(Source: FEMA) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is initiating a watershed approach to identifying flood risk in an area that involves two states – Arkansas and Louisiana.
As this effort begins in the Boeuf Watershed, local, state and federal officials are working together to develop partnerships, share flood risk information and identify opportunities for mitigation action.
The watershed touches a total of six Arkansas counties – Ashley, Chicot, Desha, Drew, Jefferson, and Lincoln; and seven Louisiana parishes – Caldwell, Catahoula, Franklin, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland and West Carroll.
“It’s important that the whole community be a part of this process in order for the end result to be a tangible mitigation action,” said FEMA Region 6 Acting Administrator Tony Robinson. “For a comprehensive picture of a community’s flood risk, FEMA relies heavily on information and data provided by the community itself.”
Presently, FEMA is gathering information from a variety of stakeholders including community officials, flood plain administrators, engineers, watershed council representatives, planners, and emergency managers. This data is being collected through a process called discovery, initiated by discovery workshops recently held in the local area.
Because flood hazards change over time, officials say the watershed approach to identifying flood risks provides a great opportunity to take a comprehensive look at the components that contribute to a community’s flood risk.
Media Note: If media would like to join an informational webinar at 10 a.m. on July 26, please call us at 940-898-5454 for details.
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Source: FEMA
