Montana and the National Flood Insurance Program Marijo Brady, P.E., CFM FEMA Region VIII

Montana and the NFIP Population: 1,023,579 (2014); 989,417 (2010) Land area: 145, square miles (2010). Approximately 30% of land area is State or federal land. Approximately 9% (13, 046 square miles; 8,349,147 acres) is reservation land. Population density: 6.8 (2010)

Montana and the NFIP Number of counties: 56 Includes consolidated City-Counties: Anaconda-Deer Lodge and Butte-Silver Bow. Number of incorporated cities and towns: 129 Number of Indian Reservations: 7 Blackfeet (Blackfeet); 1.5 million acres, Crow (Crow); 2.2 million acres, Flathead (Confederated Salish and Kootenai); 1.3 million acres, Ft. Belknap (Assiniboine and Gros Ventre); 675,147 acres, Ft. Peck (Assiniboine and Sioux); 2.1 million acres, Northern Cheyenne (Northern Cheyenne); 444,000 acres, Rocky Boy (Chippewa-Cree); 130,000 acres.

Montana and the NFIP WHAT IS THE National Flood Insurance Program The U.S. Congress established the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) with the passage of the National Flood Insurance Act of The NFIP is a Federal program enabling property owners in participating communities to purchase insurance as a protection against flood losses in exchange for State and community floodplain management regulations that reduce future flood damages. Participation by a community in the NFIP is based on a (voluntary) agreement between the community and the Federal Government. If a community adopts and enforces a floodplain management ordinance to reduce future flood risk to new construction in floodplains, the Federal Government will make flood insurance available within the community as a financial protection against flood losses. This insurance is designed to provide an insurance alternative to disaster assistance to reduce the escalating costs of repairing damage to buildings and their contents caused by floods.

Montana and the NFIP WHAT IS FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT Floodplain management is a decision-making process that aims to achieve the wise use of the nation's floodplains. "Wise use" means both reduced flood losses AND protection of the natural resources and function of floodplains. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) underwrites flood insurance coverage only in communities that adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations through an ordinance that meets or exceeds NFIP criteria.

Montana and the NFIP Number of participating Montana communities in the NFIP: in Regular Phase; 3 in Emergency Phase Number of participating communities with No Special Flood Hazard Area: 12 These communities are participating in the NFIP, but have no mapped Special Flood Hazard Area Number of participating counties: 46 (of 56) 82% Number of non-participating counties: 10 Number of participating incorporated communities (cities and towns): 87 (of 129) 67% Number of non-participating cites/towns: 42 Number of participating Indian Reservations: 2 (of 7) 29% Number of non-participating Indian Reservations: 5

Montana and the NFIP Number of sanctioned communities: 12 These communities have been provided a FEMA flood map, but are not participating in the NFIP. Sanctioned from NFIP for not adopting a map within 1 year after it was made available: 10. Garfield County, Town of Hysham, McCone County, Town of Medicine Lake, City of Poplar, Prairie County, City of Scobey, Town of Sunburst, Town of Thompson Falls, and Town of Winnett, Suspended for not enforcing the program: 1. (Wibaux County), or Withdrawn from the NFIP by community request: 1. (Town of Grass Range) In the event of a Presidential disaster declaration (PA or IA), buildings identified to be in the Special Flood Hazard Area are not eligible for repair assistance.

Montana and the NFIP Number of CRS communities: 11 All communities (below) are a CRS 8, meaning a 10% discount to flood insurance policies in the Special Flood Hazard Area. Policies outside the SFHA receive a 5% discount; Preferred Risk Policies (PRPs) and Newly Mapped policies receive no discount. Bozeman, City of Cascade County Flathead County Gallatin County Great Falls, City of Lewis and Clark County Miles City, City of Missoula, City of Missoula County Three Forks, Town of Yellowstone County

Montana and the NFIP

Number of communities with effective digital maps between January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2014 (MapMod and RiskMap): 77 Communities with maps that went effective January 1 – October 31, 2015 Ravalli County (5 communities; 1 NON-PARTICIPATING NSFHA) 1/16/15 Sweet Grass County (2 communities) 5/18/15 Missoula County (2 communities) 7/6/15 Stillwater County (2 communities) 10/16/15 Communities with maps going effective in November 1 – December 31, 2015 Flathead County (4 communities) 11/4/15 Communities projected to go effective January 1 – June 30, 2016 Granite County (3 communities)

Montana and the NFIP Communities with studies and/or digital maps in process (scoped – preliminary): Swan River in Missoula County Musselshell River watershed (6 counties) Musselshell River at Roundup Carbon County PMR Richland County PMR West Gallatin River – Phase 2 Bozeman Creek - Phase 2

Montana and the NFIP Recent flooding disasters: 2014 (DR-4198-MT). Five counties and one Indian Reservation. PA: $1,560,011 obligated - federal share; 75% of total disaster costs (DR-4172-MT). Fifteen counties. PA: $1,931,181 obligated - federal share; 75% of total disaster costs (DR-4127-MT). Ten counties and three Indian Reservations. PA: $3,272,715 obligated - federal share; 75% of total disaster costs (DR-1996-MT). IA (31 counties) and PA (48 counties). IA: 2,077 applications approved; $6,708,117 distributed. PA: $37,424,925 obligated - federal share; 75% of total disaster costs.

Montana and the NFIP NFIP TIDBITS As of the end of 2014 (the latest detailed data run) Miles City (Custer County) had 19% of the policies in the State. As of the end of 2014, 649 Newly Mapped properties were insured in Miles City. A total of 1,822 properties are considered Newly Mapped. Forty-six (46) communities will be impacted by the April 1, 2016 Flood Insurance Manual changes for Newly Mapped properties.

Montana and the NFIP MAPPING A typical mapping effort takes 3-5 years from scoping to effective. LEVEES If there are levees that the community would like to have shown on the FEMA map as providing protection, the community will be asked at the time of scoping to provide documentation to support the request. Outlined in 44 CFR 65.10, a levee would have to meet FEMA criteria for: 1. design, 2. construction, 3. maintenance, and 4. certification. In addition, the levee must be publicly owned. A levee does not have to be constructed by the Corps of Engineers to be certified. Certification can be done by the Corps of Engineers (typically limited to levees they have constructed and is not automatically certified b/c it was Corps built) or by a Professional Engineer. If the criteria cannot be demonstrated at the time of scoping, then the levee will be evaluated using the Levee Analysis and Mapping Procedure. Areas behind the levee would most likely be shown in the FEMA floodplain, thus requiring mandatory purchase of flood insurance for any property identified to be in floodplain and has a federally insured, backed, or regulated loan.

Montana and the NFIP Questions????