waters rise, resulting in loss of and to reduce costs. Preserve and expand natural these assets through inundation. As a result, valu- protective features such as floodplains, wetlands, able ecosystem services may be lost, including storm marshes, dunes, beaches, coastal barriers, and bluffs buffering, water filtration, carbon sequestration, sed- for their capacity to reduce storm impacts and for iment capturing capacity, essential habitat, unique their other environmental services. The benefits of natural communities and their associated commer- natural protective features are maximized when cial and recreational uses. Increases in contaminants their capacity to adapt to natural forces is uncom- and pathogens in coastal waters may occur and the promised by encroaching development. ability of the ecological system to moderate species Discussion: Natural protective features reduce shifts, invasive species and pests may be reduced. storm impacts and provide environmental services at minimal cost. Effective land use management According to a study by the University of Vermont, wetlands provide an estimated $23 .2 preserves natural protective features. Natural sed- billion each year of storm surge and flood iment transport processes sustain them. Activities protection along our coastlines . such as dredging, shoreline armoring and updrift Source: Costanza, R. O. Perez-Maqueo, M. Martinez, P. Sutton, S. structures like jetties and groins may cut off the sed- Anderson, and K. Mulder. 2008. “The Value of Coastal Wetlands iment supply, accelerating erosion. In some areas for Hurricane Protection.” AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Envi- ronment. June. of New York, excavation or construction within

44 Figure 7 According to a report by the US EPA, assuming current land use and development policies continue over the next century, much of the coastline along New York City and Nassau County is “very likely” to require costly structural shore protection, and all but 5% of the remainder of the south shore is “likely” to require shore protection. The image below was included in the US EPA report. It shows anticipated structural protection along Long Island. Brown lines indicate where shore protection is almost certain. Red lines indicate where shore protection is likely. Dark green areas represent tidal wetlands.

The following table describes some management more information about many of these strategies approaches to conserve natural protective features. also see the No Adverse Impact Handbook14, a toolkit For a discussion of land use regulations associated for local governments interested in providing higher with natural protective features see Class 2. For protection for their natural protective features.

Measure Benefits, Costs, Consequences, Effectiveness Maintain flood plains and flood Benefits: Reduce hazard impacts, preserve open space, enhance recreational opportunities, storage capacity public access, and public safety. Maintain and enhance floodplains to Costs: Floodplain management costs vary depending on the approach taken, e.g., increase flood capacity. Construct acquisition is the most costly, followed by easements, with regulation the lowest cost new development away from the approach. The National Park Service and Urban Forestry Program are two federal programs most hazardous and sensitive part that may share the costs of creating and connecting green spaces. of the floodplain and coastal zone. Consequences: Failure to provide flood storage capacity increases water levels and storm impacts, reduces stormwater infiltration capacity, flood control, and environmental quality. Effectiveness: Floodplains and stream corridors are highly effective in providing both flood storage and recreational opportunities.

Wetland Conservation Benefits: Preserve flood protection, natural resources and habitat, improve the environment, and promote public safety and livability. Enhancing State and federal wetlands protection Protecting wetlands plays a large improves performance and reduces future risk. role in reducing flood hazards. Wetlands help control floods, Costs: Wetland conservation costs vary depending on the approach taken, e.g., acquisition provide recreational opportunities, is the most costly, followed by easements, with regulation the lowest cost approach. improve water quality, and are Replacement of essential wetland services is generally at high cost. (See Section 3 for a essential for fish and other species. discussion of local wetlands regulations) Consequences: Failure to preserve wetlands increases flood vulnerability, reduces water quality, fish habitat, and recreational value. Potential negative impacts on air quality, tourism and real estate values. Effectiveness: Highly effective at providing environmental services. Coordination in a wetland systems approach through community or regional planning improves effectiveness.

45 Measure Benefits, Costs, Consequences, Effectiveness Tree Conservation And Vegetated Benefits: Protect the banks of the water body from erosion, filter stormwater, provide habitat, Buffers15 protect against storm surge, and trap sediment that in turn may create wetlands. Help stabilize dunes, bluffs and shore banks by reducing the effects of wind, waves and runoff. Protect and enhance vegetative buffers along coastal areas and Costs: Varies depending on the approach taken, e.g., acquisition is the most costly, followed adjacent to water bodies through by easements, plantings, with regulation the lowest cost approach. land use planning, acquisition and Consequences: Failure to establish coastal vegetative buffers can result in increased storm restoration. effects to development, infrastructure, recreation facilities, and critical habitat. Failure to conserve trees, shrubs, and natural vegetation reduces natural stability, increases runoff and accelerates erosion. Flooding and/or erosion may be exacerbated, particularly at steep bluffs. Bluff failure is increased by removal of vegetation. Effectiveness: Effective when used in conjunction with setbacks and regulations to prohibit structural defenses in the intertidal zone. Trees, shrubs and grasses must be protected and watered during the initial planting phase. Once established, they are highly effective in holding soil in place, preventing erosion, removing pollutants and reducing wind impacts. High winds or flood erosion may uproot trees, destabilizing soil. Shrubs and grasses may provide equal protection and are less costly to establish. Mixed native plantings that emulate natural diversity may be more stable.

Restore Natural Sediment Benefits: Sediment is essential for maintaining natural protective features, and is normally Transport Processes provided by hydraulic transport, Aeolian transport (wind) and gradual nearshore erosion. Excess sediment contributions create shoals and deltas that may impair nearshore Reduce erosion rates by vegetation. In order to protect natural systems and reduce storm impacts, sediment conserving dunes and bluffs, transport must be maintained in balance with upland and underwater conditions. stabilizing them with native vegetation . Restore sediment Costs: Limited cost for allowing existing structures to deteriorate. Small costs for removing transport processes to reduce small bulkheads. Substantial costs for removing or modifying engineered structures. erosion . Reduce, shorten, taper or Federal sources may subsidize costs. compensate for bulkheads, jetties Consequences: Shorelines may be exposed to erosion if defensive structures are removed. and other shoreline structures Restored longshore sediment transport will reduce erosion rates on adjacent shorelines. that reduce sediment transport Potential impacts to navigation uses from modified dredging practices. and sediment contributions to the nearshore, resulting in shoreline Effectiveness: Effective if employed on a regional basis. Restoration of nearshore wetlands erosion . Manage dredging to and relocation of upland development or other management measures may be necessary avoid removing sediment from the where shore defenses are used to stabilize low lying floodplains. Not appropriate where nearshore transport system . water dependent uses or essential infrastructure require structural shoreline techniques.

Conservation of hazard areas or Benefits: Permanently reduces or eliminates flood and erosion damage in high risk areas with environmentally sensitive areas16 the least impact. Facilitates other environmental services such as flood storage capacity, recreation, preserving ecologically important wetlands, forests, etc. Reduces obligations Permanently protect high risk or for high-cost services, infrastructure maintenance, protective measures and liability for environmentally sensitive areas to damages. reduce impacts, preserve natural protective features and allow for Costs: Costs vary based on the technique employed and local real estate values. Costs for inland migration of wetlands, long term conservation may include acquisition, monitoring and maintenance of preserved marshes, and other natural flood areas. management systems . Options Consequences: Failure to protect sensitive areas increases vulnerability, reduces for conservation include direct protective functions, reduces the opportunity for wetland and marsh migration, diminishes acquisition, easements, purchase environmental services, diminished air, water and landscape quality. or transfer of development rights, and land use controls . Effectiveness: Highly effective on site. Community and regional effectiveness enhanced by a systems approach and regional prioritization. Requires site values assessment, coordinating funding sources and adaptation incentives. TDRs require a development receiving area and land use/land credit “bank” to buy and sell development rights. Possible owner or neighborhood objections.

46 Class 2: Resilient Construction Proper construction techniques are required to pro- The Whole Building Design Guide describes options vide an adequate level of safety for structures and for buildings already built in flood plains: “Should occupants. Experience in Florida with improved buildings be sited in flood-prone locations, they construction codes following Hurricane Andrew should be elevated above expected flood levels demonstrates that cost effective building require- to reduce the chances of flooding and to limit the ments can reduce losses in high risk areas. In New potential damage to the building and its contents York, many buildings were constructed prior to cur- when it is flooded. Flood management techniques rent building codes going into effect. If they were include elevating the building so that the lowest substantially damaged or destroyed and are going to floor is above the flood level; dry flood-proofing, be rebuilt they must comply with current New York or making the building watertight to prevent water codes and will be more resilient in the face of future entry; wet flood-proofing, or making uninhabited or storms. Municipalities may adopt more restrictive non-critical parts of the building resistant to water code standards. Resilient construction retrofitting damage; relocation of the building; and the incor- may be helpful where existing development cannot poration of levees and floodwalls into site design to be relocated or otherwise adapted, even if it was not keep water away from the building.”17 damaged in recent storms. Communities should In New York, the New York State Fire Prevention identify at risk areas to determine where more resil- and Building Code establishes minimum standards ient construction techniques should be required. for building construction and elevation, and New Discussion: Resilient construction is a means to York City minimum standards are codified in the improve safety through enhanced standards. For New York City Construction Codes. Local gov- example, NFIP standards require elevation on ernments have the authority to enact enhanced or pilings for homes in areas subject to coastal wave more restrictive building code standards to address impacts (the “V-zone” on floodplain maps). Similar local needs with approval by the New York State requirements might help secure other development Fire Prevention and Building Code Council (“Code at risk to storm surge or sea level rise, provided ade- Council”). quate local building code standards are enacted and enforced.

47 Measure Benefits, Costs, Consequences, Effectiveness Elevate Buildings Benefits: Minimizes risk and reduces damages to development and infrastructure. Provide capacity for extreme storms and future sea level rise. Elevate structures to comply with building codes or raise them above Costs: Relatively low for new construction, higher cost for elevating existing structures. a defined protective elevation Post-storm reconstruction may offer an opportunity to upgrade. Funding assistance for to reduce flood or storm surge adaptations could help pay for elevating structures in appropriate circumstances. impacts. Consequences: Failure to elevate structures can increase damage and debris and lead to higher post-storm recovery costs. Effectiveness: Good on-site protection method. Consider additional freeboard and/or extend protective standards to additional areas where vulnerability exists if current standards are not adequate. Elevation can still leave buildings surrounded by floodwaters during a flood. If an NFIP insured structure is below the base flood elevation and is substantially damaged by a flood it must be brought up to current codes and zoning standards.

