Success Stories from the Cooperating Technical Partners Program

FEMA's Cooperating Technical Partners (CTP) Program is an innovative approach to creating partnerships between FEMA and participating National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) communities, regional agencies, state agencies, tribes and universities that have the interest and capability to become more active participants in the FEMA flood hazard mapping program.

Several of our partners have made noteworthy achievements. They have developed innovative ideas that have helped them work more efficiently to hit major milestones. FEMA has highlighted these partners' achievements and innovations in what we are calling our CTP “Success Stories.”

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Learn more about the CTP Recognition Program, including the latest recipients of awards honoring partner excellence.

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The Colorado Water Conservation Board and Mile High Flood Control District hold pre-submittal meetings. These meetings are a chance to answer questions about the Letter of Map Revision process. This joint effort has made for more complete submittals. It has also improved coordination among local agencies and mapping partners.
Carson City, Nevada created a high-water mark mural that serves as both a teaching tool and a reminder of the community’s flood risk.
The State of Oregon is using the new method developed by DOGAMI for FEMA-funded projects to map landslide risk. They are creating debris flow and mudflow hazard maps for areas recently impacted by wildfires in Oregon. These maps are giving communities and regional groups the information they need to help reduce risk to residents, infrastructure, and property after wildfires.
Many potential applicants do not understand how to develop competitive nature-based hazard mitigation project proposals for FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) programs.). Without clear understanding a community may miss out on the opportunity to help reduce its potential for flood disasters.
Challenge: Protecting lives and property by enabling timely, effective responses to flood threats.
Challenge: To provide public access to flood data to enable users to make informed decisions about the degree of risk for their area or property.
Challenge: Community planning is successful when there is extensive citizen involvement and participation throughout the process. However, many community planning tools and resources are either inaccessible or too technical for many stakeholders.
Challenge: Comprehensive plans are required by the State of Nebraska to provide objectives, goals, and policies for and by the community. The objective of a comprehensive plan is to act as a visionary document which aligns zoning ordinances with community practices in development with consideration to social, economic and environmental factors specific to the community.
Challenge: Areas recently affected by wildfires are particularly susceptible to debris flows during rainstorms. It is important to provide debris flow information so that communities recovering from wildfire are aware of the added risks.
Challenge: The Base Flood Elevation (BFE), or how high floodwater is likely to rise during a 1%-annual-chance flood event, is one way to measure flood risk. However, there are many factors that can cause flood waters to rise above the BFE such as debris-blocked bridge and culvert openings, city sewer storm drain blockage and development in the floodplain.
Challenge: Despite significant flood risk, roughly two-thirds of North Dakota had no FEMA flood risk data. Without data, many small cities and the rural population were left with little information to base their local floodplain management regulations and decisions.
Challenge: A significant number of maps for New Mexico counties were not modernized during Flood Map Modernization.
Challenge: Access to mapping and updated modeling that result from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state projects benefit both the general public and the engineering community.
Challenge: The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), part of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois, is a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Cooperating Technical Partner (CTP) that has been conducting all components of flood mapping in Illinois since 2005.
Challenge: After several flood events ravaged the area, including Tropical Storm Lee in 2011, residents of the Borough of Muncy were sensitive to the damages that floodwaters can bring.
Challenge: In May and June of 2015, Oklahoma experienced severe flooding in the southeastern two-thirds of the state.
Challenge: The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) is a regional planning agency that assists local governments in planning for common needs, cooperating for mutual benefit, and coordinating for sound regional development.
Challenge: The Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources (KDA DWR) set out to improve stakeholder participation in Risk MAP projects and draft map reviews.
Challenge: In a region that experiences numerous storms, a community’s mindset is often focused on disaster recovery, rather than mitigation actions that reduce losses.
Challenge: In the new era of flood risk assessment, management, and communication, there is an increased need for awareness and action.
Challenge: A Maryland state law issued in 1933 required permits for activities that cause physical changes in the course, current, or cross-section of any (riverine) waters of the state.
Challenge: Although floods are not new in the Carson River Watershed, floodplain development is causing flooding in areas that did not previously flood.
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