Form 504 2012 FEMA Questionnaire Local Officials FINAL DRAFT

FEMA Local Officials Questionnaire May 2012

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Local Officials Questionnaire

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is conducting this brief survey of local and Tribal officials to:

• Understand officials’ awareness and understanding of the local risk of flooding

• Identify the types of flood hazard or flood risk reduction activities undertaken

• Determine if and how officials share flood risk information with their citizens

• Understand how FEMA can make it easier for officials to communicate about the risk of flooding

The survey will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete. CFI Group will treat all information you provide as confidential. All information you provide will be combined with others’ for research and reporting purposes. Your individual responses will not be released. This survey is authorized by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget Control No 1090-0007.

I. Demographics

1. Which community or Tribe do you represent? Please provide the name of your community or Tribe along with county, State, and ZIP codes.

2. How many years have you served in your current capacity?

1. Less than one year

2. 1-3 years

3. 4-10 years

4. More than 10 years

3. What is your title?

1. Mayor

2. City Administrator/Manager

3. Floodplain Manager

4. Land Use Planner

5. Emergency Manager

6. First Responder (e.g., Firefighter/Police/EMS)

7. County/Parish Executive

8. Council Chairperson

9. Tribal Official

10. Other (Specify)

II. Awareness and Understanding

4. Do you believe that your community is at risk for flooding?

1. Yes

2. No (Skip to question 6)

3. Not sure (Skip to question 6)

4. Flood risk is the responsibility of another community official or local agency (Skip to question 6)

5. How would you characterize your community’s flood risk?

1. High risk

2. Moderate risk

3. Low risk

4. Not sure

6. Do you consider flooding to be the primary hazard facing your community?

1. Yes (Skip to question 8)

2. No

7. What do you consider to be the primary hazard facing your community?

1. Fire

2. Earthquake

3. Tornado

4. Windstorm

5. Landslide

6. Volcano

7. Man-made hazard (e.g., terrorism)

8. Other (specify)

8. Is your community located within 5 miles of the Great Lakes, the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans, or the Gulf of Mexico?

   1. Yes

   2. No

   3. Not sure

9. Is your community located near a levee?

   1. Yes

   2. No (Skip to question 13)

   3. Not sure (Skip to question 13)

ONLY ASK Q10-Q12 IF Q9=1 YES

10. Do you consider the people and structures behind the levee to be at risk of flooding?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Not sure

11. Does your community conduct any public outreach specifically about the risks associated with living behind the levee?

    1. Yes (Skip to question 13)

    2. No

12. Why hasn’t your community conducted any outreach about the risks of living behind the levee?

    1. We do not believe there is a flood risk

    2. It is not our responsibility

    3. Resource limitations

    4. Lack of trained staff

    5. We are not sure which actions to take

    6. Other (Specify)

13. Is your community located near a dam?

    1. Yes

    2. No (Skip to question 17)

    3. Not sure (Skip to question 17)

ONLY ASK Q14-Q16 IF Q13=1 YES

14. Do you consider the people and structures behind or downstream of the dam to be at risk of flooding?

4. Yes

5. No

6. Not sure

15. Does your community conduct any public outreach specifically about the risks associated with living behind or downstream of the dam?

    1. Yes (Skip to question 17)

    2. No

16. Why hasn’t your community conducted any outreach about the risks of living downstream or behind the dam?

    1. We do not believe there is a flood risk

    2. It is not our responsibility

    3. Resource limitations

    4. Lack of trained staff

    5. We are not sure which actions to take

    6. Other (Specify)

17. Is your community located near a river, creek, or lake?

    1. Yes

    2. No

    3. Not sure

18. When did your community last experience a flood?

1. Less than one year ago

2. 1-3 years ago

3. 4-10 years ago

4. More than 10 years ago

5. Never (Skip to question 21)

6. Not sure (Skip to question 21)

19. Has your community had a federally declared disaster for flooding?

    1. Yes (specify month and year)

    2. No

20. Have you reviewed a map of your community’s flood hazards?

    1. Yes

    2. No

    3. My community does not have a map of its flood hazards

21. Where do you get information about your community’s risk of flooding? (NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: READ LIST AND SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)

1. Your own experience with floods/history of flooding

2. Your community’s flood maps

3. Local officials

4. Other local officials

5. FEMA/National Flood Insurance Program

6. FloodSmart

7. Professional or civic organizations

8. Local media (e.g., TV, radio, newspaper)

9. Neighbors or friends

10. Other (Specify)

22. Has your community taken action to prevent flooding or reduce the risk of flooding?

1. Yes

2. No (Skip to question 24)

3. Not sure (Skip to question 24)

23. Which of the choices below best describes your community’s actions to reduce or transfer its risk of flooding? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)