Additional Height (Freeboard) Benefits: Reduces vulnerability. Significantly lowers flood insurance rates. Communities Requirements in Flood Zones that participate in the NFIP Community Rating System earn points toward reducing flood insurance rates. Construction freeboard is extra clearance above minimum NFIP Costs: Adds a small percentage to construction costs. standards for areas where the base Consequences: Failure to incorporate freeboard requirements means that buildings may still flood elevation (BFE) is determined, be at risk to flooding from larger, more intense storms and the gradual increase in sea level. for new development and for existing structures that are being Effectiveness: Effective at reducing risk if extended to areas adjacent to flood zones where reconstructed or elevated. Two NFIP standards do not apply, where flooding above the 1% annual risk estimate is possible, feet of freeboard above the BFE is or areas that will be affected by sea level rise and storms in the future. required by the NYS code.

Strengthen Building Codes: Set Benefits: Building codes that are more restrictive than the Uniform Building Code may Reconstruction Standards to Reflect provide an additional level of protection against potential flood risks and other impacts of Future Hazards climate change. Strengthen building code standards Costs: Municipal costs for adopting enhanced codes. May pose challenges for low-income to account for anticipated changes households who cannot afford retrofitting. Communities should consider joining the NFIP in sea level and other climate Community Rating System to earn flood insurance discounts for implementing measures impacts. Standards that address that exceed minimum NFIP standards. sea level rise help minimize impacts Consequences: Failure to incorporate resilience into structural design standards through over the expected life of the adaptable infrastructure and building codes may result in increased costs to businesses, structure. Land use and site plan communities, and homeowners as flood and storm damages continue to escalate. regulations and building codes should be seen as complementary Effectiveness: Strong enforcement of post-storm reconstruction standards is essential to the tools. effectiveness.

Building Size and Height Benefits: Facilitates the relocation process by building structures that are easier to elevate Restrictions and move. Individuals that accept risk and Costs: Administrative costs unchanged. Low costs to upgrade current standards. choose to live in areas likely Consequences: Failure to accommodate development to assist future relocation efforts to experience hazard impacts can result in the structure becoming damaged or permanently lost. Homeowners are should conform to local building responsible for covering damages. regulations, such as building size and height . Structures should be Effectiveness: Inadequate compliance is a major obstacle to effective building codes. designed to be easily movable Building codes are enforced by local building departments. Planning controls and building (i .e . 1 story, simple construction) codes should be seen as complementary management tools.18 if and when relocation becomes necessary .

48 Class 3: Structural Defenses measures such as flood proofing, elevation above Structural defenses are engineered or non-engineered potential flood levels, and resilient land use. constructions designed to resist environmental Large storms that result in structural failure or forces such as storm surge. On some heavily devel- overtopping may result in damages that exceed the oped shorelines, structural defenses may be the only scale of the pre-structure risk exposure. Structural means of providing a measure of safety from flood- defenses can lead to a false sense of security, incen- ing and erosion. Examples include areas where criti- tivizing development in high risk locations. Due cal public facilities are at risk and cannot be relocated, to their tendency to increase development in flood- or where a shoreline location is required for water plains and potential for failure, the Association of dependent uses. Levees, bulkheads, revetments, State Floodplain Managers recommends that levees groins, seawalls, jetties, and beach construction (fill be used only as a last resort, to provide a limited or “nourishment”) are examples of structural mea- means of flood risk reduction for existing develop- sures. Structural defenses may also be employed as a ment.20 Structures can cause significant detrimen- temporary measure in a planned transition to enable tal environmental impacts. A National Research new design, relocation or other resilience measures Council report on managing shore erosion on shel- to be implemented over time. Structural protection tered coasts recommended alternatives to traditional does not eliminate all flood, erosion and storm surge structures, finding “Strategies that address erosion, risk. The possibility of structural failure or large other than land use controls, can have cumulative events that exceed the level of protection must be impacts to sheltered coasts. These include perma- considered. In the event of failure or overtopping by nent removal of sand from the littoral system, creat- flooding, structural defenses may exacerbate- dam ing over steepened shore faces, loss of intertidal zones ages if redundant measures have not been employed. and habitat loss.”21 Regarding future increased risk Discussion: Structural defenses have been a stan- from sea level rise, the National Research Council dard response to coastal storm and erosion damage. went on to say “Superimposed on the impacts of The level of protection they offer is described as the erosion and subsidence, the effects of rising sea design standard, e.g., a structure designed to pro- level will exacerbate the loss of waterfront property tect against a one in 50-year frequency storm may and increase vulnerability to inundation hazards… be overtopped, damaged or fail in the event of a Additionally, sea-level rise is chronic and progres- one in 100-year storm. Continuing maintenance is sive, requiring a response that is correspondingly necessary to maintain the design level of protection. progressive. Attempts to follow a ‘hold the line’ mit- Nationally, increasing numbers of flood defenses igation strategy against erosion and sea-level rise by are being overwhelmed by events due to failure coastal armoring will result in a steady escalation in caused by inadequate maintenance, changes in the both the costs of maintenance and the consequences environment or other factors. After the Hurricane of failure.”22 Lawsuits stemming from structural fail- Katrina disaster in New Orleans the National ure are increasing.23 Structures are often favored by Academy of Engineering and the National Research property owners as a means of perpetuating existing Council found that “– because of the possibility of investments, but the negative aspects of structures levee/floodwall overtopping – or more importantly, suggest careful consideration of impacts, alterna- levee/floodwall failure – the risks of inundation and tives, and outcomes before they are employed. flooding never can be fully eliminated by - protec Structural defenses have been the standard response tive structures no matter how large or sturdy those to managing storm impacts for decades, partly due 19 structures may be.” As a result of this experience, to assumptions that sea level and shoreline posi- the National Academy recommended that pro- tions are relatively stable and can be addressed by tective structures should be backed by redundant static design. It is now known that sea level has

49 been gradually rising for centuries and the rate of In addition to the impacts cited in the discussion sea level rise is increasing. Due to sediment trans- above, structural measures may result in unwanted port there can also be wide variation in shoreline environmental impacts. These may be direct position. Stationary shore defense structures that impacts from excavation of construction of protec- trap sediment are likely to contribute to acceler- tive works, or indirect impacts from sediment dis- ated erosion on down drift beaches. Some shore- placement or changes in waves or currents. In some line erosion is essential to supply sediment that cases the installation of defensive structures has led supports adjacent beaches. Shorelines change with to the propagation of additional structures on adja- sediment supply and weather patterns and in many cent properties, responding to loss of sediment sup- places varies considerably from season to season. ply, flanking erosion or wave attack from the initial Shoreline retreat in response to erosion is normal structure. Multiplication of individual structures for coastal areas of unconsolidated sediments. As can lead to excessive cumulative impacts in a bay a result, land use planning and nearshore develop- or watershed. ment should account for and be resilient to these If storm surge, sea level rise, precipitation or other natural variations. factors exceed their design capacity, shore defenses In some highly urbanized areas where essential pub- may fail. As demonstrated by events in New Orleans lic infrastructure is at risk and no alternative loca- in 2005 and in multiple levee failures in the Mid-West tion or means of providing the necessary services in 2011 the performance of structural defenses is not are available, shore defense structures may be the guaranteed. Many New Orleans homes destroyed only practical option available to avoid unaccept- by storm surge from Hurricane Katrina were built able damage. Consideration of structural protective in areas thought safe with levee protection. In the measures should account for their limitations. Other event of failure, development that depended on alternatives that achieve safety, including but not those defenses may be destroyed unless secondary limited to land use and resilient building construc- protective measures are employed. For example, tion techniques should be considered to augment development behind a constructed berm or levee structural protection. As a rule structural defenses should be elevated for security in the event the pro- do not increase the inherent resilience of develop- tective works fail. As a result, the construction of ment, natural resources, cultural resources or eco- structural shore defenses does not remove the need nomic activities because they do not reduce risk for additional measures in support of community inherent in the location. Instead structural measures resilience. Evaluation of the costs of a protective act as a bulwark against the environment, requiring strategy should include the necessary redundant permanent maintenance to preserve the level of pro- measures and effectiveness of the combined system. tection. The presence of shore defenses may encour- Communities should always consider the potential age additional development in high risk areas, thus for structural failure and evaluate potential impacts increasing damage if the protection is overwhelmed as a means of determining where additional mea- or fails during extreme events. The additional devel- sures are needed and which measures would be opment could increase the need for protective mea- sufficient. Due to cost and performance limitations, sures, escalating the costs of defense. Constructed use of structural defenses should be carefully eval- dunes and beaches act essentially as levees against uated along with other adaptation options. Where waves and storm surge. They sacrifice sand to the structural defenses are necessary they should be beach during storms. While the extra sand supply used in combination with non-structural measures compensates for erosion the protected development to manage residual risk and environmental mitiga- may be at risk to flooding from the opposite side in tion24 to compensate for negative effects. locations where a bay, tributary or low lying area backs the protected development.

50 Measure Benefits, Costs, Consequences, Effectiveness Levees Benefits: Provides flood protection up to the design standard. May be used as a transitional measure until alternative adaptation is effective. May be necessary where Levees are designed to contain and essential public infrastructure is at risk. limit the penetration of flood water into developed areas. They protect Costs: Substantial costs for construction. Ongoing monitoring and maintenance costs. development from coastal or riverine Possible catastrophic costs in the event of failure unless redundant measures are used. flooding up to a design magnitude, Consequences: Levees confine the flow of water, resulting in higher and faster water flow. provided they are well designed Structures may encourage more at-risk development. May result in severe environmental and maintained. Levees are found impacts if they reduce wetlands. They do not fully eliminate risk and can exacerbate along riverbanks. Beach and dune damages when overwhelmed by larger events. construction may be used in places where coastal natural protective Effectiveness: Effective up to their design standard but may not withstand larger events ( features are insufficient protection such as extreme events or due to climate change). May trap flood water requiring pumping. from storms and erosion. Will not protect land subject to sea level rise inundation, if sea level rise is not factored into the design standard.

Jetties Benefits: Stabilizes the inlet, protects access reduces channel dredging. Jetties are structures extending Costs: High cost for stone, concrete or steel. Likely to cause erosion on down drift beaches perpendicular from the shoreline by reducing sediment inflow. Jetties capture sediments by containing and redirecting into the water at inlets. They are longshore transport. May impair coastal barrier formation by eliminating natural shoaling designed to protect navigation and processes that accumulate deposits where new barriers form. keep sediment from filling in the Consequences: Updrift sediment accumulation, downdrift erosion. Most jetties interfere channel. They are often paired on with littoral transport to some extent. Bypassing accumulated sand across the inlet does either side of an inlet. not fully restore the natural processes. Jetties may increase bay flooding by enlarging the channel cross section through which flood waters can enter. Effectiveness: May be necessary for navigation channel access but they have little benefit for reducing storm surge or flooding. They generally result in downdrift erosion.

