The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning (Risk MAP) Program provides communities with flood risk data and tools for enhancing their mitigation plans through collaboration with state, Tribal, and local entities. TCG worked with Dewberry, FEMA Region 2, and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) with the Risk MAP Discovery Process in three watersheds in New York State to identify, assess, and reduce flood risk. The goal of the project was to improve community resiliency to flood losses in the selected watershed by increasing stakeholder understanding of the tools and processes available for risk-based community planning, mitigation action, and sustainable development.

Our support included research, data analysis, map and report production of community files, and review of dam safety and flood protection files. Stakeholder engagement was a key part of this process, and as part of this work TCG facilitated dialogue within the watershed communities in New York State to cultivate a working relationship between FEMA, State agencies, local officials, and watershed stakeholders. Our team also supported 14 public Discovery meetings with community stakeholders to gather pertinent data.

Our team developed Discovery Reports for each of the watersheds which included summaries of stakeholder engagement activities; overview of the watersheds including demographics, land use, historical flooding summary, declared disasters; and summaries of hazard mitigation plans. At the end of the Discovery Process, our team reviewed the final Risk MAP project scope and provided recommendations to NYSDEC and FEMA for its implementation to accomplish the goal of increasing community resilience to flood risk.

You can read more about FEMA’s Risk MAP program on their website: https://www.fema.gov/risk-mapping-assessment-and-planning-risk-map