As 2020 comes to an end, American Flood Coalition is reflecting on the successes of state leaders who prioritized flood resilience this year. A record-breaking 12 named storms made landfall in the United States in 2020, and for only the second time in recorded history, we used the Greek alphabet to name them. COVID-19 only compounded these disasters and made clear that with stronger storms, more frequent flooding, and dual disasters, state leadership is critical. Despite the challenges of this year, states across the country have set in motion major programs to advance flood resilience.

At AFC, we have 51 state legislators and 2 governors in our membership, and we applaud their efforts to drive forward flood resilience and support communities. Over the last year, AFC has partnered with state leaders to prioritize solutions to flooding. Several trends have emerged: clear governance, statewide planning, funding and financing, smart standards, and prioritization from state leadership.

Highlights from this year

• Top Florida legislators committed to address flooding in one of the first joint op-eds by incoming leaders from both chambers.
• The Florida Legislature passed landmark legislation to protect publicly-financed construction from sea level rise.
• The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and partners released its first-ever statewide Climate Risk Assessment and Resilience Plan. 
• The South Carolina Legislature passed an ambitious bill creating a new Office of Resilience, laying the groundwork for a statewide flood resilience plan, and establishing two funding programs for recovery and resilience.
• The Virginia Governor’s Office released an ambitious framework that will guide a Coastal Resilience Master Plan in 2021, complete with a prioritized project pipeline and funding strategy.
• The West Virginia Legislature passed historic State Resiliency Office legislation, demonstrating a commitment to reducing flooding and supporting affected communities.

The number of state Chief Resilience Officers nearly doubled in 2020, with 4 states adding the position

*All CROs report directly to the governor.

** Significant resilience entities are either formalized offices that oversee work related to resilience and adaptation (MS, WY) or programs and initiatives that report to the governor (DE, CA, AK). 

Map up to date as of November 2020.

Florida

Prioritization: Top Florida leaders committed to address flooding in a joint op-ed

“Over the next two years we will continue to develop cost effective strategies that will ensure Florida responsibly mitigates projected impacts of sea level rise, balancing the associated costs with future benefits.”

— Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson

In September, Florida’s Speaker of the House Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson made headlines when they called out flooding as a top priority in one of the first-ever joint op-eds written by the leaders of both chambers. Their op-ed outlines a plan to prioritize flood mitigation through barriers, natural infrastructure, and stormwater improvements; to engage federal government agencies as partners in Florida’s long-term planning process; and to incentivize cities and counties to plan for increased flooding within their communities. As a longtime partner of Florida’s state leaders, AFC is thrilled to see the state moving toward comprehensive policy on flooding and sea level rise.

Smart standards: State Legislature passed landmark sea level rise legislation to protect publicly-financed construction

The Florida state Legislature passed Senate Bill 178, a landmark bill requiring every publicly financed construction project in the coastal zone to demonstrate through a scientific study—approved by the State Department of Environmental Protection—the impacts of sea level rise on the project. This legislation represents a major step forward for Florida, by embedding flood resilience in key state processes.

Governance: State Legislature created a resilience-focused Environment, Agriculture & Flooding Subcommittee

This fall, the Florida House of Representatives created the state’s first-ever Environment, Agriculture & Flooding Subcommittee, which will ensure a legislative focus on solutions to flooding. The Chairs of the subcommittee will be determined in December 2020.

North Carolina

Planning: The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and partners released the state’s first-ever resilience plan

“Now that the state published the 2020 Resilience Plan, we can build out the support the state is offering and have more communities ready to take it and run with getting to local action. It’s very much intended as a first step.”

— North Carolina Chief Resilience Officer Dr. Jessica Whitehead

In a decisive step to assess flood risk at the state level, North Carolina released its first statewide Climate Risk Assessment and Resilience Plan in June. This initial plan, prompted by Executive Order 80, sets the stage for a comprehensive strategy to address flooding, by identifying the people, places, and other assets at risk. Later versions will build upon the foundation of this plan to outline future actions.

Prioritization: Fifteen members of the House of Representatives joined the Coalition in a strong bipartisan commitment to reduce flooding

On October 8, the four-year anniversary of Hurricane Matthew’s landfall, a bipartisan cohort of 15 members of the North Carolina House of Representatives joined AFC, becoming the first elected officials from the state to join the Coalition. Together, they signal a strong statewide commitment to save lives, improve infrastructure, spend taxpayer dollars wisely, and protect property value. Read more in our announcement.

