 | 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. 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: In the News: "Hurricane Season Starts Without Flood Insurance Reforms" and "Building Coastal Resilience for Greater U.S. Security"
Resources: Coastal States Organization, No Adverse Impact, and Safety Tips for Hurricane Season
Real Estate Corner: "Underwater: Rising Seas, Chronic Floods, and the Implications for US Coastal Real Estate"
Land Surveying Corner: University of Maine College of Engineering offering both undergraduate and graduate online surveying engineering degrees! Banner Photo: The second catastrophic flash flood to hit Ellicott City, Maryland in the last two years. The historic city lies at the bottom of a hill where several streams converge before entering the Patapsco River. Photo from www.weather.com, May 27, 2018. | In the News Hurricane Season Starts Without Flood Insurance Reforms By: Joel Scata, Natural Resources Defense Council, June 5, 2018. "Hurricane season has officially started, and if this year’s season causes anywhere close to the level of damage wrought by the last, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) will be pushed well beyond the breaking point." This article offers suggestions on reforms that could move the program forward so it can effectively help people deal with flood risk before disaster strikes. Read more! | Building Coastal Resilience for Greater US Security By Alice Hill, Roger-Mark De Souza, Christopher B. Field, Meaghan E. Parker, Katharine J. Mach, The Hoover Institution, June 19, 2018. This 65-page report is based on a collaboration of the Hoover Institution, the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. It "explores the challenges facing our coastal communities in a series of discussions designed to advance US resilience to climate change impacts, strengthen the sustainability and economic security of coastal infrastructure, and enhance national security. Areas of discussion include understanding the state of scientific knowledge, identifying important gaps, and exploring relevant policies, decision-support tools, and decision-making approaches." Click here to download a PDF of the report. |  Click on the photo to learn more about CSO's Work Groups, which implement specific initiatives or explore topic areas that are of importance to the membership | Coastal States Organization CSO helps states to maintain a leadership role in developing and implementing national coastal and ocean policy. It serves as an important professional network for state coastal and ocean managers. CSO Work Groups focus on coastal water quality, coastal hazards, coastal zone management, ocean policy and island affairs. Click here to visit CSO's website! |  "As a nation we continue to build at risk on floodplains and to ignore the impacts of watershed development on other properties. Often, buildings, streets, utilities and other components of modern development that we thought were protected get flooded because of the actions of others." | No Adverse Impact (NAI) No Adverse Impact floodplain management offers local governments a way to prevent the worsening of flooding and other negative impacts on the community by imposing regulations that make sure the actions of one property owner are not allowed to adversely affect the rights of other property owners. The adverse effects or impacts can be measured in terms of increased flood peaks, increased flood stages, higher flood velocities, increased erosion and sedimentation, or other impacts the community considers important. Click here to learn more! | Safety Tips for Hurricane Season Always have different ways to get informed during an emergency. Charge any electronic devices you can use to receive alerts and communicate with others, and put in fresh batteries if applicable. Jot down numbers for local response organizations, sign up for notifications and alerts, and inform friends, family, and co-workers of where you plan to be. Click here for additional communication tips from AlertMedia! | Real Estate Corner Underwater: Rising Seas, Chronic Floods, and the Implications for US Coastal Real Estate By: Union of Concerned Scientists, June 2018 Report "As sea levels rise, more and more American homes and businesses will experience frequent, disruptive flooding that makes everyday life impossible. More than 300,000 of today’s coastal homes are at risk of this untenable flooding within the term of a 30-year mortgage. Yet property values in most coastal real estate markets do not currently reflect this risk. And with short-sighted investments and policies at all levels of government concealing this growing problem, homeowners, businesses, communities, and investors are not aware of the financial losses they may soon face." Click here to access the full report. | Land Surveying Corner Surveying Professionals: As you may have heard, the University of Maine College of Engineering is now offering both undergraduate and graduate surveying engineering degrees online. If you have been looking for a flexible way to continue your education, take advantage of the quality, affordable online programs being offered beginning fall 2018. If you know someone who may benefit from this opportunity, please share this information with them. There is still time to apply for admission for the fall 2018 semester but you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. To get started, go to online.umaine.edu/surveying. From there you can connect to all of the online offerings in surveying. If you have survey questions please contact Ray Hintz, Professor & Coordinator, Surveying Engineering Technology, or contact Online Advisor, Dagmar Moravec for admissions questions. | Fun Facts 5 Weird Facts About Rain By Beth Dreher, Reader's Digest 1) The least rainy place on earth is not in the desert.
2) Rain doesn't always make the ground wet.
3) Not all raindrops are made of water.
4) There's a scientifically proven way to get less wet in the rain.
5) The shape and color of clouds can help you predict rain. Click here to learn more about these weird facts! |  Image by Wendall T. Harness, from YourOtherLeftComic.com | | | |