Groins Benefits: Groins can trap sediment on beaches where sand transport is predominantly in one direction. “T” head groins act as an artificial headland. Groins are intended to arrest Groins are structures extending shoreline erosion to protect upland development. perpendicular from land into the water, not at an inlet. Their purpose Costs: Large cost for engineered stone construction. Moderate cost for wood or sheet is to trap sand in an attempt to pile structures. Accelerated erosion on downdrift beaches, interference with public beach “stabilize” the beach. As a result of access. May require a beach fill program for maintenance. sediment trapping, the updrift side Consequences: Groins can cause significant erosion on downdrift beaches, resulting in accretes sand while the downdrift loss of those beaches, public access and natural habitat. Properties on downdrift beaches side may experience accelerated may lose value. Shoreline pedestrian access may be lost. erosion. A series of groins may be erected to stabilize a long shoreline. Effectiveness: They are effective at stabilizing their location, and may help stabilize Some small groins have been built protective dunes. They may require continuing beach sand placement. They may allow by private land owners. sediment transport if tapered to match the bottom surface offshore, thus reducing down drift erosion.

51 Measure Benefits, Costs, Consequences, Effectiveness Seawalls/ Bulkheads/Revetments Benefits:Protection from waves or erosion for upland development. May provide some defense from storm surge. They maximize upland real estate, thus being preferred by These structures are placed property owners. parallel to the shoreline at or above the water level . Seawalls Costs: High cost for seawalls, moderate costs for bulkheads and revetments. Natural retreat are the heaviest structures and are of the beach due to sediment transport and sea level rise will cause the beach to narrow designed to resist the full impact or disappear completely where these structures are placed, thus eliminating public access of waves . Bulkheads are designed along the shoreline and natural habitat. Additional, redundant measures are necessary to to retain upland fill, generally not achieve community resilience. exposed to severe wave action . Consequences: Provide protection while well maintained and sufficient for storm events. Revetments are stone or masonry Over time the structure may be undermined and destroyed, necessitating a larger structure units placed atop the nearshore and/or loss of upland use. May leave property, lives, and other development at greater risk upland on a slope, to reduce wave from damage in the event of failure. Reflection of wave energy may accelerate erosion in impacts and erosion . Seawalls are front of or adjacent to bulkheads and seawalls. Wave overtopping can destroy all three. generally, larger steel or concrete High impacts to nearshore habitat from construction, erosion, loss of area and lost capacity engineered structures . Bulkheads to migrate upland with sea level rise. Can destroy nearshore vegetation and allow overland may be of sheet piling, wood stormwater drainage to flow into the water body with no vegetative filtration. Causes erosion or vinyl . Revetments are stone, to down drift beaches by removing sediment supply. These structures may disguise the risk concrete or masonry units . of major storms to upland development by reducing visible, near term erosion. The result may be increased development in high risk locations. Effectiveness: Most effective as a temporary measure until alternative locations for development are found. Less effective as long-term solutions. Should not be used to protect minimally developed areas. They may be necessary for industrial uses that requires waterside access, or for essential public infrastructure that cannot be relocated. Frequently used to provide recreational boating access to upland property. They require large investments to maintain over the course of time.

Beach and Dune Construction (Fill) Benefits:Provides storm protection, compensates for erosion and may enhance beach recreation value. May improve property values or beach habitat. Negative impacts are small Addition of sediment (usually sand) compared to other structures. to widen eroding beaches . Raises the beach to a designed profile . Costs: $5 - $30/ cubic yard. Some impacts to excavation, dredging and placement sites May include dunes as well as fill in due to mechanical disturbance, turbidity, sand compression or poor sand quality. Costs are the berm and nearshore . Regular generally shifted towards federal and State sources, creating incentives for localities to prefer placement of additional sediment, this option. Localities may not be aware the temporary protection can increase eventual sometimes called “renourishment,” losses if development accompanies the placement. Local erosion tax districts may fund is required to maintain the desired some costs. profile . Requires a source of Consequences: Protection from low level storms and replaces eroding sediment to beach compatible sediment maintain shoreline location. Must be maintained in perpetuity for protection until extreme which may be from upland, from storms, sea level rise or financial shortfall forces other adaptation or retreat. Poorly executed navigation dredging or from or maintained projects can have negative environmental, economic, and social effects; offshore dredging . including degradation of critical habitats, loss of public access and recreational value, loss of tourism and economic vitality. May encourage development in hazardous areas or discourage engagement in other adaptive measures. Effectiveness: Effectiveness of beach construction projects depends on the quality of sand placed, continued maintenance and storms below design protection level. Similar to natural protective features as long as the artificial beaches are maintained. Results can be inconsistent due to local conditions and weather events. May be appropriate for beaches in highly populated urban areas. A risky strategy unless accompanied by other resilience measures, adaptive planning and careful post-storm response.

52 Measure Benefits, Costs, Consequences, Effectiveness Living Shorelines Benefits:Improved environmental performance in comparison with traditional hardened shore defenses. They may reduce maintenance costs in comparison with other structural Hybrid structures for managing shore defenses because there are few or no manufactured components (e.g. wood, shoreline erosion that combine concrete, steel, etc.) to break down. both structural and living components . Examples include Costs: Costs are comparable to engineered structures designed for similar locations. artificial oyster reefs, vegetated Costs may be increased for additional care required for placement of structural members revetments and sill-protected and for placement and care of living components. Cost advantages may be obtained from marshes . The advantages of these reduced maintenance, lower costs for organic materials in comparison with manufactured methods are the ability to provide alternatives, or easier adaptation to environmental change. habitat similar to natural conditions Consequences: Reduced shoreline erosion rates, enhanced natural habitat, improved while also mitigating erosion . visual quality, possible support for shoreline access. Effectiveness: With proper design, living shorelines techniques are as effective as traditional structural measures such as bulkheads, seawalls and revetments at reducing erosion. Living shorelines are generally most suitable for locations not exposed to direct wave attack. Optimal locations for implementing living shorelines techniques are relatively low energy environments with limited fetch across open water. Experience in New York waters is limited because living shorelines techniques were first commonly applied in more southerly regions such as Chesapeake Bay. As a result, close cooperation with regulators is needed to obtain environmental approvals. These techniques have been recommended by the National Academy of Science and appropriate designs for New York waters are under consideration.

Class 4: Land Use Planning and Regulation Reduce storm and climate change impacts through Resilient land use protects lives and community effective land use management to increase- resil assets. Resilient land use techniques should be ience. Incorporate sustainable measures and envi- coordinated with capital development programs ronmental services of natural protective features in and other community plans to be cost effective land use plans to enhance community value, mak- and ensure public infrastructure does not stimu- ing communities more attractive and safer while late development in high risk locations. See Class lowering costs. Carry out land use management 5, Market-based methods, for a discussion of land through adaptation over time to facilitate commu- acquisition through land trusts, property exchanges, nity health. Planning, zoning, subdivision and site partial easements, lease-back programs, transfer or plan requirements, and natural resource regulations purchase of development rights and other value are tools to accomplish land use adaptation. exchanges. Appendix 5 describes some additional Discussion: Land use planning and management zoning and subdivision tools. Approaches could offer a means to minimize impacts by reducing the include clustering development through subdivision vulnerability of development and infrastructure to regulations, transfer or purchase of development storm impacts. Land use planning is principally rights, other equal value land exchanges, or land under the authority of local governments. When acquisition through land trusts, property exchanges, local governments manage development to achieve partial easements, or lease-back programs. resilience they also reduce costs. Changes in land use Communities can benefit from improved local can be implemented pre-development or over the land use standards by participating in the NFIP course of time as opportunities arise. Monitoring, Community Rating System (CRS), by which they reporting and adaptive management should be may qualify all flood insurance policy holders used to update land use plans and regulations. for reduced rates. CRS is a voluntary incentive

53 program “that recognizes and encourages commu- nity floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements.”25 The types of provisions described in this section exceed the min- “While the damage from natural disasters is typically structural, the solutions need not be . imum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Much of the most effective mitigation consists Program (NFIP), qualifying the community for of nonstructural measures directing land use “points” in the CRS and potentially lowering flood away from hazardous areas or even seeking to insurance costs for owners. influence human behavior .” Local land use plans and regulations can be used Source: Schwab, J., K.C. Topping, C.C. Eadie, R.E. Deyle, and R.A. Smith. 1998. Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery and Reconstruc- to manage development in hazardous areas, con- tion. Report no. 483/484. FEMA, American Planning Association, trol densities, incentivize retrofitting of existing Chicago. structures, or control building occupancy in haz- ardous areas. Local governments are authorized to establish zoning districts and to regulate the use, “ . . the United States can expect huge construction, and alteration of buildings and land increases in disaster costs because of within those districts. Such districts may be unique current land use practices, irrespective of any for the purpose of addressing coastal hazards, or additional toll caused by climate change and they may be designated as overlay districts that attendant sea level rise .” apply additional resilience requirements to at risk Source: Roger Pielke, Jr. 2008. Proceedings from the 33rd Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop, 2008. areas otherwise zoned for general purposes. Local subdivision regulations can be used to avoid the creation of lots that are unsafe due to proximity to flood or storm surge, or that will become unsafe in the foreseeable future.

Measure Benefits, Costs, Consequences, Effectiveness Local Waterfront Revitalization Benefits: In partnership with the Department of State, a municipality develops Program (LWRP) community consensus regarding the future of its waterfront and refines State waterfront policies to reflect local conditions and circumstances. An LWRP is a locally prepared, land and water use plan and strategy for a Costs: DOS provides technical assistance and funding through the Environmental community’s natural, public, working, Protection Fund to prepare LWRPs for plans and projects that expand public access, or developed waterfront through which revitalize waterfront areas, restore habitats, and strengthen local economies. critical issues are addressed. Consequences: Unlike comprehensive plans, LWRPs require implementation techniques to be in place before adoption. This avoids possible inconsistencies between plans and implementing land use regulations. Effectiveness: The Local Waterfront Revitalization Program also contains the organizational structure, local laws, projects, and on-going partnerships that implement the planning document. Once approved by the New York Secretary of State, the Local Program serves to coordinate federal and State actions needed to assist the community achieve its vision.

