Geography Questions

Geography 4340/8346 Water Resources February 15, 2022
Assignment 2
READ SECTION A AND SECTION B – CHAPTERS 1 THRU 6 IN THE TEXT “NO ADVERSE
IMPACT: A TOOLKIT TO COMMON SENSE FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT” –
https://www.msema.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/NAI_Toolkit_2003.pdf
COMPLETE THE TASKS AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN WRITING, FILL
IN THE BLANKS PROVIDED IN THE MATRIX:
1) Lookup the property at 6880 Q Street in Omaha on https://msc.fema.gov/portal. What
flood zone is it in? Using the Flood Insurance Study (pdf page 35), what is the base
flood elevation (1% chance annual flood) for the building at cross section I? How far
away is the building from the floodway?
2) No Adverse Impact is an approach to address the shortcomings of the typical floodplain
management program that ensures the action of any community or property owner,
public or private, do not adversely impact the property and rights of another. What are
some of the ways that minimum floodplain management allows impacts to occur?
3) What concepts does “sustainable development” recognize?
4) How does development in a watershed, but outside of the floodplain exacerbate flooding
problems?
5) Read the NAI Toolkit chapters and fill in the missing blanks in the matrix below:
NFIP Minimum Requirement
(Basic)
Better Approach No Adverse Impact
Approach
Old flood study hydrology Current conditions hydrology ______ _ conditions
hydrology
Approximate A zone BFE
estimates
Require ______________ to
complete BFE determination
Become a CTP to complete
new detailed hydraulic study
with FEMA
Allow a ____’ surcharge from
flood fringe development and
multiple individual BFE no-rise
certifications in floodway
Develop and expand floodway
to account for future
conditions discharge or less
than 1’ surcharge
Require that no development
within the floodplain be
allowed to create any rise
Only incorporate special flood
hazard area into community
planning and regulations
Address multiple natural
hazards in mapping and
planning
Put in place plans and
regulations that ___________
future flood discharges on a
watershed scale
Allow fill in flood fringe to
diminish floodplain storage
and increase 1’ floodway
surcharge
Evaluate floodplain storage
and the natural and beneficial
functions of floodplains
Require a no-net __________
of floodplain storage in the
floodway and flood fringe.
Just answer questions Provide public outreach using
________________________
communication.
Offer training and __________
to staff, elected officials,
professionals and the public.
Prepare comprehensive land
use plans that focus only on
land use economics and do
not consider natural hazards.
Prepare land use plans that
restrict _________________-
prone development in
hazardous areas.
Prepare land use plans that
incorporate M-O-M and
sustainability.
Prepare special subject plans
which do not incorporate flood
hazards
Prepare multiple special
subject plans that address
flooding
Coordinate comprehensive
integration of special subject
plans that address all potential
_______________ of hazards
Require NFIP minimum that
the lowest floor of any
structure be built at or above
the ____________________.
Set a minimum 1’ of freeboard
for structures that will
theoretically protect from
future floodway surcharge
Set greater than 1’ of
freeboard for structures that
will reduce risk and insurance
rates for floodplain structures
Allow reoccurring substantial
_______________________
(<50% value) to existing
structures without floodplain
regulations
Count improvement
cumulatively so that once all
improvements exceed 50%,
the structure is brought into
compliance
Set a lower value for
substantial improvements and
require all additions to meet
requirements
Only address floodplain
structure regulations at the
time of building permit
Require that subdivision and
_______________________
standards address floodplain
structure elevation
Utilize low impact
development and green
infrastructure to protect
natural resources
Allow traditional development
to increase runoff volume,
peak flood flow, and velocity
Use retention or
________________ basins to
control peak flood flow, but not
volume or velocity
Incorporate stormwater and
green infrastructure to set
aside hazardous areas and
reduce future flood volume.
Build structural flood control
mitigate flooding
Incorporate ______________-
structural flood control to
protect new development and
elevate or floodproof existing
structures
Reestablish natural and
beneficial floodplain functions
to protected new development
areas and previous existing
development areas where
structures have been
relocated or acquired
Require that existing homes
buy flood insurance
Elevate or floodproof existing
structures
Relocate or acquire floodprone structures and restore
natural and ______________
floodplain functions
DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS ON MARCH 1, 2022