Funding and financing: State Legislature created a marketplace to ramp up implementation of nature-based solutions

In June, the North Carolina Legislature passed a bill that would accelerate nature-based solutions by revamping the state’s existing Division of Mitigation Services (DMS) program to make it more efficient. The legislation allows the DMS to accept federal disaster appropriations and grants, which means it can more efficiently pair federal funding with private sector restoration companies to construct projects. The legislation also creates a marketplace for nature-based solutions: the bill establishes water storage volume as a metric to value natural infrastructure projects and prompts watersheds to use that metric to set flood reduction targets. AFC member Representative Perrin Jones co-sponsored the bill.

North Carolina Museum of Art features nature-based solutions such as this stormwater pond (Source: Surface 678)

South Carolina

“Two landmark bills dealing with flooding passed the legislature…and will establish South Carolina as a leader in the effort to address climate & tidal induced flooding, infrastructure and other issues.”

— Representative Leon Stavrinakis

Governance: State Legislature’s landmark bill created a new Office of Resilience headed by a Chief Resilience Officer

With the passage of Senate Bill 259, the Disaster Relief and Resilience Act, the South Carolina Legislature created an Office of Resilience headed by a Chief Resilience Officer, making South Carolina the 10th state with a CRO position. AFC has worked for years with our members at all levels to promote state prioritization of this issue, and we are thrilled to see this step forward. AFC members Senator Chip Campsen, Senator Sandy Senn, and Senator Paul Campbell sponsored this legislation, which was signed into law in September.

Planning: This historic bill also laid the groundwork for a statewide flood resilience plan

The Disaster Relief and Resilience Act also charged the Office of Resilience with developing and implementing a Strategic Statewide Resilience and Risk Reduction Plan by July 2022, based on the recommendations of the South Carolina Statewide Floodwater Commission. This plan will be a touchstone for flood resilience, providing a framework for adaptation at the watershed scale and guiding the state’s investment in flood preparedness and resilience projects. The legislation also requires local comprehensive plans to include a resiliency element.

Funding and financing: Finally, the bill established two programs that will fund recovery and resilience

Lastly, the Disaster Relief and Resilience Act established two funding programs for recovery and resilience. First, the Disaster Relief and Resilience Reserve Fund is a grant and loan program to develop and implement the statewide plan and aid in disaster recovery and infrastructure improvements. Second, the South Carolina Resilience Revolving Fund is a low-interest revolving loan program to assist with the local cost share for buyouts of flood-prone properties that restore the natural floodplain. These resources will be critical in funding state planning efforts and local adaptation.

Funding and financing: State Legislature opened up local sources of funding for flood resilience projects

South Carolina also passed Senate Bill 217, which enables local accommodations and hospitality tax revenue to be used for a subset of projects that address flooding. We commend our members, Senator Campsen, Senator Senn, and Representative William Cogswell, for their leadership in sponsoring this legislation.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signs resilience legislation Senate Bill 259 (Source: Brad Nettles)

Virginia

“I’m proud to represent a state that showcased its commitment this year to protecting its citizens, businesses, and military installations from flooding through proactive planning, new sources of funding, and other mechanisms.”

— Delegate Keith Hodges

Planning: The Governor’s Office released a coastal master planning framework, which sets the stage for a prioritized project pipeline and funding strategy

“The Coastal Resilience Master Planning Framework charts Virginia’s course for action on flooding and sea level rise and demonstrates the state’s dedication to addressing this issue holistically and responsibly, with equity and community engagement at the fore.”

— Delegate Kelly Convirs-Fowler

In October, Governor Ralph Northam’s office released a Coastal Resilience Master Planning Framework, the strategy that will guide the Master Plan to be released December 2021. The Framework states the eventual master plan’s goals: to identify priority adaptation projects; create a financing strategy informed by equity considerations; incorporate flooding and sea level rise projections into all programs that address coastal infrastructure; and coordinate all federal, regional, and local efforts under the state framework. Much like Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan, Virginia’s plan will divide the state into four coastal regions—made up of localities within the coastal Planning District Commissions and Regional Commissions—and prioritize projects within those regions for funding.

