US Army Corps of Engineers

BUILDING STRONG®

Community As A Whole: Prepare, Respond & Recover

My Favorite Flood – Starring My Community 6 Steps To Success

D. Leslie Miller, P.E. (Les)

Flood Preparedness Program Manager

Portland District

26 September 2012

BUILDING STRONG®

Begin with the End in Mind…. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Close your eyes, picture the following …

Your Family & Friends

Home

Personal Places

Place of Employment

Community….

BUILDING STRONG®

6 Steps to Flood Fight Success

Develop and sustain your community’s best flood damage reduction practices using the following 6 steps and your “Whole Community” will experience their “Favorite Flood” because the headlines will proclaim…

“We Win Flood Fight”

“Starring Our Whole Community”

BUILDING STRONG®

Inclusive ProcessIncludes anyone who wants to contribute,

strives to have everyone contributes, even if it is only taxes….

Life

Home

Culture

Economy

Community

BUILDING STRONG®

Identify Flood HazardsThis is primarily a technical process, utilizing

engineering studies and National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) maps. The extent of research in a watershed, below and above ground water table, naturally and from the human environment will be determined by policy. It is local observations, especially those documented, which help confirm the engineer/scientist flood hazard models….

BUILDING STRONG®

Analyze ThreatsThis is a technical process, which includes

anecdotal input from citizens, media, businesses and government agencies. Flood Inundation Maps can be misinterpreted, so it is important to have the Whole Community check maps for “their” understanding and accuracy before beginning the following steps.

BUILDING STRONG®

Communicate RiskRisk assessment is frequently updated for

economic and insurance purposes. Communicating “Tolerable” risk to the Whole Community, essentially informs everyone, they are needed….

BUILDING STRONG®

Develop PolicyThis probably is the most important step in

the entire process, because signed laws, regulations and policy can cover all flood damage reduction priorities, schedules, funding and processes required to develop and sustain the Whole Community “opening night” performance capability….

BUILDING STRONG®

CulturizeThis is a process through which flood damage

prevention & reduction process are incorporated into the “Whole Community” eventually becoming routine policy and practice…..  

► Living process► Inclusive – individual to agency► Uses existing community culture – schools to fairs► Rewards healthy competition to reduce risk

BUILDING STRONG®

Prevent-Mitigate RiskThe flood hazard section of the community’s

Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan should list all known flood risks (individual to economic) and at least one currently available temporary mitigation action which is carried out through emergency operations....

BUILDING STRONG®

Prepare EffectivelyEffective preparation is stimulated by two

expectations: “all emergencies are local” and “failure to prepare does not constitute an emergency by potential resource providers”, especially those outside the local area….

A rigidly-flexible approach is required to sustain rehearsals for an “opening night” performance, with the flexibility to move the performance to another facility…the night before….

BUILDING STRONG®

Respond as RehearsedExecuting planned and rehearsed actions is

essential if the “push verses the pull principle” of an “opening night performance” can be used effectively. Response success has 4 critical steps….

Site-By-Site Rehearsals

Readiness & Forecast Aligned

Advance Measures Triggered by Forecast

Choreographed Response Operations & Support

BUILDING STRONG®

Recover as Rehearsed

Recovery is integrated into State and Federal recovery programs. Local policy is most important because it addresses local priorities and resources for assistance….

Prepare

Clean-up

Repair and restore

Replace

Mitigate

 

BUILDING STRONG®

Evaluate & RepeatThis is extremely important for developing

and sustaining “best practices”. Everyone is focused on returning to their routine, so confirm….

Firm policy to complete this effort 

Inclusive

Pre-arranged trusted unbiased agent

Rewarding – not penalizing

BUILDING STRONG®

SummarySustain improvement until every citizen, resident,

business, cultural entity and community agency successfully sustains their expected level of flood damage reduction, by:

___ Identifying Hazards

___ Analyzing Threats

___ Communicating Risk

___ Developing Policy for a continuously risk reducing culture

___ Mitigating Risk Permanently

___ Planning and rehearsing an “opening night” performance

___ Responding as Rehearsed

___ Recovering as Rehearsed

___ Evaluating and improving the process

BUILDING STRONG®

Keys To SuccessEach Step

Inclusive – Whole Community Leadership – Champions with “hand-offs” Vision – Realistic & Attainable Strategy – Culture & Patience Tactics – Specific & Accountable Proactive – Push, Pull & Persistent Fun – Award & Reward

 

BUILDING STRONG®

Feed Back!

Questions Information Suggestions Recommendations Way forward….

BUILDING STRONG®

Corps of Engineer’s Contacts

Portland District: Les Miller

503-808-4400/4402

D.les.miller@usace.army.mil

Seattle DistrictCathy Desjardin

206-764-3452/3406

Catherine.a.desjardin@usace.army.mil

Walla Walla DistrictJeff Stidham

509-527-7145/7146

Jeffery.l.stidham@usace.army.mil