No images? Click here

 

Volume 32, No. 1 | Summer 2025

A newsletter for Connecticut's Floodplain Managers

 
 

  Public Act 25-33 Signed by Governor Lamont

On June 10, 2025, the Governor signed Public Act 25-33, An Act Concerning the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Municipal and State Planning, and the Use of Neonicotinoids and Second-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides.  Public Act 25-33 is also known as Senate Bill No. 9 (SB 9).  Portions of this legislation were a direct result of the flooding in western Connecticut on August 18, 2024.  It includes the following provisions affecting floodplain management: 

  1. Flood Disclosures (Section 1-4) - Requires insurers who issue homeowners or renters insurance to provide insureds notice about flood insurance availability.  Requires financial institutions to notify mortgage applicants of flood damage risk and who to contact for flood insurance information.  Revises the residential property condition report to include questions and statements about flood risk and flood insurance.
  2. Coastal Site Plan Reviews (Section 5 & 6) - Makes new single-family home construction subject to coastal site plan review (CSPR) under the Connecticut Coastal Management Act.  Requires municipal zoning commissions and zoning boards of appeals to give DEEP a copy of each coastal site plan for any activity proposed within certain FEMA-designated areas (100-year floodplains) or sites with tidal wetlands, beaches or dunes.
  3. Local Evaluation and Hazard Mitigation Plans - Beginning October 1, 2027, requires municipal evacuation or hazard mitigation plans to identify and address certain threats due to sea level change (e.g. to critical infrastructure) and ways to avoid or reduce climate change's effects.  Requires use of geospatial data in identifying those threats.
  4. Municipal Culvert and Bridge Data (Section 8) - Beginning May 1, 2028, requires each municipality to annually submit a geospatial data file to its regional council of governments (COG) on its culverts and bridges.  Requires each COG to annually submit the files to OPM.
  5. Municipal Reserve Funds (Section 9) - Explicitly allows municipal reserve funds to cover expenditures intended to increase a capital improvement's resiliency against climate change impacts. 
  6. Town Road Aid (Section 10) - Expands the eligible uses of CTDOT Town Road Aid program funds by adding construction, reconstruction, improvements, and maintenance to increase resiliency against increased precipitation, flooding, sea level rise, and extreme heat.
  7. Plans of Conservation and Development (Section 11-14) - Generally expands the information that must be included in local, regional, and the state's plans of conservation and development to include strategies for responding to, and information related to, climate change effects (e.g. increased precipitation or extreme heat).
  8. Civil Preparedness Plan (Section 15) - Beginning October 1, 2028, requires the state's civil preparedness plan and program to consider observed and projected climate trends related to certain situations
  9. Zoning Regulations (Section 16) - Requires that municipal zoning regulations provide for proper ways to mitigate and avoid the negative effects of sea level change.  Allows the regulations to (1) require or promote resilience and (2) give incentives for using flood-risk reduction building methods.
  10. Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) (Section 16-18 & 33) - Allows municipal zoning regulations to provide for (1) a regional TDR system and (2) sending and receiving sites in conjunction with a multi-town or regional TDR system.  Allows COGS to administer joint or multi-town TDR systems.  Allows two or more municipalities to set up a TDR bank.  Sets criteria for eligible sending and receiving sites. 
  11. State Water Plan Update (Section 19) - Requires the state water plan's next update to (1) consider (a) the potential impact of climate change on water resource quality and (b) temperatures and precipitation information when identifying water qualities and quantities for various uses and (2) include recommendations and an implementation plan for reducing effects on water from climate change and extreme weather.
  12. Water Supply and Sewage Disposal System Regulation and Permit Review (Section 20) - On a ten-year basis beginning by the end of 2028, requires DEEP, DPH and PURA to review and revise their water supply regulations and DEEP and DPH to review and revise their sewage disposal system permitting processes and related regulations, all to include certain projections.
  13. Resiliency Improvement Districts (Section 21-30) - Creates a framework authorizing municipalities to establish resiliency improvement districts to finance capital projects addressing climate change mitigation, adaptation or resilience.  Allows municipalities to finance projects in these districts by designating incremental property tax revenue and specified savings generated in the district, imposing benefits assessments on real property in the district, and issuing bonds backed by these revenue streams and other sources.  Allows municipalities to fix property tax assessments in the district for up to 30 years.
 

New Flood Insurance Installment Payment Plan and Quoting Tool   

 

FEMA will be fully implementing an installment payment plan for National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) flood insurance premiums in autumn 2025.  Previously, flood insurance premiums had to be paid in full to take effect, placing a financial burden on policyholders.  Some insurance companies may have already initiated the new installment payment plan in late 2024, but full implementation will be achieved by October 1, 2025.    

Consumers looking to purchase NFIP flood insurance can now use the new Quoting Tool to get a flood insurance premium quote in about 10 minutes.

On October 1, 2025, the NFIP Flood Insurance Manual will be updated with these changes.

 

FEMA Discontinuing BRIC Program 

On April  4, 2025, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it would be ending the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program.  As the program is concluding, the Fiscal Year 2024 BRIC funding opportunity is cancelled, no applications submitted will be reviewed and no funds will be awarded.  In addition, for all BRIC applications from Fiscal Years 2020-2023, if grant funds have not been distributed to states, tribes, territories and local communities, funds will be returned either to the Disaster Relief Fund or the U.S. Treasury.

Outstanding BRIC Projects and Next Steps
FEMA will be reaching out and coordinating with recipients on projects. The agency’s website will be updated with a full list of projects selected for funding over the last four years. The status will show what is fully obligated, partially obligated and cancelled.

▪ Recipients will be able to complete fully obligated projects that have started construction and will be able to expend all associated funds. FEMA will also obligate management costs associated with partially or fully obligated projects.

▪ Fully obligated projects that have not started construction will not be approved and will end.

▪ For phased projects, FEMA Regions will work closely with applicants on already obligated projects to determine the best path forward for those projects. This may include ending the project after the completion of Phase 1 or at another appropriate stopping point.

▪ FEMA will not be extending project deadlines without the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the FEMA Administrator’s approval.

▪ Management costs will only continue for partially or fully obligated projects.

Unobligated Funds
For previous funding cycles, FEMA will cancel all of the BRIC projects selected but not obligated across fiscal years 2020-2023.  As of April 18, 2025, FEMA estimates approximately $4 billion will remain in the Disaster Relief Fund to assist with disaster response and recovery for communities and survivors. In addition, approximately $649 million of funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will be returned to the U.S. Treasury or reapportioned by Congress in the next fiscal year. The 2021 IIJA law made $1 billion available for BRIC over five years, $133 million to date has been provided for about 450 applications.

Contact Information
Sub-applicants should contact the Connecticut State Hazard Mitigation Officer with any questions.

According to a study by the National Institute of Building Sciences, mitigation measures such as building retrofit, lifeline retrofit, and adopting the latest building code requirements can save up to $11 in the future for every $1 spent now.

 

Dam Safety Infographic & Inland Wetlands Poster

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Dam Safety Program has created a new Dam Safety Infographic .  It contains information on the Dam Safety Regulatory Program, frequently asked questions, and more!  A great resource for dam owners and consultants involved with dam inspection, repairs and emergency action plans (EAP).

The DEEP Inland Wetlands Management Program has created a new outreach poster, Connecticut Inland Wetlands & Watercourses:  A Cooperative Ecosystem, intended for municipalities to be able to use to clarify the different roles and responsibilities that play into wetlands management in Connecticut. Take a dip in the pond and learn more about the relationship between wetlands, DEEP, the public and the 171 municipal inland wetlands agencies statewide. 