54 Measure Benefits, Costs, Consequences, Effectiveness Comprehensive Plan Benefits: All local land use regulations, including zoning, must be in conformance with the comprehensive plan.26 By developing a consistent document that reflects The Comprehensive Plan establishes a the community’s assets and involving residents and businesses in the creation and vision for the community’s growth and adoption of the plan, the entire community will benefit. development and provides policies, goals and recommendations for implementing Costs: Costs associated with comprehensive plans include the costs to develop that vision. The plan should include or update the plan as well as the costs associated with implementing the plan. coastal hazard considerations, risk Communities may utilize staff or hire consultants to develop and implement the plan. assessment, protection of coastal areas, The funds for these services may come from the municipal budget, grants, or in some protection of streams, rivers, lakes and cases from fees associated with development activities. wetlands, and the benefits that these Consequences: Long-term protection of the health, safety and welfare of the natural resources provide to a community. community’s residents and its assets. The Comprehensive Plan should also incorporate a Local Waterfront Effectiveness: The courts have consistently upheld land use regulations that have Revitalization Plan (LWRP) if one has been been shown to conform to the comprehensive plan. developed for the municipality.

Zoning Benefits:Avoid vulnerable development in hazardous areas; reduce community storm impacts, conserve natural protective features, control development densities to Adopt zoning measures to limit or reduce impacts and facilitate recovery. Avoid increasing risk through compromising control the type, density, size, location, site requirements. Facilitate post-disaster reconstruction using safe techniques and construction or reconstruction of and locations. Setbacks can be used to avoid hazardous areas and create buffers structures in identified hazard areas. to conserve natural protective features like wetlands, floodplains, and dunes. Use “dynamic” set-backs based on the Infrastructure and service costs are reduced. Potential alternative use benefits, non- annual shoreline erosion rate27 in zoning market benefits and community-wide real estate value benefits. regulations to safeguard natural protective features and green infrastructure, and Costs: Costs associated with zoning regulations include the costs to develop or to provide adequate room for future update the zoning law as well as the costs associated with implementing the zoning adaptation or relocation.28 Use low law. Communities may utilize staff or hire consultants to develop and implement the impact development and smart growth law. The funds for these services may come from the municipal budget, grants, or in techniques such as pile foundations, some cases from fees associated with development activities. single story heights, low-impact streets, Consequences: Without adequate zoning, development and redevelopment is likely small building footprints, mixed land uses, to continue in ways that place people, property, and critical infrastructure at risk from clustering (away from sensitive areas), storm damage. Without zoning communities lose the opportunity to address risk and designing walkable communities exposure and environmental impacts in site plan review. Large structures in at risk when developing or updating zoning areas create damages, increase emergency costs, impact adjacent properties and regulations.29 are difficult to relocate or restore. Setbacks based on coastal erosion help secure community assets, reduce exposure to damages, and provide adaptive capacity for both human uses and environmental assets. Potential takings issues if the setback eliminates all development options. Effectiveness: Zoning is a versatile and effective tool for communities to manage hazard exposure. Floating zones30 can be used effectively in the post-disaster period to control redevelopment in severely damaged areas, as the special conditions of this zone can then be put into effect. Tiered zoning, overlay zones, incentive zoning31, maximum densities, limited build zones, and permanent no-build zones are additional techniques to address special conditions.32,33 Zoning can be linked to other measures such as building codes. Regulations must be reviewed periodically to avoid becoming outdated and ineffective. Setback policies must be designed to ensure that new development is sustainable.

55 Measure Benefits, Costs, Consequences, Effectiveness Subdivision Regulations Benefits: Configure parcels to avoid floodplains, erosion prone areas or reduce the exposure of buildings to storm impacts. Clustering is one means of permitting Use to ensure adequate setback development while preserving adequate setbacks and open space in new from flood and erosion hazards, subdivisions. Subdivision regulations can be applied to avoid damage to natural with provision to relocate on site if protective features and properties. necessary . Minimize infrastructure maintenance and emergency response Costs: Costs associated with subdivision regulations include the costs to develop costs . Subdivision regulations or update the subdivision law as well as the costs associated with implementing govern the density, configuration, the subdivision law. Communities may utilize staff or hire consultants to develop and layout of parcels and provide and implement the law. The funds for these services may come from the municipal for sewers, drainage, parks, streets, budget, grants, or in some cases from fees associated with development activities. sidewalks, lighting . Conserve natural Consequences: Failure to incorporate subdivision controls may result in small protective features, green infrastructure, waterfront lots limiting opportunity to adapt to erosion or avoid storm impacts. environmentally sensitive areas . Coordinate subdivision controls with Effectiveness: Highly effective measures to enhance disaster resilience. Prepare zoning, building codes, and local plans and incorporate subdivision controls before storm impacts to be ready to comprehensive plans . implement in the post-disaster period.

Site Plan Review Benefits:Provides an opportunity for planners to incorporate vulnerability, damage experience, future conditions and public service needs, and apply those requirements Set preliminary requirements for area to development if adequate authority and regulations are provided. coverage, setbacks, conservation of natural features, and site access . Costs: Costs associated with site plan regulations include the costs to develop or Consider the design and location of update the site plan law as well as the costs associated with implementing the law. structures, infrastructure, parking, and Communities may utilize staff or hire consultants to develop and implement the law. other improvements while respecting The funds for these services may come from the municipal budget, grants, or in some hazard exposure, storm water drainage, cases from fees associated with development activities. soil integrity, landscaping, and other Consequences: By using performance standards to evaluate site plans, issues that may affect disaster considerations such as hazardous material safety, disaster resilience and secure resilience . storage of dangerous or polluting materials can be incorporated in development projects. Effectiveness: More detailed site plan review requirements provide a framework for developers, local planners and volunteer planning boards to include hazard considerations and natural resources in local development.

Local Natural Resource Regulations Benefits:Local regulations that protect wetlands buffers, trees and floodplains provide natural flood control, wildlife habitat, enhance recreation areas, prevent Consider adopting local laws or erosion, treat pollutants by natural processes, and promote public safety and livability. amending existing laws to regulate Planners can use landscaping requirements to preserve or enhance the “free” vegetated buffers, wetlands, and/or protection that natural features afford. provide tree conservation. Strengthen local flood damage prevention laws to Costs: Costs associated with local natural resource regulations include the costs to protect flood hazard areas, considering develop or update the local laws as well as the costs associated with implementing the No Adverse Impact program34 and the laws. Communities may utilize staff or hire consultants to develop and implement NYSDEC’s model amendments for Flood the laws. The funds for these services may come from the municipal budget, grants, Damage Prevention laws.35 Local natural or in some cases from fees associated with development activities. resource regulations can be adopted Consequences: The minimum requirements that most municipalities adopt for flood as stand-alone laws or incorporated as damage prevention do not provide long-term protection for the community. Federal supplemental zoning regulations and and State laws regulating wetlands and buffers cannot be enforced locally, leaving environmental performance standards. enforcement of these important areas up to regional government agency staff. Effectiveness: Local natural resource regulations provide a framework for developers, local planners and volunteer planning boards to include floodplain management and natural resource planning in local development. Local regulations can be enforced by the code enforcement officer, who knows the community and local conditions. Tree conservation ordinances must be built on a solid base of hazard identification and environmental research.

56 Measure Benefits, Costs, Consequences, Effectiveness Stormwater Management Benefits:Reduces storm water discharge and improves environmental quality. Reduce flooding; control floodwaters with natural or artificial ponds or wetlands. Manage post-construction stormwater to Improve human health and land value. ensure that post-development runoff is no greater than pre-development runoff. Costs: Costs associated with local stormwater laws include the costs to develop Use “Green infrastructure” to increase or update the law as well as the costs associated with implementing the law. stormwater infiltration rates and reduce Communities may utilize staff or hire consultants to develop and implement the laws. the volume of runoff entering sewer The funds for these services may come from the municipal budget, grants, or in some systems, lakes, rivers, and streams. cases from fees associated with development activities. Funding may be available Onsite detention, recharge basins, buffer through the EPA to implement cost-effective and sustainable stormwater management strips, prohibition of point and non-point practices. source discharges into wetlands helps Consequences: Failure to consider stormwater management during the recovery ensure environmental quality. process may diminish water quality and increase runoff. Effectiveness: New York State requires that “green infrastructure” be included in the development of stormwater pollution prevention plans for certain projects. Incorporating the concept of “green infrastructure” into stormwater management practices is an effective approach at helping achieve community sustainability.

Infrastructure Planning and Benefits:Fosters resilient development in more sustainable locations, away from high Development risk areas, and reduces future losses and maintenance costs. Foster community resilience by directing Costs: Similar to costs for at-risk infrastructure. Cost savings for reduced exposure infrastructure and public facilities (roads, and maintenance. Improved resilience (and reduced emergency service costs) for water supply) away from high risk areas. development in more secure areas. Reduces tax burden on community to service at risk assets. Possible reductions in flood insurance premiums. Consequences: Infrastructure improvements in high risk areas encourage development that will be exposed to coastal hazards, increasing risks to people and property as well as infrastructure. Effectiveness: Highly effective at facilitating development in safe locations. Infrastructure planning and development should be consistent with community plans, land use regulations and resilience strategies.

Class 5: Market-Based Methods Market methods work if the full, long term costs space districts, purchase or transfer of development of land use are incorporated into prices, taxes and rights, and special tax districts for defensive mea- fees, to the greatest possible extent. The market sures that support primarily local interests. Local can reduce vulnerability by incorporating the cost governments provide services and infrastructure of risk into the carrying cost of land. Tax incentives that create development incentives. By redirecting or disincentives, approval requirements, and user spending towards safe areas local governments can fees can help factor the cost of impacts into location encourage sustainable development. decisions. Owners and developers could then make Another option to reduce risk is by purchasing at decisions about the value of locations relative to the risk undeveloped land or developed properties that cost of their use. are no longer habitable or whose owners prefer safer Discussion: As effects of coastal storms accelerate, locations. Acquisitions facilitate beneficial outcomes public funds will be strained to maintain infrastruc- for both owners and communities, enabling sustain- ture, subsidize insurance, build shore defenses and able transition over time. The State of New York is compensate disaster losses. Local governments offering public buy out of properties in flood-prone have several means for supporting the incorpo- areas as part of efforts to help homeowners affected ration of risk into pricing for at risk areas, includ- by Hurricane Sandy. The State is offering pre-disas- ing locally funded infrastructure programs, land/ ter market prices to a limited number of homeown- property acquisition programs, parks and open ers who have suffered through multiple flooding

57 and want to move. Acquisition may be used to create buffer zones or Open space acquisitions for high value natural restore natural protective features. Additional com- resource conservation are well known, including munity benefits such as water filtration, storm water partial acquisitions such as development rights or management, public access and recreation or open conservation easements. The National Park Service space may be obtained through acquisition. has employed creative acquisitions that allow own- ers to temporarily remain in homes or lease them back until a future date or specified condition.

