Roundtable Workshops

Roundtable Workshop 10: Reducing Future Flood Losses: The Role of Human Actions

March 2, 2004

The National Academies
Room 100
500 Fifth Street
Washington, DC

AGENDA

Objective: As noted in Disasters by Design, hazards lead to disasters as a result of actions people, groups and organizations take or fail to take. Hazards are ubiquitous in the United States, however, hazards are only a necessary condition for disaster, not a sufficient condition. Human actions must come into play. Society creates its own disasters, including determining such characteristics as their frequency, scope and duration.

This Disasters Roundtable workshop will focus on preventing flood disasters in the United States. It will provide an opportunity for presenters and audience participants to discuss the nature of the nation

8:40 AM Opening Remarks
David L. Johnson, National Weather Service

Session 1: Flood Policy

Moderator: Timothy Cohn, U.S. Geological Survey

8:50 AM Facing the 21st Century Challenge: Where have we been and where are we going?
Gerald Galloway, Titan Corporation (Download Presentation)

9:20 AM Presidential Disaster Declarations and Flood Policy

Richard T. Sylves, University of Delaware(Download Presentation (a) and presentation (b))

9:40 AM Questions and Discussion

10:00 AM Break

10:15 AM Session 2: The Role of Government

Moderator: Ellis M. Stanley, Sr., City of Los Angeles

Governments at all levels play a key role in flood disaster loss reduction. This panel will discuss promising government initiatives to reduce future flood losses in the nation.

Federal Assistance for Flood Risk Management

Harry Kitch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Download Presentation)

National Flood Insurance Program: Repetitive Loss Program
Cliff Oliver, Federal Emergency Management Agency/Department of Homeland Security(Download Presentation)

The No Adverse Impact Development Approach to Community Flood Damage Reduction and Sustainability
Larry Larson, Association of State Floodplain Managers (Download Presentation)

11:15 AM Questions and Discussion

11:35 AM Lunch

12:45 PM Session 3: Society's Role in Reducing Flood Losses

Moderator: Susan Tubbesing, EERI
Successful flood loss reduction can only be achieved through the active involvement of civil society and the private sector. This panel will discuss promising initiatives in the private sector and in such civil society organizations as professional associations.

Insurance alone is not enough - it is better to prevent a loss rather than recover from one!

Clive Goodwin, FM Global Insurance (Download Presentation)

Levees: How Protected Is A "Protected Area?
James Russell, Institute for Business and Home Safety (Download Presentation)

Public Private Partnership Case Study
Ann Patton, City of Tulsa (Download Presentation) (Also see the Tulsa Flood Story.

1:45 PM Questions and Discussion

2:05 PM Break

2:20 PM Session 4: Role of Science and Technology

Moderator: Ross Corotis, University of Colorado
This panel will discuss scientific and technical developments and initiatives which, combined with other human actions, offer promise for advancing flood reduction policy and practice.

Tom Graziano, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Download Presentation)

Mike Howard, Federal Emergency Management Agency/Department of Homeland Security (Download Presentation)

Robert Mason, U.S. Geological Survey (Download Presentation)

3:30 PM Questions and Discussion

3:50 p.m. Session 5: Development Issues

Moderator: William Hooke, American Meteorlogoical Society
Long term development of a watershed: What determines when enough is enough?
George Rogers, Texas A&M University (Download PowerPOint Presentation or in pdf]

4:20 PM Questions and Discussion

4:40 PM Adjourn