Building Resilience Workshop II

Concepts To Achieve Flood Resilience

Larry S. Buss, P.E., CFM, D.WRE.

LAKE PONCHARTRAIN B

City of New Orleans Ground Elevations FLOODWALL

30
ELEVATIONS IN FEET NGVD

ALONG A MISSISSIPPI RIVER 23 FT

NEW ORLEANS

From Canal St. at Mississippi River to the Lakefront at 30 U.N.O.

20 10 0

20 10

PROJECT DESIGN FLOWLINE (20 FEET)

B LONDON AVENUE CANAL FLOODWALL

HURRICANE LEVEE / FLOODWALL (14.0 FEET) INTERIM LEVEL PROTECTION (10.0 FEET)

RIVE

R BA

DERBIGNY AT I-10

ST ANTHONY AT WILDAIR DR

GENTILLY BLVD AT ALLEN DILLARD UNIV CAMPUS

-10 -20

CANAL ST AT RIVER

NK

R.

-10
WAINRIGHT DR AT L. C. SIMON UNO SIDE OF WAINRIGHT DR

ST LOUIS CATHEDRAL

ESPLANADE AT ST. CLAUDE

-20

Basic Resilience Approaches

Nonstructural Measures Structural Measures

Basic Flood Risk Equation Flood Risk = Flood Frequency X Consequences

Structural Measures
What Happens?

Remove Areas From the "Flood Plain" BFEs Too Low Residual Risk Not Communicated Classic "False Sense of Security" Safe For Development Shifts Development Type

DESTREHAN PLANTATION - ELEVATE

NEW ORLEANS HOUSES ON PIERS

circa 1905

A NEW ORLEANS BASEMENT

SLAB-ON-GRADE HOUSE

Nonstructural Measures
What Happens?
Areas Are Not Removed From the
"Flood Plain"

BFEs Are Not Changed Residual Risk Is Communicated "False Sense of Security" Does Not Happen Development Occurs With Knowledge Of
The Risk

Shifts Development Type

SLAB-ON-GRADE HOUSE

Actions to Build Resilient Communities

 Avoidance of floodprone and/or ecologically

sensitive areas should be axiomatic. Move communities or portions thereof that are in high flood risk. No adverse impacts. Move critical facilities out of flood plains. In all future projects, long term objectives must be an integral component. Any short term objections must support the long term objectives. Preserve and restore NBF. No building zones in high hazard areas in coastal and riverine flood plain.

 Focus on nonstructural alternatives first

rather than today's common practice of structural alternatives first. The 100-year standard is no longer appropriate. 500-year minimum standard for urban areas. No more 100-year levees Flood plain regulation and flood insurance in areas "protected" by levees. OMRRR responsibility at the local level

 All identification of flood risks and resources

should be based on future conditions.

Flood risk maps must be current and accurate Areas "protected" by flood risk reduction
measures must have residual risk fully conveyed.

Adhere to the flood risk equation. Stop the de facto policy of "increase flood risk."

 Promote individual and community responsibility to reduce risk. Responsibility for the flood risk and damage for flood plain development rests with the developer, the individual, and the land use decision making authority. Flood risk communications must be a highest priority in terms of funding and done on an annual basis at a minimum. It must be done at all levels. Place signs in flood plains

CAUTION
This Area Is A Flood Plain This Area Is Protected By Levees These Levees May Fail Or Be Overtopped A Potential Flood Depth Here Is 8 Feet

Communication/Education Flood Risk NBF

We Have Communicated
Areas behind levees are safe Areas are not in a flood plain
No Insurance No Flood Plain Management Get Out of Flood Plain

Hidden the risk The less you do, the more your get Economic Use Of a Flood Plain Is Better than NBF

WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE
"NO FLOOD RISK"

We Need to Make Political Support for NO FLOOD RISK "politically safe"

FOUR FOCUS GROUPS

Those at flood risk Those that "pay the bills" Those who make the policy and laws Those who make the local land use decisions

NO FLOOD RISK
National Focus National Priority National Objective

Current Trend

?
No Flood Risk National Objective Flood Damage 1900-2050
2050

 We May Think We Have Done A Lot In Terms Of Flood Risk Management But, Flood Damages Are Beating Us Because We Build In The Wrong Places, We Build Too Low, And We Do Not Communicate The Risk.

 Sound Flood Risk Management Is More Difficult To Attain Than It Should Be Because Of The Bias Toward Decisions That Reflect Short Term Economic/Political Gain And put aside the Long Term Economic/Political Cost.

 To Achieve Sound Flood Risk Management We Must Use All The Tools in the "Tool Box"