Measure Benefits, Costs, Consequences, Effectiveness Redirect Local Development Benefits: Reduces public costs for development and infrastructure in hazardous areas Subsidies36 and discourages unwise development, especially in areas subject to repetitive damages. Reduces incentives to develop at risk coastal flood plains. Uses public spending and Shift expenditures for development services more efficiently. and infrastructure away from extreme hazard areas and apply resilient Costs: This shifts site related costs to primary beneficiaries. Can be implemented at development standards for other little cost to a local government. at-risk areas. Direct infrastructure Consequences: These measures tend to correlate costs with services received in funds to sustainable locations. areas of increased storm risk, improving the price connection between risk and use. Create local tax districts to support Internalizing costs leads to risk informed decision making, more resilient development, infrastructure in extreme and high and reduced storm damages. risk areas. Where feasible form local tax districts to support protective Effectiveness: Restrictions on local development subsidies . measures.

Local Tax Districts Benefits: Local financing can correlate costs with at-risk areas. Localities can form special tax districts Costs: Building in risk-based costs with development results in these costs reflected in to support certain infrastructure, market rate of development. facilities and erosion protection. Consequences: Tends to discourage development in risky locations through higher Consider forming local tax districts for costs due to direct assumption of costs associated with the storm impact management risk management. measures. Likely to reduce risky development and encourage safer location decisions. Effectiveness: Effective by associating risk with location price. Reduced at-risk development lowers storm damages for both the public and private sector.

Community Rating System37 Benefits:Flood insurance premiums are reduced in communities that qualify under the FEMA Community Rating System. Actions taken to reduce flood impacts receive credit Local governments use the through the program. By accumulating enough credits, communities achieve thresholds Community Rating System (CRS) to to qualify for reduced rates. reduce flood insurance premiums for property owners. Local governments Costs: Minimal direct costs, as the program gives credits for flood resilience actions obtain CRS credits for resilience taken within the community. actions. Consequences: Reduced flood insurance rates in CRS participating communities. Also, more affordable housing as a result of reduced insurance premiums. Maintenance of federal mortgage program eligibility by preserving participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. As FEMA updates flood plain mapping over time the areas subject to coverage will increase with sea level rise. In addition subsidies for non-conforming structures will be reduced. Both actions will result in escalating flood insurance rates absent other measures to reduce community risk, such as the CRS program. Failure to participate means communities will not receive credit and reduced premiums for actions taken to address flood risk. Communities with flood insurance will have only minimum FEMA standards which do not account for sea level rise, extreme storms, or flooding outside the regulated flood hazard areas. Effectiveness: Substantial reductions in premiums are available. Reduced flood risk is directly correlated with a financial benefit to owners.

58 Measure Benefits, Costs, Consequences, Effectiveness Acquisition of Existing, Vulnerable Benefits:Creates a safety valve for owners with no other option. Eliminates future Sites or Structures damages on site. Beneficial alternate uses can be coordinated with other community objectives. Long term economic and environmental benefits and reduced negative In addition to the voluntary buyout impacts onsite and for others. Adaptable as conditions change over time. program now being offered by the State, local governments may Costs: Substantial short term costs. May benefit from partnerships with land trusts consider creating voluntary buy-out Voluntary acquisition is generally more acceptable. programs for at-risk or damaged Consequences: Failure to acquire development likely to be damaged may result in properties . Convert acquired lands future high costs for protection, repetitive damages, emergency services and recovery. to alternate safe uses . Relocation Damaged structures and debris affect other properties. of acquired structures to safe sites may be an option . This may prove Effectiveness: Effective at reducing future damages. Effectiveness is enhanced where an attractive option when other acquisition helps preserve natural protective features. Effective in areas subject to storm measures are not effective . surge, slope failure, or erosion. At risk buildings on slabs, masonry foundations, or too delicate to move may have limited options. Relocation is feasible for structures small Acquisition may include agreements enough to traverse streets. Pile foundations facilitate relocation. to maintain occupancy for a specified time or until a future event, allowing owners to maintain present uses temporarily .

Class 6: Increased Awareness and Information Decisions are based on available information. and sustainable land, water and asset management Making better information available on coastal haz- would support resilient communities. Community ards, sustainable uses and ecosystem services would vision, long range or life-cycle costs, scale, extent and help improve decisions. Providing sound informa- frequency of impacts, future projections, community tion on storms and erosion, environmental services, welfare, natural processes and periodic storms are risk to development and community costs would example information needs. help decision makers in both the public and private Those who understand coastal hazards and the risks sector. Encourage resilient land use and develop- they pose to communities are more likely to take ment with better awareness of hazards and potential action to reduce their exposure and vulnerability. mitigation measures. Support resilience with good Better information is needed on sustainable uses of information, education and outreach. land and water assets, ecological services, and how Discussion: Improving decisions through better alteration of the landscape influences the potential information is best achieved if the appropriate infor- for damages. Create and utilize educational pro- mation is delivered effectively to decision makers. grams on risk and resilience, and confirm that infor- Informed decision making is desirable at all lev- mation is incorporated into the land use and risk els. An assessment of the decision making process management decision making processes of individ- could identify key points at which information on uals, local and regional decision makers. Coordinate storm impacts and location vulnerability would be education and outreach with other resilience strate- effective. Information products are most effective gies so residents and leaders understand and endorse if developed in partnership with the receiving com- the community vision, the spectrum of management munity. Basic principles emphasizing risk exposure measures, and their role in implementation.

59 Measure Benefits, Costs, Consequences, Effectiveness Comprehensive Education and Benefits: Obtain public support and ‘buy-in’ for resilience and planning. Foster public Outreach Programs involvement and responsibility for protecting community assets. Adopt a plan based on locally preferred options. Provide public workshops, training, and information sessions to discuss Costs: Methods range from free to expensive, depending on the size of the audience, hazard risks and community goals scope of the information and medium used. Recent advances in social networking may for redevelopment . Address lack of offer cost effective platforms. understanding or misunderstanding Consequences: Failure to provide effective education and outreach reduces perception of programs such as the NFIP, Multi- of: vulnerability, reasons for proactive measures, and effects on assets and the broader Hazard Mitigation . Coordinate public community. These weaknesses increase the potential for poor decisions, repetitive outreach with resilience planning damage, loss of assets, and community costs. Lack of access to communication initiatives . Cultivate two-way professionals might inhibit community involvement in planning. communication and participation in planning . Effectiveness: Effective with strong leadership and facilitation. Ensure that all community stakeholders have a voice and an opportunity to participate in planning and adaptation. Seek to unify rather than divide the community on redevelopment and recovery actions.

Communicate Hazard and Climate Benefits: Homeowners and businesses and community leaders learn to adapt to Risks and Techniques to Reduce reduce impacts and avoid repetitive damages. Officials support community action. May Risk support flood insurance discounts through the NFIP Community Rating System. Distribute information on storm and Costs: Content development and publication costs. Coordinate messaging with other climate risks to officials, businesses State and regional hazard management strategies. Incentives would encourage other and homeowners . Communicate proactive measures. clearly that preparing for hazard Consequences: Failure to increase risk awareness among community members and impacts is in the community’s best local governments may result in increased impacts to individuals and escalating burdens interest and will help save lives on communities. Lack of awareness reduces the appreciation for exposure of essential and properties over time . Potential socio-economic assets. A better societal understanding of vulnerability is helpful to venues include websites, public identify adaptive measures and inform transition to community resilience. access television, radio spots, news releases, newspaper and magazine Effectiveness: Communication is most effective if developed with the receiving articles, brochures and pamphlets . audience. Describe risks and management techniques that individuals and businesses can adopt to reduce vulnerability and exposure to hazard impacts .

Business Recovery Plans38 Benefits:Prepare business recovery plans to minimize economic disruption and/or identify business alternatives under a range of post-disaster scenarios. Provide guidance on post-storm business recovery planning, Costs: Small businesses typically lack the in-house expertise and capability to especially for small businesses prepare business recovery plans on their own, and may not have the resources to hire (fewer than 10 employees) . contractors to provide assistance. Competing priorities, and lack of knowledge are Recovery plans can help businesses reasons why many small businesses do not prepare contingency plans in advance of resume functioning, or can provide disaster events. business owners with a range of Consequences: Failure to prepare business recovery plans can result in economic post-disaster alternatives and disruptions, with long-term impacts on other sectors of . Losses may include opportunities, such as business investment, trade, supplier/consumer loyalty, revenue, payroll, and credit lines. relocation, temporary assistance, or Business owners may not fully realize their vulnerability or range of potential options revising the business strategic plan . after a disaster. Time and resources may be lost trying to resume business when Local governments can support operating conditions are unsound due to lack of demand for the goods or services, small business recovery by inability of employees to reach the workplace, loss of distribution system, or unreliable disseminating economic analysis communications. on: disaster effects on the consumer Effectiveness: Effective business recovery plans incorporate vulnerability analysis and base, relative demand for goods and provide strategies and actions to reduce disaster impacts, ensure business survival and services, how the disaster affects facilitate recovery. key suppliers and resources for assistance .

60 Measure Benefits, Costs, Consequences, Effectiveness Recognize Local Adaptation Benefits:Encourages other individuals and localities to take action and foster Achievements community well-being. Community success stories initiate thinking about adaptive strategies in other departments and communities. Local achievements in implementing adaptation measures should be Costs: Minimum costs for public, commendations. Potential television, radio, recognized and documented as newspaper and magazine reporting. Website announcements, blog, social media successful case studies to guide options. All parties who contributed to the success of implementing adaptation and assist other localities . Boost measures should share their experiences and lessons learned. recognition of local resilience and Consequences: Failure to recognize local achievements and share strategies with facilitate co-adopters by recognizing other communities limits access to viable strategies and may discourage initiative. effective adaptation . Effectiveness: Recognizing local achievements can be effective to cultivate public support for adaptation measures. It may stimulate evaluation of alternatives not previously considered.

