The Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) Foundation has released a report on “the emerging threat” of urban flooding in the United States. The report Urban Flooding: Moving Towards Resilience. A Summary Report based on the 6th Assembly of the Gilbert F. White National Flood Policy Forum says that urban flooding is becoming more frequent and severe, with increasingly serious impacts to stormwater infrastructure, vulnerable neighbourhoods, local and regional economies, and public health.
The forum, attended by more than 100 experts from local, state, and federal agencies, professional associations and environmental groups and private sector organisations, considered the problem of urban flooding, and ways to move towards resilience.
In his introduction to the report ASFPM Foundation President Doug Plascencia says the challenge of urban flooding is “perhaps the number one future flood risk for the United States.
“The reasons why are multi-layered, but center around two critical elements. First, the nation is experiencing dramatically increased flooding due to changes in rainfall intensity and frequency, sea level rise and coastal storms, exacerbated by inadequate and deteriorating infrastructure
….Second, for a variety of reasons we have adopted by default the 100-year flood as a standard choice in high value, high density urban areas….Many would argue it is inadequate to manage flood risk, considering the economic consequences of flooding and the value of our urban areas.”
FMA Deputy President Allan Gear, who has spoken at various FMA forums on overland flow and is an ASFPM Board Member, contributed to the report as an advisor.
Download the report online here.
