The year isn’t even half over and the New York State Floodplain and Stormwater Managers Association (NYSFSMA) have accomplished a lot!
We held a very successful conference on April 22-24 in Ithaca with nearly 180 participants. One of the guests of honor included Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) Executive Director Chad Berginnis who spoke about recent happenings at the federal level including cuts to the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program and how that negatively impacts communities across the country. Not all is doom and gloom, however. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently published their Flood Design and Construction, ASCE 24, a reference standard in the International Codes (I-Codes). These standards have not been updated since 2014 and now provide much improved specifications to help keep structures safe from flooding.
Janet Thigpen of the Southern Tier Central Regional Planning and Development Board was this year’s recipient of the NYSFSMA Floodplain and Stormwater Advocate of the Year award. Janet came highly recommended by her colleagues and staff at FEMA for her years of dedication to floodplain management both inside and outside of her jurisdiction and her involvement with NYSFSMA and ASFPM. Congratulations Janet!
There were many more exciting presentations from a diverse range of speakers. A quick shoutout to our sponsors without whom this conference would not be possible. Believe it or not but we’re already beginning to plan next year’s conference that will be held in Utica, NY from April 28-30, 2026. Save the date!
One of the most exciting things to come out of the conference was an incredibly enthusiastic response to our survey from young and emerging professionals (YEPs). Defined as professionals aged 18-40, YEPs are the future of the floodplain and stormwater management field. NYSFSMA along with several enthusiastic YEPs are creating a YEP organization under the NYSFSMA umbrella with the goal of providing career, networking, and service opportunities. If you’re a YEP in the field of floodplain and stormwater management and are interested in getting involved let us know and stay tuned for more information on this fledgling group. See the article in this quarter’s newsletter for more information on NYSFSMA YEPs.
We also launched our Lunch and Learn webinars. These are free non-credit webinars on topics that may not be directly related to flooding but would be of interest to those who work in the field. On May 7 the topic “Playing Politics with a Natural Disaster: Hurricane Agnes and Flood Plain Management”, was presented by Dr. Timothy Kneeland, Professor at Nazareth University. Dr. Kneeland presented on Hurricane Agnes in 1972, whose aftermath coupled with the political environment at the time impacted the economic, social, and environmental conditions of the southern tier for years to come. On May 22 the topic, “Extreme Precipitation Forecasts in New York State”, was presented by Nelson Vaz and Steve DiRienzo of the National Weather Service. They presented on the resources that local officials need to prepare for extreme weather and high impact events. On June 12, Brienna Wirley of the NYSDEC presented a for-credit webinar, “Introduction to Coastal Floodplain Management.” This webinar provided an overview of the NFIP requirements that apply to coastal areas including coastal processes, map features and zones specific to coastal areas, and coastal floodplain development requirements. More
Lunch and Learns, as well as for-credit webinars are being planned for later this year. If there’s a topic you’d like to learn more about please let us know!
If you’re craving in-person social interaction, NYSFSMA is still planning on a one-day mini-conference on Long Island with a focus on coastal and downstate issues this fall. We hope to have more details on that soon.
If you have an idea for a newsletter article (or would like to write one yourself) please reach out to the NYSFSMA Vice Chair (vicechair@nyfloods.org).
As spring transitions to summer and we begin to enter hurricane season we know many communities in NYS can be on edge. Be sure to stay up to date by visiting the https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.
That’s all for now. We hope you have a safe and enjoyable summer and hope to see you virtually or in person!
Yours in floodplain and stormwater management,
NYSFSMA Board of Directors