61 APPENDIX 5: damage experience, future conditions and pub- EXAMPLES OF ZONING AND lic service needs, and apply those requirements to SUBDIVISION TOOLS development if adequate authority and regulations are provided. Consider the design and location Zoning Tools: of structures, infrastructure, parking, and other Tiered zoning improvements while respecting hazard exposure, A graduated system of zoning requirements that are storm water drainage, soil integrity, landscaping, increasingly stringent with proximity to hazards. and other issues that may affect disaster resilience. Overlay zoning Use site plans to evaluate conformance with per- A widely used means of protecting natural, historic, formance standards, including hazardous material or scenic resources and of directing development to safety, to ensure disaster resilience and secure stor- appropriate areas. Provisions of the overlay ordi- age of dangerous or polluting materials. nance are applied in addition to the underlying zon- Limited-build zones ing regulations. Apply conditional uses that support goals of the Floating zones39 comprehensive plan or LWRP (for instance, allow- A zone that has no specific geographic designation ing only temporary, seasonal or water dependent but carries a descriptive designation that attaches to uses). any parcel of land where ordinance conditions are Permanent no-build zones met. Permanent development prohibition is viable for Incentive zoning40 areas where flooding is so frequent or severe that Allows developers to exceed certain zoning restric- any development would put people and property tions, such as those governing density, floor-area at significant risk. Options for such high risk areas ratios, or height, in return for providing amenities include alternative flood resilient uses, acquisition, or making additional concessions. Such incentives transfer of development rights, phased withdrawal, may be offered for maintaining or enhancing the designation as parks, recreation areas, or open natural protective features of a site, for encouraging space. cluster development, or for providing additional Risk area zoning requirements safety features. Must be carefully administered so Examples include pile foundations, single story the zoning concession achieves the desired public heights (to allow future relocation), low-impact benefit. Use clear guidelines and avoid subjective streets, small building footprints, on-site stormwa- standards. ter management, mixed land uses, clustering (away Maximum densities for development from sensitive areas), and designing walkable These local codes set the development capacity for communities. designated areas. Provisions to allow higher den- Subdivision Regulations: sity development on a portion of a parcel of land in Risk assessment requirements for subdivision return for setting aside critical habitat, parts of the applications in at risk areas floodplain, natural protective features or open space Incorporate provisions in local subdivision reg- can enhance resilience. ulations to account for long term risk. Minimum Site plan review lot sizes in flood prone areas should include land Set preliminary requirements for area coverage, of adequate size and elevation to keep structures setbacks, conservation of natural features, and site out of the floodplain and secure from erosion and access. An opportunity to incorporate vulnerability, storm surge. This could be coordinated with flood

62 plain management and building code requirements. Provide adequate space for future adaptation in flood or erosion prone areas.

Cluster Development Consider clustering to conserve natural protective features, green infrastructure and adaptive capac- ity, and to minimize community costs for infrastruc- ture, emergency services and restoration.

63 APPENDIX 6: recovery plans designed to protect important USING THE RISK ASSESSMENT TOOL documents and provide alternative sources of TO TEST MANAGEMENT MEASURES goods are examples of actions that would lower the asset’s vulnerability and restore their function The likelihood that management measures will be quicker, though perhaps to varying degrees. Test successful can be tested using the Risk Assessment the proposed measures by estimating how long Tool. The relative Risk Score can help examine the asset would be out of service if the improve- the effectiveness of proposed management- mea ments were in place, and select the appropriate sures. This is done by repeating the risk assessment Vulnerability score. A lower Vulnerability score with updated scores for Exposure or Vulnerability, will result in a lower overall Risk Score. depending on proposed projects and management measures. A proposed set of projects and manage- The Risk Assessment Tool may be used to test pro- ment measures is more likely to be effective if it sig- posed assets as well. For example, it can be used to nificantly improves the asset’s risk score. develop a Risk Score for a potential new affordable housing development in a high risk area with cer- Select Management Measures to Test tain landscape attributes. The Committee could test: The Committee should select one or more measures from the classes of measures, using approaches • A change in zoning regulations to prohibit pub- from Appendix 4, to test how the proposed measure licly sponsored affordable housing in extreme may reduce risk. All sets of management measures and high risk areas. By changing the risk area in reviewed in a test should be compatible. Test com- which the affordable housing would be allowed binations of structural and non-structural measures this would change the Exposure Score and the to determine the most effective measures. overall Risk Score. • Adoption of a local building code requirement Test Each Set of Management Measures that all multifamily housing structures be wet To use the Risk Assessment Tool, test each set of flood-proofed. Since the building would return management measures by defining a management to service sooner, the Vulnerability Score should measure for an asset (or groups of assets in a com- be changed, resulting in a change to the overall mon geographic area) and revising the Exposure or Risk Score. Vulnerability scores in the risk calculation. Below are some examples of changes the Committee could test. If existing plans describe hazard management actions or projects, they may be tested along with the • Relocation of the asset to a lower risk area could management measures proposed by the Committee be tested by manually changing the name of the using the Risk Assessment Tool. If measures in risk area in the Risk Assessment Tool. This will existing plans are not successful at reducing risk, change the Exposure Score and affect the overall the community should consider revising the exist- Risk Score. ing plan to increase community resilience. • The installation of soft infrastructure could be Scoring will be a best estimate based on information tested by manually changing the landscape attri- in the inventory and input from the Committee. If butes of an asset to one that reflects the manage- an asset’s Risk Score decreases substantially under a ment action, such as restored wetlands. This will particular set of management measures, it is an indi- change the Exposure Score and affect the overall cator that the asset would be at less risk if the man- Risk Score. agement measures were undertaken as opposed to • Installation of a backup generator and dry a different set of management measures. However, flood-proofing of a commercial structure ,or other factors should be considered prior to finaliz- providing business assistance for developing ing the NY Rising Community Reconstruction Plan.

64 APPENDIX 7: other assets that are susceptible to deep water SCENARIO PLANNING flooding, high water velocity, flash flooding, debris flow, or severe erosion could be moved to Scenario planning uses a range of environmental lower risk areas. conditions to test management alternatives. The process helps decision makers understand the • Elevate structures. Buildings and infrastruc- potential environmental, social and economic out- ture can be elevated to withstand current and comes associated with alternative management expected future water levels. Single story, wood options. Scenario planning is different from cost - frame houses are easier and cheaper to lift than benefit estimates. As a result of scenario planning masonry structures. Mechanical equipment can management options that are viable in a range of be elevated above the ground floor in multi-story potential future conditions should be more appar- and high rise buildings. ent. Public input should still inform selection of • Enhance existing natural protective features measures that are implemented in a resilience (wetlands, dunes, beaches, barrier islands, flood- plan. The procedure below will help test manage- plains). These features reduce storm impacts ment measures for their effectiveness in improving and provide other environmental services. coastal storm resilience. Identify areas suitable for restoration of natural Step 1: Select a set management measures that protective features or areas that could accommo- address identified risks . date their gradual migration. Wetland conserva- Review the assets at risk identified in the risk assess- tion and provision for upland migration is par- ment process and identify a variety of manage- ticularly important because wetlands provide ment measures to reduce those risks to a safe level. important environmental services including Proposed measures should include non-structural, reducing flood impacts and many have already structural and relocation options. From this first been consumed. broad set of measures define one or more sets of 2. Structural: Hard protection structures should measures to be tested. Each set of measures should only be used to protect public structures or be mutually compatible and conceptually effective areas of significant public investment where at reducing risk. Proposed measures may address non-structural measures are not practical. Dune high risk assets individually or they may reduce and beach construction are considered struc- risk to multiple assets in a geographic area. The tural protection, but have fewer negative effects Committee should pay particular attention to assets on the environment than other structural mea- with high community value and critical facilities. sures such as stone, steel, concrete and earthen The six classes of management options provided in structures. Avoid placing fill in areas where it Appendix 4 can help stimulate ideas on measures will displace flood waters to adjacent property that may be effective. or increase inland or downstream flooding. 1. Non-structural measures: Natural shorelines More than one set of management options can be have an inherent natural, social, and economic tested. A comprehensive set of management options value that should be maintained to respond to may include both non-structural and structural mea- coastal processes and ensure continuing benefits sures depending on local conditions and the vulner- to the state and region. Examples of measures able aspects of the assets at risk. Consider location include: dependence and life expectancy of the assets when • Relocate development and structures away evaluating options. Water dependent uses such as from Extreme and High Risk areas (see Risk maritime commerce and boating require locations Assessment Maps). Buildings, infrastructure or adjacent to the water to function.

65 Step 2: Test options under the current and future Scores for the Exposure and/or Vulnerability of the flood water level scenarios . assets under each set of proposed measures will be When one or more sets of management measures a best estimate based on information in the inven- have been identified, evaluate performance under tory and input from the Committee. Modify the current and future water level scenarios: Exposure and/or Vulnerability scores based on how 1. Current 100-year flood water levels. (Available the future water levels and proposed measures affect in the community’s FEMA Flood Insurance the assets under each scenario. For example, if an Study.) asset is relocated to a different risk area the Exposure score might be reduced. If an asset is elevated or 2. Future 100-year flood water levels, assuming sea flood-proofed the Exposure or Vulnerability scores level rise. Use the estimates below for projected might be reduced. Certain actions may adequately increase in sea level. These are approximations reduce risk under current water levels but may not representing the mid-range of current sea level be adequate under the future, higher water levels. rise projections. Step 3: Analyze results . Analyze each scenario and prepare maps represent- ing proposed actions, changes in land use, popu- Table 4 Estimated Water Level Increase for Future Scenarios lation protected and resources affected. Report on each scenario describing the proposed management New York City, Lower Hudson and Long Island 2050 2100 measures and include estimates of the following

1 in 100 yr still water 2010 BFE + 2010 BFE + factors: level 1.5 ft 3.0 ft 1. Population protected Mid-Hudson and Capital Region 2050 2100 2. Population affected by implementation

1 in 100 yr still water 2010 BFE + 2010 BFE + 3. Overall life-cycle costs of implementation level 1.25 ft 3.0 ft 4. Environmental outcome 5. Cultural/Social outcome Evaluate the effectiveness of proposed measures by 6. Residual risk (Likelihood for failure or overtop- re-calculating the Risk Scores for assets in the inven- ping for structural defenses, other unaddressed tory. Use a copy of the Risk Assessment tool to test flood causes, future uncertainty, etc. and their the risk to assets by revising the scores for Exposure, consequences) and/or Vulnerability based on how they would change if the proposed management measures were 7. Possible financing mechanisms for proposed implemented. Test each scenario: current water lev- measures els of the 100-year storm events, and future water Structural defenses may fail or be overtopped levels of the 100-year storm events, for each set of and some protective measures may not be failsafe management measures. Use the best available against flood damage. This is a type of residual risk Mean Higher High Water (MHHW) level to esti- that should be reported along with the effects and mate current and future shoreline location in cases likelihood of occurrence in the scenario report. where sea level rise will encroach on assets. Local tide gauges can help identify MHHW. If desired Step 4: Identify viable measures . additional sea level rise scenarios can be created to The Committee should review the scenario analysis test more extreme conditions. Some estimates of sea to identify measures that are viable for the region. level rise by 2100 are as much as six feet. Note the measures in each scenario that seem to be

66 effective. Select measures from the scenarios that are compatible and effective in both the near and long term to assemble an overall regional strategy. For example, rebuilding a dune may provide a cer- tain level of protection at an affordable cost, but leave other assets unprotected or inadequately pro- tected. In this example other assets may need to be relocated and some critical infrastructure may have to be defended by additional protective measures. Seek opportunities to improve environmental qual- ity, with particular emphasis on wetland restoration where feasible. Some assets may be left as-is pend- ing future reconstruction or other adaptive mea- sures. Depreciated assets may be candidates for relocation or reconstruction in a more resilient form rather than protection if substantial maintenance is needed.

