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Iowa Floodplain Mapping Program Update
When the devastating floods of 2008 occurred in Iowa, approximately half of the state had digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), with many of those being pre-Map MOD vintage (i.e. paper maps). Following the 2008 floods, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources became a FEMA Cooperating Technical Partner (CTP). Iowa’s CTP program is an example of leveraging local, state, and federal resources to develop comprehensive flood hazard products to support local floodplain management and mitigation - along with statewide updating of regulatory Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs).
This presentation provides an update to the progress made with the remainder of the $15 million Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and recent use of FEMA’s annual Cooperating Technical Partnership (CTP) Grant Program to complete the creation of countywide FIRMs for the entire State of Iowa. At the beginning of the Iowa Floodplain Mapping Program in 2009, the goal has been to complete all 99 countywide FIRMS, based on the statewide LiDAR coverage. The completion of this goal is now within the grasp of the Iowa DNR.
Speaker Biography:
Scott A. Ralston, P.E., CFM, Iowa Floodplain Mapping Coordinator & CTP Program Manager
Mr. Ralston has 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors in storm water management, storm water and drainage design (including sustainable storm water design), hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, floodplain management and environmental/wastewater engineering. He has worked for numerous private consulting firms in Iowa and Connecticut, and previously worked for the City of Des Moines in the city’s Storm Water Utility (Public Works Dept.). In this capacity, he provided project planning and engineering oversight for the city’s storm sewers, storm pump stations, storm water quality, and flood levee systems.
As Floodplain Mapping Coordinator and Cooperating Technical Partner (CTP) Program Manager (FEMA) for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, he is responsible for implementation of the Iowa Floodplain Mapping Program. He provides oversight of all project management, engineering/technical and administrative aspects of the program. This includes preparation of (Requests for Proposals) RFPs, Consultant project management, review of Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) products, quality assurance/quality control of work products, preparation of annual CTP Grant Applications, maintaining internal and external stakeholder support and communicating with the public.
Scott received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Iowa State University in 1983 and is a Registered Professional Engineer in Iowa – and is a Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM).