PALM BAY, Florida–The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is partnering with BakerAECOM to host a series of discovery meetings around the country as part of its coastal Risk Mapping, Assessment and Planning (Risk MAP) project. The purpose is to assist communities in identifying, assessing and reducing flood risks. A community meeting is scheduled for Brevard County including residents of Palm Bay on May 17, 2012 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Brevard County commission Chambers located at 2725 Judge Frand Jamieson Way, Viera. Commission Chambers are located on the first floor of building “C”. Community leaders, emergency managers, GIS specialists, local planners and others with a vested interest in the area’s coastal resources, floodplains and flood risks should attend.
The meeting will cover current flood risk data already collected. It will include information about Brevard County’s flood history, coastal development plan and coastal flood risk concerns. Experts will also share mitigation plans and potential flood reducing activities along with potential federal funding mechanisms. “The partnership between FEMA’S Risk MAP program, the community and Baker AECOM will be vital to our success in identifying flood risks and needs that may exist,” said Robert Lowe, chief of the Risk Analysis Branch for FEMA Region IV. “The discovery process encourages FEMA and the impacted communities to envision a holistic picture of local flood hazards, risk and mitigation efforts—as well as to start discussions about increasing resilience to flooding.”
FEMA’s Risk MAP project will combine quality engineering with updated flood hazard data and will result in more accurate and easy-to-use information to enhance local mitigation plans, improve community outreach and increase resilience to floods. For more information contact Michael Taylor at (404) 965-9601 ext. 4907.