Dubuque County Flood Hazard Mapping Project - City of Dubuque Copyrighted
June 19, 2017
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 10.
ITEM TITLE: Dubuque County Flood Hazard Mapping Project- City of
Dubuque
SUMMARY: City Manager transmitting correspondence to the Federal
Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) expressing the
City's agreement with the modeling, methods and results of
the Dubuque County Flood Hazard Mapping Project and
continued partnership during the refinement of the new
Flood Insurance Rate Map.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Mayor Letter Staff Memo
Letter from FEMA Supporting Documentation
Maps Supporting Documentation
Dubuque Office of the Mayor
DusafTHE CITYOF � City Hall
"` 50 West 13th Street
tome"
E 11II1f Dubuque, IA 52001-4864
Masterpiece on the Mississippi ]W -222-M13 www.cityofdubuque.org
I
June 7, 2017
Teri Ann Mayer
Chief, Risk Analysis Branch
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Region VII
9221 Ward Parkway, Suite 300
Kansas City, Missouri 64114-3372
SUBJECT: Dubuque County Flood Hazard Mapping Project- City of Dubuque, Iowa
Dear Ms. Mayer:
On behalf of the City of Dubuque, Iowa, I thank you for the opportunity to consult with the
Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA)and the Iowa Department of Natural
Resources (IDNR) regarding the Flood Hazard Mapping Project in Dubuque County as
described in your May 10, 2017 letter and its enclosures.
City of Dubuque staff reviewed the draft floodplain maps being created by IDNR and the Iowa
Flood Center in partnership with FEMA, and then participated in a June 7, 2017 webinar with
IDNR staff to further review these maps in greater detail. City staff and IDNR staff coordinated
on areas to be revised on the draft floodplain maps.
Overall, the City of Dubuque agrees with the modeling, methods, and results of the Dubuque
County Flood Hazard Mapping Project. We look forward to our continued consultation and
partnership during the refinement of the new Flood Insurance Rate Map for our community.
Sincerely,
Roy lD. BuoI
Mayor
Enclosures
cc: City Council Members
Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
Bill Cappuccio, IDNR State NFIP Coordinator
Scott Ralston, IDNR Floodplain Mapping Coordinator
Bob Franke, Project Officer, FEMA Region VII
FAUsers\LCARSTEN\WP\FEMA maps\Mayor letter-Flood Hazard Mapping.doc
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9221 Ward Parkway, Suite 300
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May 10,2017 MAY 1 6 2011
The Honorable Roy Buol CITY OF DUBUQUE
Mayor, City of Dubuque PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENT
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque,Iowa 52001
Dear Mayor Buol:
This letter is to notify you that the Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA)of the Department of
Homeland Security and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources(Iowa DNR)have initiated a flood
hazard mapping project in Dubuque County,Iowa, including both the incorporated and unincorporated
areas.
This project includes the development of Draft Flood Hazard Product maps showing the proposed Special
Flood Hazard Areas(SFHAs)in Dubuque County.A SFHA is the area that is subject to inundation from the
1-percent-annual-chance flood(also called the base flood). This high-risk flood hazard area is where the
National Flood Insurance Program's(NFIP's)minimum floodplain management regulations must be
enforced in participating communities and where the mandatory purchase of flood insurance applies for
Federally-backed loans.
FEMA and the Iowa DNR hosted a Draft Flood Hazard Products Review Meeting to discuss the proposed
SFHAs with community officials. You should have already received a letter for this meeting through a
separate invitation. If you did not,please contact Scott Ralston whose contact information is below.
The draft SFHAs for Dubuque County were developed using different modeling methods depending on the
zone designations.Zone A-designated streams were,developed using regression equations and/or gage
analyses to develop the peak discharges,HEC-RAS steady-state analyses to develop the 1-percent-annual-
chance flood elevations,and the best available Light Detection and Ranging(LiDAR)topographic data
acquired from the State of Iowa to delineate the flood hazard boundaries. This method is appropriate for the
level of flood risk and the terrain slope within the floodplain being mapped.The streams that were studied
using these methods are presented in the enclosed map.
The Zone AE-designated streams were assessed based on the requirements of FEMA's Coordinated Needs
Management Strategy(CNMS)database. If the Zone AE stream was determined to be valid,the regulatory
water surface elevations were redelineated on the Iowa LiDAR data,producing updated SFHA boundaries.
If the Zone AE stream was determined to be unverified,the boundaries of the SFHA were digitally captured
(remain unchanged)from the effective Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). The streams that were studied
using these methods are also presented in the enclosed map.
An additional map has been included to present the proposed FIRM panel layout, showing which maps will
be developed into regulatory flood management products for your use.Your entire community will be
mapped unless there are levees present. In some instances,further evaluation of the levee will be required
and those panels may not be produced. Please see the attached map for more information or contact Scott
Ralston whose contact information is below.
All of the above referenced information,including the Draft Flood Hazard Maps(PDFs),draft flood hazard
data(GIS files)that will be utilized in the Flood Insurance Rate Map(FIRM)database and draft engineering
models ate accessible via the following FTP site:
Rp:Hfl2m.iihr.uiowa.edu/For Chris/lowaDNR Draft Flood Hazard Products
Usemame: ftpguest
Password: anonuserl
FEMA and the Iowa DNR will provide the community 30 days from the date of this letter to consult with
FEMA and DNR staff regarding the appropriateness of the models and methods used for these studies.
Please note that your community will have several opportunities to comment on and provide feedback about
the models,the resulting SFHA delineations,and the draft flood hazard information-including an appeal
period-before the flood hazard information is officially effective.We welcome your input and look forward
to working with local officials and other stakeholders in Dubuque County to raise flood risk awareness and,
ultimately,reduce the risk to life and property from flooding.Your feedback now has no impact on your
ability to provide feedback later,or to formally appeal the flood hazard information during the appeal
period.
For questions about this project,please contact the FEMA Project Officer,Bob Franke at 816-283-7073 or
Iowa DNR's Floodplain Mapping Coordinator Scott Ralston at 515-725-8321.
Sincerely,
Teri Ann Mayer
Chief,Risk Analysis Branch
Enclosures
Engineering Methods Map
Preliminary FIRM Panel Map
cc: Laura Carstens,Planning Services Manager,City of Dubuque
Bill Cappuccio, State NFIP Coordinator
Bob Franke,Project Officer,FEMA Region VII
Preliminary FIRM Panels for Dubuque County
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