Re-Mapping
F E M A:
Re-Mapping
F E M A:
A Study of the 2006 Flood Plain Rezoning
and the Potential Impact on Economic Development Project Sites
Brian Morgan
GEP 470 Spring 2007
Internship with NYCEDC
Lehman College, CUNY
New York City is very aware of the importance of preparedness in the event of flooding. Using the FEMA zoning as a guideline can help avoid future problems should flooding occur.
       The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is a city based agency which acts as a liaison for new or interested developers who are working with the city, as well as a source of promotion for areas that seek investment. Zones designated as being at some level of danger of flooding face many potential complications, from building code regulations to insurance issues. It is
therefore important that the EDC be able to track the locations of these flood zones in order to assist in the decision making process concerning development plans for affected areas.
             
All five NYC boroughs were studied in the mapping exercise. A series of borough maps were designed for use during presentations highlighting the need for consideration of the new FEMA information. These maps were reproduced as posters to increase the impact on viewers during these meetings.
       Throughout the early part of 2007, the EDC’s GIS
unit  prepared an extensive series of maps detailing the
updated FEMA data as it applied to the city. The new
risk categories were mapped in ways designed to help
planners avoid placing developments in areas that could
result in future problems, from physical (flood damage and loss), to bureaucratic (certain zones may require that specific construction guidelines be adhered to, or may even forbid construction altogether), and other issues.
       Another component of this project was the comparison of FEMA’s new 2006 data with the previous set of data, which was from 1983. Many areas were found to have undergone a significant change in the amount of land at risk, one such area being the South Bronx section of Hunts Point.  As shown in the maps above and to the right of this text, the differences between the two study years in Hunts Point is quite visible. Zones designated as VE, indicating the greater chance of rapid,
 
                             
                             forceful flood waters, expanded further inland, while
                             AE zones,  which  denote  the  likelihood  of   slower
                             rising  waters  and less  intensity in  flow,  decreased,
                             becoming  reclassified  as  the  more  severe VE.
                                    Much more complete information concerning the
                             classification system, including definitions of all zone
                             types, can be found at the agency’s website, listed  in
                             the credits below.
Thank you to Jiin Wen, Alex Tutiven, Walter Tutiven, Carly Rex, and Nicholas Friend at NYCEDC for their help, support, and friendship. Thanks to Professor Juliana Maantay at Lehman College, CUNY, for guidance and support.                                                FEMA information: www.fema.gov
A series of maps were generated detailing individual areas that are targeted for development. These site-specific maps were used extensively by planners and project managers in determining appropriate sites for their projects.
In 2006, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) updated their flood plain definitions. Being a coastal city,