FEMA has released its Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) information: reduce the risk from future flooding

Dear Members/Partners:

As you may have heard, FEMA has released its Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) information to help communities plan for and reduce the risk from future flooding. FEMA Region II (covering NY, NJ, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) has initiated a coastal flood study to update Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMS) for parts of NY and NJ.  The websitewww.region2coastal.com, which hosts a wide array of information, will be updated as the Region II coastal flood study continues.

This information is crucial to those who need to rebuild after Sandy so they can build stronger and safer. It is important for property and business owners to work with their local officials to fully understand any requirements for using ABFEs and/or determining mandatory elevations in rebuilding.  On the Sandy ABFE page www.region2coastal.com/sandy/abfe, you can view interactive ABFE maps, watch video tutorials, and access guides and toolkits.  Here is a sample of some of the information available. 

• ABFE Toolkit for Property Ownershttp://www.region2coastal.com/sandy/abfe/property_owners
• ABFE Frequently Asked Questions http://www.region2coastal.com/faqs/advisory-bfe-faq
• ABFE Fact Sheet (also attached)http://184.72.33.183/Public/Public_Documents/Sandy_ABFE_Fact_Sheet.pdf
• Increased Cost of Compliance Coveragehttp://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=3010
• FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=3010

Anyone with questions or comments about ABFEs can call the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Help Center at 1-800-427-4661 or fill out the online form athttp://www.region2coastal.com/contacts.

Please take the time to explore this website and share this information with your staff, clients, and networks.

Our thanks to Julianne Pannelli at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York for pulling this data together.

Peter B. Gudaitis, M.Div.

President, National Disaster Interfaiths Network (NDIN)

Chief Response Officer, New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS)
4 West 43rd Street - Suite 407
New York, NY 10036