Media Library

This is a learning library as well as a means to share media tools. Below are reels, graphics, documents, and other files that are useful for training or are otherwise advocating for flood risk management.

Art by Rob Gonsalves

Videos

Why say structural and nonstructural?

Technical experts say these terms when forming alternatives that address flood hazards. Understanding why will help you on your flood management planning effort. Maybe we can start using the terms features and activities for these measures that manage flood risks?

260715 Ottawa levee flooding-residual risk – 3 Things

Three Things You Should Know About … Levees!

This is the first reel of many, where we will spotlight one measure, or some aspect about flood risk management, and point out Three Things You Should Know About it.

Watch for more in the future!

Flood Map Limitations

Flood maps aren’t perfect. They have limitations tied to stream gage and precipitation records.

The Flood Management Planning Process

Flood insurance rates have become actuarial rates in the United States over the last several years within the NFIP. This reel is about floodplain management plans and the planning process behind them. This is a way to lower insurance premiums through the FEMA NFIP Community Rating System, Activity 510. Earn and accumulate points to lower rates community-wide. Adopting a floodplain management plan can change your community a whole class level in CRS!

Music by Nigel Stanford. Used with permission.

Photos

Various photos from Hurricane Harvey impacts, August 28, 2017

170828 Beaumont Place TX residents thigh deep evac raining-HARVEY-s

Flood Forecast Inundation Mapping

A great example of interagency partnerships is the one between USACE-USGS-NWS and the state and local communities for each flood forecast inundation map. These maps show the continuum of risk, rather than the in-out that FEMA FIRMs are focused on for regulatory purposes. To use these types of National Water Prediction Service webpages, skip down 3 items to the Gauge Location map. Below it, click the dial Activate Partner <Name> FIM. A layers button in upper right of the map can switch to an aerial map to give contrast to the light blue inundation layer.

Example FFIMs

Why Should We Consider These FFIMs as a Valuable Tool for Reducing the Nations’ Susceptibility to Flood Hazards?

A map-book, showing the continuum of flood risk.
Visual for where flooding will happen at publicly familiar gage location
Link for public between forecasts, flood warnings, and action
Knowledge of future flood levels and when to flood fight, preventing costly, unnecessary efforts for preparedness
Tool for risk informed decision making
All-the-time, continuous and dependable availability and risk communication (available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week)
Nonstructural measure for improving public risk knowledge
Interagency effort that leverages existing tools and abilities of multiple agencies with roles in managing flood risks
Flood map that does not limit risk informed decision making to the regulatory flood extents or flood elevation
Consistent and same standards are part of how every single flood forecast inundation map is made, which keeps up public trust

Handout promoting flood forecast inundation maps

260818 SJ Why FFIMs Handout Download

Posters

Posters at public meetings and at professional conferences are a great way to communicate ideas and success stories. The posters below were created to increase networking at the floodplain manager conference in 2025. The original idea was to use Dr. Mike Morrrison, who pointed out the poster coloring and main statement at the time could serve to speed up cross-sector networking. This is important to move the field of flood risk management to more effective and collaborative actions, which are needed to address increasing flood risks. These posters are only an excerpt of the over 40 posters the Silver Jackets teams posted here.

Healthy watersheds

This poster is based on HUC-10 watersheds and activities conducted at the watershed-level. In this case, agricultural areas, which make up a substantial portion of Midwest watershed areas, are assessed with a hydrologic model to see whether watershed-wide soil health management systems (NRCS) measures have a meaningful reduction in flood flows.

250401-NWK_KS_HealthyWatershedPlanSoils-ASFPMposter Download

Local Hazard Mitigation Plans

The poster here examines two specific hazards the state had identified under flood risk management and then assessed the inventory of actions. The inventory was useful in considering how a watershed approach could be a more effective arrangement than multi-county. The assessment also helped account for possible budgets necessary for studies to address the needed actions.

250401- NWK_KS_LHMPsFloodActions-ASFPMposter Download

Flood forecast inundation mapping

Flood awareness tools take many forms, but few reveal the continuum of risk as well as flood forecast inundation maps.

250401- NWK_KS_OttawaFFIMs-ASFPMposter Download

Watershed-level Assessment of Consequences

The use of available FEMA RiskMAP depth grids can be leveraged along with the National Structure Inventory to provide state agencies with consequences data. That enables risk informed decision making by the state leads, who need to be sure grant opportunities go to address the areas of highest flood risk.

250401-NWK_KS_BuildFloodAsmt UPDATE-ASFPMposter Download

Repetitive Area analysis in a small watershed

Formulating plans to fund projects in a watershed can be challenging without a systems approach. This poster shows the hydraulic modeling updates and tying together buyout opportunities that are needed.

250401-NWK_KS_SpringCkFloodSol-ASFPMposter Download

Historic Flood Sign Examples

Any community can succeed with flood awareness techniques, and one way is a historic marker to remind the public of flood risks. These signs were used for communities in Kansas in 2018 to remind the public of past highwater marks and the disasters they caused. While the story of the area surrounding the sign is one part, the real impact is found when you can visually see where the highwater mark was from the sign. These signs specifically describe that element of the story, giving the reader a take-away about the risk.

For the examples below, a total of 24 signs were developed for 17 communities in Kansas. Missouri established 9 signs across the state (not shown below) in 2019. Many of the communities’ staff became very excited and developed exotic mounting techniques. One community had four signs and did a flood tour.