Financing: State Legislature strengthened the flood-focused revolving fund

In July 2020, Senate Bill 320 appropriated new funding to Virginia’s Community Flood Preparedness Fund, which is now estimated to provide $45 million each year towards flood solutions like direct flood protection infrastructure, local resilience plans, and forward-looking studies. Projects that benefit multiple properties or entire neighborhoods, as well as projects that use nature-based solutions, will be prioritized, and 25% of the funds disbursed annually will go to projects in low-income areas. This statewide funding, sourced from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), can help bridge funding gaps for many municipalities. AFC congratulates its members Senator Lynwood Lewis and Senator Monty Mason for shepherding this landmark legislation. 

Governance: State Legislature made the Chief Resilience Officer position official

House Bill 1313 directs Gov. Northam to select a Chief Resilience Officer to lead statewide adaptation (by way of the Coastal Resilience Master Plan) and serve as the state point of contact on flooding. This bill follows Gov. Northam’s Executive Order 24, which called for a statewide plan and for Matthew Strickler, Virginia’s Secretary of Natural Resources, to be the state’s Chief Resilience Officer. AFC member Delegate Keith Hodges introduced the bill.

Smart standards: The Virginia Department of Transportation released resilient design standards to adapt the state’s infrastructure and improve safety 

In February, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) released new design standards to ensure that bridges and other infrastructure are built with sea level rise projections and precipitation forecasts in mind. Few other transportation departments have taken the lead in this way to lengthen the lifespan of key infrastructure. This decision is in line with two of the Governor’s 2018 Executive Orders, 24 and 45.

High Rise Bridge in Chesapeake (Source: Stephen Katz)

More state updates from around the country

• Planning: The Texas Water Development Board began developing a state flood plan, as part of an ambitious initiative to increase resilience. Prompted by 2019 Senate Bill 8, the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) started work on a state flood plan this year. TWDB’s first steps included dividing Texas into 15 planning regions and naming the voting members from each region to a flood planning group.
• Governance: Washington could become the next (11th) state to get a Chief Resilience Officer. As a result of Senate Bill 5106, Washington’s Disaster Resiliency Work Group has been meeting since 2019 to evaluate a potential statewide resilience program. In November 2020, the Work Group submitted its Final Report to the state Legislature and Gov. Jay Inslee, strongly recommending the creation of a statewide resilience program within the Office of the Governor.
• Governance: Louisiana’s Governor made the state’s Chief Resilience Officer official by executive order. In February, Gov, John Bel Edwards signed an Executive Order that made Chief Resilience Officer Charles Sutcliffe’s position within the Governor’s Office official.
• Governance: The West Virginia Legislature passed historic State Resiliency Office legislation, demonstrating a commitment to reducing flooding. Gov. Jim Justice signed Senate Bill 586 to create a State Resiliency Office and Officer within the Office of the Governor. 
• Governance: Tennessee’s state task force recommended the creation of a state-level governance structure to promote community resilience. In response to the 2019 Senate Bill 1114, the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) delivered a report to the Legislature in September, identifying the need for a statewide governance structure for adaptation.
• Smart standards: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy directed the Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to consider adaptation in key planning processes. With Executive Order 100, Gov. Murphy directed NJDEP to reform planning processes, which includes permitting, to more holistically consider adaptation needs under the state’s Protecting Against Climate Threats (PACT) initiative.
• Planning: The Missouri work group released a report outlining the state’s resilience priorities. In May, the Flood Recovery Advisory Working Group submitted their Final Report, which recommends state actions to improve flood infrastructure, develop channels of communication, and define risk, which includes the development of a statewide flood monitoring system similar to the Iowa Flood Information System.
• Planning: Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources held a series of public workshops focused on actions that maximize the state’s flood resilience. Input from the public workshops and surveys will inform Delaware’s Climate Action Plan to be released in winter 2021.
• Planning: Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf directed the State Planning Board to develop strategic goals and investments to reduce flash flooding. In December, Gov. Wolf announced a major next step that Pennsylvania will take to reduce the impacts of flooding on communities. The State Planning Board will develop stormwater, land use, planning, and zoning best practices and investment strategies for state agencies to incorporate into their funding applications.

Learn more about joining the Coalition. To set up a call with a member of our staff, just send us an email. 

---

This post was authored by Caroline Resor, Strategy Associate, and Summer Modelfino, Senior Strategy Associate.