 | Welcome to the Flood Zone is a nationally distributed resource for those interested in flood zone issues, land surveying, real estate, history, and educational opportunities. This newsletter has been proudly featured by the Association of State Floodplain Managers, the National Society of Professional Surveyors, and the Maine and New Hampshire Floodplain Management Programs. Please feel free to share with your friends and colleagues! If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, simply click the unsubscribe link in the footer of this message. | In this Issue of Welcome to the Flood Zone: Message from Jim
Maine NFIP Corner "Maine Municipal Association's 86th Annual Convention", "Coastal Community Grants Available for Municipal and Regional Projects" and "Fiscal Year 2022 Funding Opportunities Announcement"
Real Estate Corner: "How the Real Estate and Insurance Industries Can Prepare for Extreme Weather Events" and "Real Estate Listings With Flood Scores Shift Home-Shopper Habits"
In the News: "Flood Insurance, Resilience, and Recovery from Disasters: The Case of Eastern Kentucky" and "More Private Insurers May Look to Fill Flood Insurance Gap"
Resources: "Federal Flood Risk Management Resources" and "NOAA Coastal & Waterfront Smart Growth"
Climate Corner: "Beyond Doom and Gloom: Talking Climate Change with Skeptics" Banner Image: "A washed-out bridge is seen along the Yellowstone River on June 15, 2022, near Gardiner, Montana." Image by Rick Bowmer / AP. Source: "Photos: Devastating Floods Hit the Yellowstone Region" by Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, June 16, 2022 | Message from Jim With the passage of time, we will inevitably lose important and influential professionals that have touched many of our lives. On August 29, 2022, the Maine real estate brokerage community lost a dear friend and esteemed educator, Arthur Gary. With a Master’s Degree in Education, and certifications or designations in just about all that was offered in real estate, he remained steadfast for decades, extending his love of the real estate profession to anyone who walked through the doors of the Arthur Gary School of Real Estate. As an instructor, Arthur was extremely competent in the many facets of our profession, but it was his methods of instruction and his vast knowledge which made him so unique. He truly understood that education was the main ingredient to addressing the unexpected obstacles we all encounter, and was always willing to extend his replies with supporting knowledge that enhanced a student’s understanding of the topic being discussed. He was a kind and patient man. Leaving a legacy means providing something valued by many after an individual passes on. Arthur’s legacy lives within the thousands of licensees he taught to make the best decisions in real estate brokerage services, from how to effectively represent a client and extend courtesy to the other side of the transaction, to making sure that public safety was never compromised. He also taught how the important character traits of trustworthiness, respect, honesty, fairness, and responsibility should never be excluded when working with clients, customers, colleagues, and the public - this will never be forgotten. Thank you Arthur, you will surely be missed! | Maine NFIP Corner Sue Baker, CFM, State NFIP Coordinator Maine Municipal Association's 86th Annual Convention The Floodplain Management Program is exhibiting at the Maine Municipal Association's 86th Annual Convention on Oct. 5 & 6 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Click here for more information and to register for this event. | Coastal Community Grants Available for Municipal and Regional Projects The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's Municipal Planning Assistance Program (MPAP) is seeking applications for a new round of Coastal Community Grants (CCG).
Open to counties, municipalities, unorganized territories, tribal governments, and Regional Planning Organizations in Maine's coastal zone, CCG competitive grants include projects in Maine's coastal zone with a focus on priority coastal issues, as identified by the Maine Coastal Program and the Maine Climate Council's Maine Won't Wait: A Four-Year Plan for Climate Action. Click here to learn more about Coastal Community Grants. | Fiscal Year 2022 Funding Opportunities Announcement The fiscal year 2022 application period for the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) for the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program and the new Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant programs opened on Sept. 30, 2022, and will close at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Jan. 27, 2023. Click here to learn more about these opportunities. | Real Estate Corner How the Real Estate and Insurance Industries Can Prepare for Extreme Weather Events By: Ron Nyren, Urban Land, September 12, 2022 As real estate owners and investors look for strategies to understand and prepare for climate-change-related risks, insurers are studying ways to encourage policyholders to implement resilience measures to reduce risk. The solutions are complex and involve cooperation at both the public and private level. Click here to read the full article. | Real Estate Listings With Flood Scores Shift Home-Shopper Habits By: Leslie Kaufman, Bloomberg, September 12, 2022 Redfin users who were shown home flood scores went on to view lower-risk properties, an experiment by the company found. Click here to learn more about the study! | Flood Insurance, Resilience, and Recovery from Disasters: The Case of Eastern Kentucky By: Margaret A. Walls, Sophie Pesek, and Leonard Shabman, Resources, August 31, 2022 Calamitous floods this summer in eastern Kentucky highlight the importance of flood insurance in disaster recovery. However, residential flood insurance remains low in households that suffer the most. Resources for the Future scholars share insights about why and suggestions for increasing insurance uptake and improving flood resilience. Click here to read the full article. | More Private Insurers May Look to Fill Flood Insurance Gap By: Doug Bailey, Insurance News Net, August 22, 2022 Hundreds of thousands of homeowners have abandoned flood insurance since the government revamped the federal coverage guidelines late last year, but the door may be opening for more private insurers to fill the growing gap. Click here to read the full article. | Federal Flood Risk Management Resources This web tool includes information about federal programs that provide financial or technical assistance or data and tools that are available to support flood risk management activities. Users can search for resources using filters and word search functions to display a list of federal resources with summary information and links to additional information for each resource. Click here to view the resource tool. | NOAA Coastal & Waterfront Smart Growth Living near the water has historically been—and is expected to remain—desirable, yet this choice has inherent risks. Communities face the challenge of determining where and how to accommodate growth and redevelopment given the risks posed by coastal hazards. In tandem, smart growth and hazard mitigation strategies can help communities meet their quality of life, safety, economic, environmental, and transportation goals. This website is organized into 10 chapters describing different elements essential for communities interested in implementing coastal and waterfront smart growth. It also offers publications, case studies, and links to additional resources. Shout-out to our hometown, Portland, Maine, for being used as a Case Study for Element 1: Mix Land Uses! Click here to learn more! |  Because its stored water has been in demand in drought-ridden Idaho, Jackson Lake, pictured, never reached 50% full in 2022. (Mike Koshmrl/WyoFile) | Beyond Doom and Gloom: Talking Climate Change with Skeptics By: Mike Koshmrl, WyoFile, August 30, 2022 Katharine Hayhoe, The Nature Conservancy’s chief scientist, wants Wyoming residents to discuss climate change in present-day terms that connect to people and the things they love. “We need to talk about things that are relevant to us: my family, my home, my job,” Hayhoe, a climate scientist, told an audience at the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts last week. “We need to talk about it in a way that directly connects the dots between things that we already care about, like having water, like agriculture and food.” Click here to read the full article. |  Image by Dave Granlund | | | |