67 APPENDIX 8: Severe Risk Risk Score >53 INTERPRETING RISK SCORES Risk Scores greater than 53 occur only if one of the Using the Risk Assessment Tool described in the two factors, exposure or vulnerability, is rated 5, report, Table 5 presents the range of possible risk and the other is 4 or higher; this could represent scores using a hazard score of 3 (representing the that the asset is in a dangerous situation. Both likelihood of a 100-year event occurring in 100 exposure and vulnerability should be reduced, if years) and various combinations of exposure and possible. Consider relocation a priority option for vulnerability. Risk scores fall into four categories: assets with Risk scores greater than 53. Severe, High, Moderate, and Residual. High Risk Risk Score 24 – 53 Table 5 Risk Scores in the range of 24 to 53 indicate con- Risk scores based on Hazard, Exposure, and ditions that could lead to significant negative out- Vulnerability comes from a storm. Using the risk scoring system 15 30 45 5 60 75 a total of 24 can only be achieved if the vulnerability 4.5 13.5 27 40.5 54 67.5 is 4 and Exposure 2, or vice versa. A vulnerability 4 12 24 36 48 60 of 4 indicates the likely loss of service of an asset 3.5 10.5 21 31.5 42 52.5 for an extended period of time. For many assets 3 9 18 27 36 45 this may be unacceptable. Actions should be taken 2.5 7.5 15 22.5 30 37.5 to reduce Vulnerability, such as elevating or flood- 2 6 12 18 24 30 proofing the asset, to help avoid a long-term loss of Exposure 1.5 4.5 9 13.5 18 22.5 function. A score of 4 for exposure indicates most of 1 3 6 9 12 15 the local landscape attributes that help reduce storm 0.5 1.5 3 4.5 6 7.5 damages are absent. Actions to restore landscape 1 2 3 4 5 attributes may be appropriate. All other risk scores higher than 24 indicate either the exposure or the Vulnerability vulnerability, or both, are higher than the conditions discussed above, lending more weight to the need Risk scores help identify assets with elevated poten- to take actions that reduce risk. Relocation may be tial for storm damage. In addition to the risk score, necessary in the future if other means of adaptation other factors also contribute to determining which or management actions are not effective. assets should be addressed, how soon they should be addressed, and their priority for the community. Moderate Risk Risk Score 6 – 23 Some factors that should be considered for each Risk Scores between 6 and 23 pose moderate to seri- asset in developing a community risk management ous consequences, but adaptation may be of lower strategy include: priority due to one factor, exposure or vulnerabil- • Contribution to life safety ity, remaining relatively low. Use a combination of measures to reduce exposure and/or vulnerability. • If asset is a Critical Facility • Value of asset to the community Residual Risk Risk Score < 6 • Environmental services provided Risk Scores less than 6 occur when both exposure and vulnerability are relatively low. This situation • Economic contribution of the asset suggests floods would pose minor or infrequent • Whether alternatives are available consequences. However, a vulnerability score of 3 • Capacity of the asset to adapt may not be acceptable for critical facilities or high

68 community value assets, because the community APPENDIX 9: cannot afford to be without these services, even on RELATIONSHIP OF CR PLANS TO an infrequent basis. Note that risk is never com- LTCR PLANS pletely eliminated. Some residual risk still remains Following Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm even after management measures have been imple- Lee, several communities received grants through mented. Monitor conditions and adapt as necessary. the NYS Department of State to prepare Long- Guidance for Reducing Risk: Term Community Recovery (LTCR) plans while For assets with elevated Risk Scores, reduce risk others received direct assistance from the Federal by reducing exposure and vulnerability. For any Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to pre- asset with a vulnerability score of 4 or 5, consider pare similar recovery plans. options to reduce vulnerability, such as elevating These communities will not be required to pre- the asset or floodproofing. A vulnerability score of pare a CR Plan to qualify for implementation funds 4 or 5 indicates a storm could result in long-term or from the State if their plans contain the information permanent loss of services. For critical facilities a required in CR Plans. Such communities should vulnerability score of 2 or 3 may be unacceptably examine their plans to see if they need to be supple- high. Employing a combination of management mented. Communities’ review of their LTCR plans measures will help ensure an asset or system can should focus on the following: continue functioning in case one measure fails. • An assessment of risks to assets. Communities Different sets of management measures can be may need to look at assets that were not dam- tested by changing the exposure and vulnerability aged but are in the 100-year floodplain and are scores in the Risk Assessment Tool (See Appendix 6: thus susceptible to future storms; Using the Risk Assessment Tool to Test Management • An analysis of costs and benefits. Communities Measures and Appendix 7: Scenario Planning). should assure that their LTCR plan includes an Appendix 4 provides a list of actions a community assessment of the costs and benefits associated can take, or urge others to take, to reduce risk. with the projects and actions being proposed; • Strategies that address vulnerable populations. Communities should explicitly note strategies benefiting vulnerable populations; and • Detailed implementation tasks. Communities may need to expand their plans for implemen- tation and assign responsibility for specific actions to specific individuals or organiza- tions, and establish timelines for each action, as appropriate.

69 APPENDIX 10: CASE EXAMPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT The two case studies shown below are examples of communities that took the devastating circumstances of natural disaster and treated it as an opportunity both to revitalize the local economy and build resilience for future events. Both communities tailored their response to their particular circumstances, but both engaged in a thorough and long-term planning process, treated disaster mitigation and economic devel- opment as co-equal determinants of project acceptability, engaged with the community throughout, and treated the process not simply as an opportunity to rebuild what was destroyed but to place the community on a stronger foundation than what had existed before.

San Antonio, Texas – River Walk41 During the 19th and early 20th century, the town San Antonio’s river walk plan was a response to a of San Antonio had grown from a dusty cattle herd natural disaster, but used the opportunity created destination into one of the more prosperous and by that disaster to upgrade its flood management developed in Texas. Located in the south-cen- capabilities and develop a previously under-used tral portion of the state, it was built around the San portion of the city’s downtown . The process was Antonio river and grew significantly when a rail- marked by a singular driving personality, Robert road junction was established there in the 1870s. Hugman, and included extensive , creative public financing, and a long- On September 9th 1921, a flash flood surged term planning approach that continues to bring through the San Antonio river and a number of economic benefit to the city almost 100 years later . smaller creeks in downtown San Antonio, killing 50 people and submerging some parts of the city under

as much as nine feet of water. The city’s immediate response was an attempt to fill the river with soil and turn it into additional roads to serve the grow- ing number of vehicular traffic. However, a group of local conservationists, led by San Antonio archi- tect Robert Hugman, developed a different plan that would preserve the river and establish the riv- erfront as a prime economic and social destination. This new group, eventually named the San Antonio Conservation Society, presented their plan – titled “The Shops of Aragon and Romula” by Hugman – to the city in 1929. The group engaged city lead- ers in understanding the plan’s vision by hosting a puppet show at the city hall, taking commission- ers on canoe rides along the river, and setting up numerous meetings and town halls to present their plan to businesses and citizens alike. The plan called for a bypass channel, flood gates, a small dam, and other river management engineering

Downtown San Antonio, 1921

70 San Antonio River Walk, 2011 solutions that would divert future floods – but it It took most of the 1950s and 1960s to completely also included a number of Hugman’s signature develop the riverfront as a prime location for resi- design efforts, including arched footbridges, -stair dential, office, retail, and hospitality real estate, but cases connecting the River Walk to the city’s streets, today it is one of San Antonio’s premiere locations pebbled walkways, and an outdoor theatre with for restaurants, shops, and hotels, and a major driver seating on the far side. Though Hugman’s plan of the city’s economy. Though a formal study of the envisioned immediate economic development, the River Walk’s economic impact has yet to be com- Great Depression prevented San Antonio from com- pleted, a more general 2008 study42 of San Antonio’s mitting any money to the plan for almost a decade. tourism industry – with the River Walk as one of its In 1938, San Antonio recommitted to developing chief attractions – contributed approximately 18% the riverfront and successfully held a referendum of the city’s budget in taxes every year and cumu- to raise $75,000 in a new, one-time tax that would latively provided $11 billion to the local economy. be combined with $325,000 in federal development funding, and by 1939 work had begun. In 1946, another flood hit the city – this time with only min- imal damage as most of the floodwaters were chan- neled and diverted by the engineering work done on the river under Hugman’s plan.