1. Land Use Ordinances/Local Building Codes—government actions that influence how land and buildings are developed and built. (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)

1. Set backs

2. Zoning

3. Enforcement of local or enhanced building codes

4. Floodplain management ordinances

5. Open space preservation

6. Stormwater management regulations

7. Coastal zone management

8. Other (Specify)

9. None of the above

2. Mitigation Projects—actual projects designed to protect property, protect natural resources, or install structures to prevent or reduce the risk of flooding. (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)

1. Acquisition

2. Elevation

3. Flood control

   1. Building dams

   2. Building levees

   3. Building drainage improvements

   4. Building seawalls

4. Soil stabilization/erosion control

5. Natural systems restoration

6. Floodproofing, such as structural retrofits

7. Forest or vegetation management

8. Other (Specify)

9. None of the above

3. Public Awareness and Outreach—actions to inform and educate citizens, elected officials, and property owners about flood hazards and potential ways to mitigate them. (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)

1. Advertisements/notices in newspapers

2. Media outreach (e.g., news, television, newspaper, radio)

3. Direct mailings

4. Community meetings, open houses, or other events

5. Speaking engagements (if so, to whom)?

6. Community website

7. Outreach to insurance industry or real estate agents

8. Social media outreach (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blog)

9. Real estate disclosures

10. Hazard information centers

11. School-age education program

12. Email outreach

13. Text messages or other outreach to smartphones

14. Community newsletters

15. Partnerships with other organizations or businesses (e.g., ASFPM, Rotary or Kiwanis Clubs, local retailers)

16. Other (Specify)

17. None of the above

4. Planning—updating existing plans or developing new plans for addressing mitigation of flooding risk. (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)

1. Multi-hazard Mitigation Plan

2. Community Outreach Plan

3. Comprehensive Plan

4. Watershed Restoration Plan

5. Community Rating System (CRS) Plan

6. Open Space Plan

7. Redevelopment Plan

8. Sustainability Plan

9. Brownfield Redevelopment Plan

10. Coastal Zone Management Plan

11. Stormwater Management Plan

12. Other (Specify)

13. None of the above

ONLY ASK Q23.5 – 23.7 IF Q23.4 = 1 MULTI-HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN

5. Has FEMA approved your community’s multi-hazard mitigation plan?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t know

6. Who participated in developing your multi-hazard mitigation plan? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)

1. City Council or Planning Commission

2. Community planning officials

3. Floodplain manager

4. Emergency manager

5. Other local officials

6. Neighboring jurisdictions

7. Businesses or economic development authority

8. Developers, real estate industry professionals

9. State

10. FEMA

11. Other (Specify)

12. Not sure

7. How much do you think your community’s mitigation plan contributed to implementation of mitigation actions in your community?

1. Significantly

2. Somewhat

3. Not at all

4. Not sure

8. Which of the following programs that Rewards Risk Reduction do you participate in? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)

1. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)

2. Community Rating System (CRS)

3. Other (Specify)

4. None of the above

SKIP Q23.9 IF Q23.8 = 2 COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM (CRS)

9. How familiar are you with the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System? Please use a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is “not very familiar” and 10 is “very familiar.”

10. Please specify any other actions you have taken to reduce your community’s risk of flooding (Specify)

ONLY ASK Q24 IF Q22=2 NO

24. Which of the choices below best describes why your community has not taken action to prevent flooding or reduce the risk of flooding? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY)

1. We do not believe that our community is at risk

2. It is not our responsibility

3. Resource limitations

4. We are not sure which actions to take

5. No mitigation plan is in place to inform action

6. Other (Specify)

25. Is flood insurance available for purchase in your community?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Not sure

III. Communication

26. Who is responsible for communicating with the public about changes to their flood hazards or risks and/or how to reduce that risk? (Select all that apply.)

1. Mayor/CEO

2. Other local official(s)

3. Mortgage lender

4. Insurance agent

5. Real estate agent

6. State

7. FEMA

8. Other (Specify)

9. Not sure

27. How often does your local government communicate with the public about the community’s flood risk and/or how to reduce that risk?

1. Several times a year a year

2. Annually

3. Once every few years

4. Never (Skip to question 29)

5. Not sure (Skip to question 29)

28. Who are the other officials who communicate with your community about changes to their flood hazards and/or risks and how to reduce that risk? (Select all that apply.)

1. Mayor/CEO

2. Public safety commissioner

3. Floodplain administrator

4. CRS Coordinator

5. Emergency manager

6. First responders (e.g., Police Officers, Fire Fighters, EMS)

7. State

8. FEMA

9. Other (Specify)

29. If you learned that a new flood map was being developed for your community, how would you let your community know? (Select all that apply.)