 

Connecticut River Museum Flooding Exhibit 

 

The Connecticut River Museum in Essex opened a special exhibit on June 5, 2025 entitled "Rising Waters:  Flooding on the Connecticut River".  There have always been floods. However, with increased human activity in floodplains, the impact of the floods on people has increased. This exhibit will explore several devastating floods of the 20th century on the Connecticut River and pose questions about what we should expect in the future. What are the effects of climate change on potential future floods? And, what are we doing to protect our riparian communities and our environment before the next 100 year flood?  The exhibit closes on August 3, 2025.  

The Museum located at 67 Main Street, Essex is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00am to 5:00pm.  It is closed on Mondays.  Click here for admission fees, directions and other museum information.  Click here for an NBC30 news video and a WTNH Channel 8 news video on the exhibit.

Training Opportunities

CONFERENCES & WORKSHOPS

July 21-24, 2025:  National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies (NAFSMA) Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.

July 22, 2025:  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tour of Mansfield Hollow Dam., hosted by the Connecticut Association of Flood Managers (CAFM), 10:30am-12:30pm, $25 includes tour and box lunch. CFM 1.0 CEC.  Rain date July 23, 2025.

August 12, 2025:  Hurricane Awareness Course (AWR-343), 8:00am-5:00pm, Old Saybrook Fire Department, 310 Main Street, Old Saybrook.  CFM 6.5 CECs, APA AICP 6.5 CM.  Provided by the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (NDPTC), hosted by the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management & Homeland Security (DEMHS).  REGISTER HERE.

August 14, 2025:  Hurricane Awareness Course (AWR-343), 8:00am-5:00pm, Fairfield Regional Fire School, 205 Richard White Way, Fairfield.  CFM 6.5 CECs, APA AICP 6.5 CM.  Provided by the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (NDPTC), hosted by the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management & Homeland Security (DEMHS).  REGISTER HERE.

September 3-6, 2025:  National Land Conservation Conference, Cleveland, OH.

September 16-18, 2025:  2025 Integrated Watershed Management Planning Workshop, Denver, CO.

September 21-25, 2025:  Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) Dam Safety 2025, Cleveland, OH.

September 30, 2025:  Insuring the Future, hosted by the Connecticut Insurance Department (CID) & Connecticut Insurance & Financial Services (CT IFS), Hartford, CT.

October 8-11, 2025:  American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2025 Convention, Seattle, WA.

October 23, 2025:  The Most Important Fish in The Sea, Connecticut Audubon Society, Connecticut River Lecture Series, Lyme Art Association, 90 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, 5:00-6:00pm.

October 28, 2025:  Massachusetts Association for Floodplain Management (massFM) Annual Conference.  SAVE THE DATE

October 29-30, 2025:  Restore America's Estuaries (RAE) 2025 Living Shorelines Tech Transfer Workshop, New Haven. 

November 6-7, 2025:  Southern New England American Planning Association (SNEAPA) 2025 Conference, Newport, RI.

November 14-20, 2025:  International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Annual Conference, Louisville, KY.

November 19-20, 2025:  National Disaster Resilience Conference 2025, Clearwater Beach, FL.

November 19, 2025: Atmospheric CO2 and the Global-to-Regional Climate, Connecticut Audubon Society, Connecticut River Lecture Series, Old Lyme Town Hall, 52 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, 5:00-6:00pm. 

November 20, 2025:  Connecticut Association of Flood Managers (CAFM) 12th Annual Conference, Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), New Britain.  SAVE THE DATE.

January 21-23, 2026:  2026 Integrated Watershed Management Planning Workshop, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

March 10-12, 2026:  ResCon International, New Orleans, LA.

April 27-May 1, 2026:  National Association of Wetland Managers (NAWM) Annual State/Tribal/Federal Coordination Meeting, NCTC Shepherdstown, WV. 

May 12-14, 2026:  National Adaptation Forum, Pittsburgh, PA.

May 31-June 4, 2026:  Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) Annual Conference, Milwaukee, WI.

 

ASSOCIATION OF STATE FLOODPLAIN MANAGERS (ASFPM)

The ASFPM