Planning for Flood Recovery and Long-term Resilience in Vermont: Smart Growth Approaches for Disaster-Resilient Communities
Synopsis "Planning for Flood Recovery and Long-term Resilience in Vermont: Smart Growth Approaches for Disaster-Resilient Communities"
Flooding from extreme storm events has affected many communities across the country, causing billions of dollars of damage annually. Moreover, climate change projections suggest that storms will likely become more powerful in many regions of the country in the future. In light of these trends, many communities are recognizing the need to improve disaster recovery and long-term flood resilience planning. Communities throughout Vermont faced this reality when Tropical Storm Irene hit in 2011, devastating infrastructure, communities, and lives. In 2012, in the wake of Irene, the state of Vermont requested technical assistance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The assistance focused on incorporating smart growth principles into state policies, local development regulations, and Hazard Mitigation Plans to increase community flood resilience. "Flood resilience" means measures taken to reduce the vulnerability of communities to damages from flooding and to support long-term recovery after an extreme flood. Smart growth and more environmentally and economically sustainable approaches to development can help communities become more resilient to future flooding by protecting vulnerable undeveloped lands, siting development in safer locations, and designing development so it is less likely to be damaged in a flood. Communities that identify areas that are safer for development and then implement smart growth approaches in those areas will be most successful at creating more flood-resilient places. EPA's assistance provided options for communities and the state to consider as they work to recover, rebuild, and plan for a more resilient future. These trends are creating a sense of urgency among communities, particularly those in states like Vermont that are expected to experience increased flooding in the future, to look for better ways to deal with flooding and build flood resilience. Resilience generally refers to "a capability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from significant multi-hazard threats with minimum damage to social well-being, the economy, and the environment." This project focused specifically on resilience to flooding, including a community's capacity to plan for, respond to, and recover from floods.