1. Provide information through print media (e.g., newspapers)

2. Provide information through broadcast media (e.g., TV, radio)

3. Mail information to property owners

4. Hold community meetings, open houses, or other events

5. Call property owners

6. Email property owners

7. Send text message or information to property owners through a mobile device or smartphone

8. Use social media (e.g., social networking site such as Facebook or a blog)

9. Post information on your community’s website

10. Post signs or flood maps in public buildings (e.g., libraries, schools)

11. Distribute information in partnership with other organizations or businesses (e.g., ASFPM, Rotary or Kiwanis Clubs, local retailers)

12. Implement school-age education programs

13. Distribute through hazard information centers

14. Other (specify)

30. Has FEMA conducted a Risk MAP project in your community since you have been in office?

    1. Yes

    2. No (Skip to question 37)

    3. Not sure (Skip to question 37)

IF Q30=1 YES CONTINUE TO Q31

31. Please rate FEMA’s effectiveness at communicating the objectives and anticipated outcomes of the Risk MAP project. Use a 10-point scale, where 1 is “poor” and 10 is “excellent.”

32. Please rate FEMA’s effectiveness at keeping your community informed of the progress of your Risk MAP project. Use a 10-point scale, where 1 is “poor” and 10 is “excellent.”

33. Please rate the effectiveness of the information and tools that FEMA provided to help you communicate the Risk MAP project’s outcomes to other local officials and your citizens. Use a 10-point scale, where 1 is “poor” and 10 is “excellent.”

34. Please rate the accuracy of the flood risk data that FEMA provided during the Risk MAP project. Use a 10-point scale, where 1 is “poor” and 10 is “high.”

35. Based on your participation in the Risk MAP project, are you more likely to communicate with your community about the risk of flooding?

36. Based on the actual or anticipated results of the Risk MAP project, is your community more likely to take action to reduce its risk of flooding?

    1. Yes

    2. No

    3. Not sure

37. Has FEMA conducted a flood mapping study in your community since you have been in office?

    1. Yes

    2. No (Skip to question 44)

    3. Not sure (Skip to question 44)

IF Q37=1 YES CONTINUE TO Q38

38. Please rate FEMA’s effectiveness at communicating the objectives and anticipated outcomes of the mapping study. Use a 10-point scale, where 1 is “poor” and 10 is “excellent.” If you did not receive any communications from FEMA, please select “not applicable.”

39. Please rate FEMA’s effectiveness at keeping your community informed of the progress of your mapping study. Use a 10-point scale, where 1 is “poor” and 10 is “excellent.” If you did not receive any communications from FEMA, please select “not applicable.”

40. Please rate the effectiveness of the information and tools that FEMA provided to help you communicate the mapping study’s outcomes to other local officials and your citizens. Use a 10-point scale, where 1 is “poor” and 10 is “excellent.” If you did not receive any communications from FEMA, please select “not applicable.”

41. How satisfied are you with FEMA’s efforts to help you understand and communicate flood risks to your citizens? Please use a 10-point scale, where 1 means “not very satisfied” and 10 means “very satisfied.”

42. How well do FEMA’s efforts to help your community understand and communicate its flood risks compare to your expectations? Please use a 10-point scale where 1 means “did not meet your expectations” and 10 means “exceeds your expectations.”

43. How do FEMA’s efforts to help your community understand and communicate its flood risks compare with the ideal effort? Please use a 10-point scale where 1 means “very far from the ideal” and 10 means “very close to the ideal.”

44. What could FEMA do to make it easier for you to share flood risk information with your citizens? (select all that apply)

1. Help me develop a community outreach plan regarding flood risk

2. Help me launch a High Water Mark campaign to draw attention to how high flood waters have come in the past

3. Provide customizable letters or brochures I can send to the community

4. Provide information to add to our community web site

5. Provide training on how to use social media to communicate about flood risk

6. Provide materials for communicating with the media, including draft press releases

7. Provide talking points and PowerPoint presentations for speaking with the community

8. Provide publications that building owners could use as guidance for reducing the risk of flooding

9. Provide visualizations of flooding risks and impacts

10. Provide educational materials for school programs

11. Other (specify)

45. What is the population of your community?

    1. Under 1,000

    2. 1,000 - 5,000

    3. 5,000 - 10,000

    4. 10,000 - 50,000

    5. 50,000 - 100,000

    6. 100,000 - 200,000

    7. 200,000 - 500,000

    8. 500,000 - 1,000,000

    9. Above 1,000,000

46. Does your local government have access to geographic information system (GIS) capabilities?

    1. Yes

    2. No

    3. Not sure

47. What is the average annual household income in your community?

1. Less than $10,000

2. Between $10,000 and $24,999

3. Between $25,000 and $99,999

4. $100,000 or more

5. Don’t Know

6. Prefer not to provide this information

48. Is your community considered to be rural or urban?

    1. Rural

    2. Urban

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