71 Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Downtown reinvestment and revitalization43 Cedar Rapids is the second-largest city in the state of Iowa and sits along the Cedar River in the Cedar Rapids’ response to extreme flooding in the east-central portion of the state. On June 13, 2008, summer of 2008 was immediate . Within six months the Cedar River crested at more than 31 feet and of the flooding, city leaders had held multiple open flooded most of Cedar Rapid’s downtown, much of houses, elicited feedback from more than 4,000 which sits within a few blocks of the river’s edge. people, and generated a comprehensive recovery Though the flood took no lives, it caused enormous plan . The plan relied on engineering techniques damage to businesses and residences alike, and in that increased resilience to flooding, but also incorporated citizens’ views into how those new the aftermath the city immediately began crafting a structures could best be incorporated into the city’s master plan that would strengthen the community’s daily life and downtown economic development . resilience to future floods and re-develop the more Since the flood, Cedar Rapids has regularly than 5,000 public, commercial, and private proper- been listed as one of the U .S .’s top cities in ties affected by the flood. livability, employment prospects, and government performance . The city leadership identified their flood recovery goals within four days of peak flood levels, and in the following month determined the many challenges that they would have to address in their new plans features of the land beneath and surrounding Cedar – improving flood protection, restoring affordable Rapids. They presented that information in the housing, ensuring vibrant neighborhoods, protect- first of three open houses that identified residents’ ing residents, and restoring business and downtown primary concerns and surfaced some initial pref- vitality. By the end of July, the city had completed a erences and strategies for flood management and thorough analysis of the topographic and geological community redevelopment. In early September,

Cedar Rapids, June 2008

72 Figure 8 Cedar Rapids planning options presented in open house, September 2008

the city held a second open house, this time pre- By the end of 2008 – within six months of the flood senting to the community three different options – the city had effectively identified its goals, deter- for flood management. After receiving feedback on mined the major challenges, developed a variety of those options, the city then held a third open house planning options, engaged more than 4,000 citizens in October that presented an overall framework for to get their reaction to various elements of those flood management and economic re-development. options, and built a comprehensive re-development The city used the feedback from each of the three plan. As of early 2013, the city had completed over open houses to build a plan with three major ele- 95% of its buyouts for private residences and demo- ments – flood management, connectivity, and sus- lition of structures damaged beyond repair. Though tainable neighborhoods. While much of the flood the results of Cedar Rapid’s plan are too recent for management effort included re-engineering the economic analysis, it has been cited in 2011 and riverfront, the types and methods of levees, walls, 2012 as one of the top ten cities in the U.S. in terms floodplains, and marshlands were identified with of cost-of-living, prevalence of high-paying jobs, community involvement to ensure that the spaces presence of affordable homes and housing, and city 44 they created could be used most effectively in management performance overall . commercial development, cultural activities, and recreation. In connectivity and sustainable neighborhoods, the city used post-flood funding to rebuild a better mix of affordable housing, protect major industrial sites, improve transportation between downtown eco- nomic centers and outlying residential suburbs, and invest in new commercial infrastructure that sup- ported retail shops, farmer’s markets, local stores, and the development of better medical facilities. And though the plans were made quickly, the city envisioned that it would take 12-15 years to com- pletely recover from the flood.

73 74 ENDNOTES

1 . Harbeck, Glen R . “The Community Planner’s Tip Sheet: Is There an Ideal Size for Your Next Steering Committee?” 2003 . http://lists.unc.edu/read/attachment/4718324/2/1.3+Ideal+size+for+your+next+ steering+committee.pdf 2 . Coburn, A .S ., Reducing the Vulnerability of North Carolina’s Coastal Communities: A Model Approach for Identifying, Mapping and Mitigating Coastal Hazards, Western Carolina University Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines (Formerly Duke University Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines), undated . 3 . Flood water levels from the sample storms, based on the most current FEMA Flood Insurance Study, will be used to estimate the severity of impairment to the assets . 4. Responding to Climate Change in New York State, the ClimAID Integrated Assessment for Effective Climate Change Adaptation Final Report, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, v . 1244, p . 129, 2011, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) 5 . Research has shown that coastal residential structures have a life expectancy of between 50 and 180 years, with a median of over 70, so assets that can be adapted to be resilient during a 100-year time 6 . Flood water levels from the sample storms, based on the most current FEMA Flood Insurance Study, will be used to estimate the severity of impairment to the assets . 7 . Herweijer, C . and Kunreuther, H . “Resilient Coasts: The Case for Reducing Risks and Adapting to Climate Change .” From The Heinz Center and Ceres Resilient Coast Initiative, Boston, MA . April 28, 2008 . 8 . Lavell, A . M . Oppenheimer, C . Diop, J . Hess, R . Lempert, J . Li, R . Muir-Wood, and S . Myeong, 2012: Climate change: new dimensions in disaster risk, exposure, vulnerability and resilience . In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation [Field, C B. ,. V . Barros, T .F . Stocker, D . Qin, D .J . Dokken, K L. . Ebi, M .D . Mastrandrea, K .J . Mach, G -K. . Plattner, S K. . Allen, M . Tignor, and P .M . Midgley (eds .)] . A Special Report of Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA, pp . 25-64 . 9. Lessons in Community Recovery. Seven Years of Emergency Support Function #14 Long-Term Community Recovery from 2004 to 2011, December 2, 2011, FEMA .] 10 . Levine, Linda . “Job Loss and Infrastructure Job Creation During the Recession.” Congressional Research Service, March, 2009 . Accessed on 21 Mar 2013 at http://fpc state. .gov/documents/organization/122480 .pdf . 11 . Consider whether assets are sewered or unsewered, and whether the area is served by gas or oil for heating, as there would be different health and safety consequences . Also consider whether assets are located in proximity to potential environmental contaminants such as petroleum, chemicals, brownfield or EPA Superfund sites, etc . 12 . See Environmental Conservation Law Article 34: Coastal Erosion Hazard Areas and enabling regulations 6NYCRR Part 505 . 13 . Titus, J .G . and D . Hudgens (2007) . The Likelihood of Shore Protection along the Atlantic Coast of the United States . Washington, DC: U .S . Environmental Protection Agency . In: Climate Change Science Program (2009), Coastal Sensitivity to Sea Level Rise . Focus on the Mid-Atlantic Region . Washington, DC: U .S . Environmental Protection Agency . 14 . Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) . May 2007 . Coastal No Adverse Impact Handbook . 15 . Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) . May 2007 . Coastal No Adverse Impact Handbook .

75 16 . Godschalk, D .R ,. Norton, R ,. Richardson, C . and Salvesen, D . 2000 . Avoiding Coastal Hazard Areas: Best State Mitigation Practices. Environmental Geosciences (7) No . 1 . p . 13-22 . 17 . Whole Building Design Guide website at http://www.wbdg.org/design/resist_hazards.php. 18 . Schwab, J ,. K .C . Topping, C C. . Eadie, R .E . Deyle, and R .A . Smith . 1998 . Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction. PAS Report 483/484 . American Planning Association, Washington, D .C . 19. The New Orleans Hurricane Protection System: Assessing Pre-Katrina Vulnerability and Improving Mitigation and Preparedness, the National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council of the National Academies, 2009, The National Academies Press, at p . 25 . 20 . National Flood Policy Challenges, Levees: The Double-Edged Sword, Association of State Floodplain Managers, Madison, WI, 2007 . 21. Mitigating Shore Erosion Along Sheltered Coasts, National Research Council of the National Academies, The National Academy Press, 2007, at p . 76 22 . Ibid ., at p . 2 23. A Comparative Look At Public Liability for Flood Hazard Mitigation, Dr . Jon A . Kusler, Esq ,. for the Association of State Flood Plain Managers Foundation, 2008 . 24 . Mitigation is used here in the sense of “…projects or programs intended to offset known impacts to an existing historic or natural resource such as a stream, wetland, endangered species, archeological site or historic structure .” Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_mitigation, 8/2012. 25 . See website at www.fema.gov/business/nfip/crs.shtm for more information . 26 . Nolon, John R ., Well Grounded: Using Local Land Use Authority to Achieve Smart Growth, Environmental Law Institute, July 2001 . 27 . Cicin-Sain, B . and R .W . Knecht . Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management. Island Press . Washington, D .C . 1998 . 28 . Florida Department of Community Affairs . Division of Community Planning and Division of Emergency Management . Protecting Florida’s Communities: Land Use Planning Strategies and Best Development Practices for Minimizing Vulnerability to Flooding and Coastal Storms . September 2005 . 29 . Information on Smart Growth can be found at: http://smartgrowthny.org/index.asp. 30 . Schwab, J ,. K .C . Topping, C C. . Eadie, R .E . Deyle, and R .A . Smith . 1998 . Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction. PAS Report 483/484 . American Planning Association, Washington, D .C . 31 . Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center, University of Colorado . 2001 . Holistic Disaster Recovery: Ideas for Building Local Sustainability After a Natural Disaster . Public Entity Risk Institute, Fairfax, VA . 32 . Nolon, John R ., Well Grounded: Using Local Land Use Authority to Achieve Smart Growth, Environmental Law Institute, July 2001 . 33. Coastal No Adverse Impact Handbook Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) . May 2007 . 34 . See the Association of State Flood Plain Managers at www.floods.org for more information . 35 . See NYSDEC Division of Water at http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/39341.html. 36 . Godschalk, D .R ., Norton, R ., Richardson, C . and Salvesen, D . 2000 . Avoiding Coastal Hazard Areas: Best State Mitigation Practices. Environmental Geosciences (7) No . 1 . p . 13-22 . 37 . See the FEMA website at www.fema.gov/business/nfip/crs.shtm for more information on the Community Rating System . 38 . Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center, University of Colorado . 2001 . Holistic Disaster

76 Recovery: Ideas for Building Local Sustainability After a Natural Disaster . Public Entity Risk Institute, Fairfax, VA . 39 . Schwab, J ,. K .C . Topping, C C. . Eadie, R .E . Deyle, and R .A . Smith . 1998 . Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction. PAS Report 483/484 . American Planning Association, Washington, D .C . 40 . Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center, University of Colorado . 2001 . Holistic Disaster Recovery: Ideas for Building Local Sustainability After a Natural Disaster . Public Entity Risk Institute, Fairfax, VA . 41 . Cullum, Jim Jr . Jack Teagarden, The Flood and the River Walk . Accessed on 20 Mar 2013 at http:// riverwalkjazz .org/jack-teagarden-the-flood-and-the-river-walk-by-jim-cullum-jr/ . Also “History of the River Walk, The San Antonio Riverwalk Association . Accessed on 20 Mar 2013 at http://www. thesanantonioriverwalk.com/history/history-of-the-river-walk 42 . Butler, Richard and Stefl, Mary . The Economic Impact of San Antonio’s Hospitality Industry, 2008 . Accessed on 20 Mar 2013 at http://www.sariverfoundation.org/sites/default/files/visitor_study.pdf 43 . Flood of 2008 Facts & Statistics, Cedar Rapids City Government website . Accessed 21 Mar 2013 at http:// www.cedar-rapids.org/government/departments/public-works/engineering/Flood%20Protection%20 Information/Pages/2008FloodFacts.aspx. Also Robinson, Dennis . Regional Economic Impacts of the 2008 Cedar Rapids Flood, 2010 . Accessed 21 Mar 2013 at http://www.cedar-rapids.org/city-news/ flood-recovery-progress/floodrecoveryplans/Documents/Regional%20Economic%20Development%20 Report%205.17.10.pdf. 44 . Mayor’s 2012 State of the City Address, Cedar Rapids City Government website . Accessed 21 Mar 2013 at: http://www.cedar-rapids.org/city-council/mayor-council/Mayor/stateofthecityaddress/Pages/ Mayors2012Address.aspx.

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